This article was written for the Annals of Wyoming several months before Mr. Barlow died in Gillette, on March 31, 1964, at the age of 95. Ed.

"There were no fences and mighty few log and sod shacks between Miles City Montana and Gillette, Wyoming, in 1898. It was wide-open range. Gillette was a railroad town with only thirty inhabitants. The only place to buy a meal was in a small shack down by the railroad tracks."

In these words L.H. Barlow "Lew" to his scores of friends, describes Wyoming as he first saw it. Tired of breaking broncos and hunting horse thieves in Idaho, he had shipped his two carloads of cattle to Miles City and then trailed them south to the prairies around Gillette. His uncle, W.F. Draper, of Sundance, described these grassy plains as "the best range land west of the Missouri."

Today Gillette is crowded with automobiles, and the streets swarm with people. The old ranching town is enjoying an oil boom. Derricks are going up in a wide area; wells are being dug. Tireless rocker arms are pumping millions of gallons of crude oil to the surface. On a quiet, side street in Gillette stands a distinguished-looking house with a huge horseshoe front. This is the home of Lew Barlow, still a vigorous 94-year-young pioneer. The oil is no surprise to Lew.

"Many centuries ago this country had a climate like that of Florida today," Lew explains before he starts showing individual fossils in his collection. "There were many lakes. Both land and watter were thickly populated with animals, varying in size from worms to dinosaurs. Plant growth was lush and tropical in nature. Sequoia timber grew here. In California where it now grows it is known as redwood."

"Then came the time of a great upheaval. The Black Hills were formed. Devils Tower rose, and the Missouri Buttes. The air was filled with chocking ashes. Billions of animals and trees were buried under soil and rocks and ashes. Masses of trees crushed and buried then form our extensive coal mines of today. Where marine life and wood were pressed into water with tons of earth upon it, water began its patient work of replacing the once-living cells with calcium and silica. So the fossils of fish and animals, and the petrified wood was recast and preserved for us by water. This buried life also produced the oil we are pumping out today."

Lew then shows his visitors the petrified proof that he has gathered. Ammonites still glowing with pre-historic irridescense are perhaps his most fascinating fossils. They are coiled shells from the Mesozoic age, similar to the mollusks that exist today. Lew has them varying in size from over a foot in diameter down to less than one inch, but still in perfect form. One unique fossil has an unborn baby ammonite clearly visible. Other fossils from that ancient time include baculites, trilobites, belemnites or ink fish, fossil fish, fossil leaves and ferns, a petrified oyster, a petrified frog, dinosaur gizzard stones, dinosaur teeth and bones, and a piece of a cycad. Cycads are petrified plants that once grew in ancient swamps were they were oats for dinosaurs.

A recent addition to Lew's collection is an immense joint of backbone, about three feet in width, and two feet deep. At the School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota, Lew compared it with the backbone joints of dinosaurs and found it much larger. Since identification is not possible, scientists agree with Lew that it probably was once a living part of an ancient mammoth. The bone comes from the state of Washington, where a friend found it and brought it to Lew for his collection.

While gathering fossils, Lew also gathers many artifacts from much more recent times. He has hundreds of arrowheads, many perfect and also man broken parts which he used to form letters of mottos such as "Give Me a Home where the Buffalo Roam in Old Wyom"; "God Bless that Mother of Mine"; "The Old Rugged Cross", with a cross of perfect arrowheads. These mottos are framed and with paintings and photographs and funny quips decorate the walls of his home.

A hand-made United States flag with 42 stars hangs on one wall. This flag with 42 stars hangs on one wall. This flag was found by a friend while he was tearing down an old log cabin near Gillette. It was buried under two layers of wall paper. A flag with 42 stars is especially unusual because it existed only for eight months, from November, 1889, when the two Dakotas, Washington and Montana joined the Union, until July, 1890, when Wyoming and Idaho were added.

A cannon ball five inches in diameter and two smaller iron balls are from an old battlefield southwest of Gillette. "A real battle took place there but no historic record of it exists," Lew says. "A Mexican horse wrangler, John, told me that he and some early settlers with a small detachment of army men battled for their lives with the Indians on that hill. You can still see the deep pits they dug now well grassed over. An old wooden-wheeled cannon was used to fire the shot. It scared the Indians away and saved the lives of the settlers."

Lew Barlow was born in Nebraska, near Omaha, but came west while very young, "to get away from my relatives." He lived in Idaho for thriteen years, where he worked for cattle outfits and became a top rider. He recalls seeing Indian women dig roots from the prairies and rub the roots between stones, making the product into coarse bread. Lew has several such rubbing stones, and many Indian scrapers, knives, and hammers in his collection now.

After he reached the Gillette area with his cattle in 1898, he waited a year before he returned to Idaho for his wife and baby. By that time he had a one-room log house east of Gillette ready for them.

"All the fule we had was coal that we dug for ouselves. One day while my wife and I were gone for a load of black diamonds, the log house burned down. But my mother-in-law saved herself and the baby. We didn't have any money, so I traded two cows for a shack without windows in town", Lew recalls.

"In 1917, I figured I had better get myself a ranch as the day of the free range was over. I homesteaded out in the Deadhorse Basin and started building. Hard times came and the homesteaders wanted to get out, so I just kept adding blocks of land until our ranch was ten miles across."

Lew now lives alone in his "Horseshoe Villa" in Gillette. Mrs. Barlow died a number of years ago. His sons, Glen and Lew, operate the old ranch, while his daughter, Mr. Ed. Littleton, and a son, Fred live in town. Visitors from every state in the Union, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Africa have signed his guest book and looked at his famous collection. Often groups of school children come to see his petrified proof of an exciting past and listen to Lew's jokes as he shows them around.

In 1962, the Wyoming State Historical Society presented an award to Lew. It reads: "To L.H. Barlow in recognition of his activity in the promotion and preservation of Wyoming history in the fields of Archeology and Paleontology and for his colletion in these fields."

Lew Barlow believes that people are too busy in these modern times for enought of the good old-fashioned laughs. "Roping and riding was work for cowboys in the early days. Rodeo like we have now is only a show, but kinda nice to look at." A twinkle lights the eyes of Lew as he remember s the past.

He likes the old Germanized saying "Ve got too soon oldt, and too late schmardt." His favorite motto made of arrowheads is "Life is not all for money, so make it a song instead of money, and enjoy our milk and honey." This philosophy plus the hobby of collecting fossils and artifacts keeps Lew healthy, alert, busy, and happy at ninety-four. "My goal is a hundred or more," he chuckles.

Used with permission of the Wyoming Historical Society

Gillette News-Record     April 02, 1964 Page 1

Pioneer Rancher, F.L. Barlow, 95, Dies Here Tuesday     (Note: the initials in the headline are incorrect)

Funeral services for L.H. Barlow, 95, pioneer rancher of Campbell county, will be conducted from the First Presbyterian church at 2 p.m., Friday, April 3, with the Rev. Robert M. Phenix officiating.

Barlow passed away at the Campbell County Memorial hospital in Gillette on Tuesday, March 31.

His health had not been too good this winter, but he had been up and around four or five days before his death.

Since coming to this area, before 1900, Barlow had long been known among the ranching circles. Following retirement he became interested in rocks, artifacts, historical items of this area, and had made friends all over the United States because of the museum he had developed in his home.

Among the survivors are his three sons, Lewis C., Glen and F. L. "Ted", and daughter, Mrs. Ed Littleton, all of Gillette.

Copy of the original news article

Funeral Services Held Friday for L.H. Barlow

Funeral services for Lewis H. Barlow, 95, were conducted from the First Presbyterian church in Gillette on Friday, April 3, at 2 p.m., with the Rev. Robert M. Phenix in charge.

The county pioneer rancher passed away at the Campbell County Memorial hospital on Tuesday, March 31, following a short illness.

Mrs. Lee Worman, Mrs. Al Wilson, Mrs. Delbert Brown and Mrs. Earl Braley sang "Sunrise Tomorrow," and "The Old Rugged Cross," accompanied by Mrs. Lewis Grams at the organ.

Pallbearers were six of his grandsons, Henry L. Barlow, William L. Barlow, Fred A. Barlow, Robert F. Barlow, Donald Littleton, and Dean Humann.

Interment was made at Mount Pigsah cemetery in Gillette.

L.H. Barlow was born to Stephen and Ruth Barlow on October 3, 1863 in Dawson Nebraska.

At the age of 17, he left his home town bound for Lewiston, Idaho, where he planned to become a cowboy. He went by train to San Francisco, California, where he boarded a steamship for Portland, Oregon, and rode a river steamer to Lewiston. He worked on ranches in that area until he accumulated a small heard of cattle.

On January 8, 1895, he united in marriage to Ruth L. McMunegle at Genesee, Idaho, and four children were born to this union.

In June of 1898, they moved to Wyoming, shipping their cattle and horses to Miles City, Montana, then trailing them to what is now Campbell county, where he spent his life raising cattle and horses until his retirement ten years ago.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth, on June 16, 1951, and by one grandson in 1963.

For the past 10 years, Mr. Barlow has spent his time in a worthwhile hobby collecting Indian artifacts and petrified fossils which have been on display in his home.

Survivors are his daughter, Mrs. E.E. (Mary) Littleton, three sons, Fred L., Glenn A., and Lewis C. Barlow, all of Gillette; nine grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

Among those from out of town attending the last rites were Mr. and Mrs. Allan A. Morris and Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Lane of Rapid City, South Dakota; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Littleton of Salt Lake City, Utah; Mr. and Mrs. Dean Humann of Hastings, Nebraska; Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shunk and J.W. Sampson of Sheridan; Ernest Reece, Dixie Reece, and Richard Reece, all of Leiter, Wyoming.

Copy of the original news article

Our Grandma lived to be 92 and was quite a remarkable woman. She made 11 quilt tops her last year of life even though she had been pretty much in a wheelchair since she had fallen and broken her hip. She was bright and alert and loved children, always had games and toys for the little ones to play with and stories to tell.

Mary Saviny Cooper Barlow married a Harris Sowers, after William Lincoln died. I don't have dates or anything just know she had lived with a Harris family as a little girl. He was a relative of that family.

He married Mary Etta Smith January 01, 1893. They had 3 sons and 4 daughters. 1 daughter, Virginia Ayers, Heppner, Oregon, preceded him in death. He is survived by a brother Joel, Ione, Oregon. Sons Frank, Martinez, California, Alvin, Ione, Oregon and Everett, Madras, Oregon. Daughters Mrs. Cecil (Maude) Ludkins, Dolly Alstott, Ione, Flora Schunk, Heppner, Oregon.

Obit 1-84

She married Daniel Barlow on January 01, 1893 at Weston, Oregon. She lived most of her life in this area. She is survived by sons Frank Barlow of Martinez, California, Alvin Barlow, Ione, Oregon, Everett Barlow, Lexington, Oregon, daughters Maude Ludkins, Ione, Oregon, Flora Schunk of Heppner, Oregon, Dolly Alstott, Ione, Oregon and Virginia Ayers deceased. She had 13 grandchildren.

Obit 1-243

Obit 4-110

The couple married in Yakim on Aug. 30, 1916 and lived in the Sunnyside-Grandview area since that time. They have resided at their present location, Nicka Rd., Grandview, for the past 15 years.

Their family includes a daughter, Mrs. Lucille Simpson, of Carbonado; a son, Floyd Simpson of Edmons; nine granchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.                          Copy of Original

This is a family tree of my life as far back as I can remember. My fathers name was Charles William Barlow, he lived in east some place, (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas). They lived in so many places, he was born Dec 1/1865 and he married my mother Olive Omellia Bates when she lived in Illinois. Was only 15 yrs. old, she was born Dec 23/1872.   They raised a large family of nine children. The 1rst 6 was born in the east.

Luther Lee, born Mar 15/1887 died June 4/1903
Infant baby born June 8/1890 died June 1890
Fred William born May 12/1894 died May 4, 1970
Lester Ray born March 9/1896 died October 6/1969
Pearl Alice born June 30/1897 died October 8, 1969
Orvall Allen born November 8/1901 died 73 or 73
Nora Belle born March 12/1899 ---still going

These all born in the east. I was born in Kansas, Attaching Co., don't have the name of the town. We came west when I can just vaguely remember. I don't know if we traveled in wagon, I know they traveled on trains a lot, I have heard my folks tell of so many train robberies, but never heard them say that they ever got robbed. Mother said she used to carry most of money bills in a cloth sack in her bosom or pinned somehow in her clothing, in case they did get robbed. When I was around seven I think that's when they heard of this land in Washington you could get a home-stead land (160 acres) so many acres, if you lived on the land for so many years (it was yours). So that's when we come to Wash.

We came to Yakima first to North Yakima and lived there few yrs. than traveled in wagon there on to Mabton and got the 160 acres homestead land. We lived up there many years. Then my folks lost Luther, oldest brother, while we lived on the Glade as it was called, (10 miles south of Mabton) he had some kind of paralyses in his leg and he had blood poison and sores (from laying in bed so long) After Luther died, Fred and Lester were big enough to help with farming a little and do chores and Pearl and I help mother.

We kids all had to walk 1 1/2 miles to a country school, and in winter, dad built a house and bought 2 lots in Mabton and we'd move to Mabton about 3 or 4 Mo. or more in the fall and winter so we could have a better education. Dad would sometimes (he batched) go back and forth few days and do some farming. Than after school out we'd all move back on the ranch, but we had a good garden at our Mabton home. We raise chickens, had our own eggs, milk, pork, beef, all we wanted. My dad was always a good farmer, good crops for dry land farming didn't have irrigating there like down to Mabton and like they do now.

We never did go hungry or want for much, we didn't have. My dad was a good provider. We kids had this creek we used to wade in and catch pollyfrogs. I looked for pretty rocks and we used to have to heard turkey my mother used to raise but that was to much work, she didn't raise many anymore.

Than us kids had the nicest pony dad raised from a mare he had- we sure enjoyed that pony and one time a horse kicked her over a step bank and it broke her back and had to be distroyed. We all sure hated that.

After that, after dad owned a farm for years he sold it and moved to Mabton and I lived there for years.

The last 5 children was born in Mabton.

My dad was a real good farmer, he had better crops on the dry land farming than most other farmers had. He raised mostly wheat, rye and oats, he had several nice horses and machinery, wagons and buggies. We didn't have much garden on the hills ranch but at Mabton we had good garden, and my dad and boys, used to take a flat wagon bed when we lived on hills and got a big load of fruit and vegetable to can. He also bought all that to can when we lived in Mabton as we ate fresh out of the garden not enough to can. They didn't have a freezer than, but we had a cellar dug in a bank and our spuds, apples and onions and anything kept so good in it. We used to spend many evening popping corn and eating apples in evenings.

My grandad Barlow, drank allot and my dad said he didn't never drink as he seen enough in his home. One time his dad came home drunk and grandma scolded him so he picked up my dad, when a baby, under his arm and he was going to leave her and he had to cross a little creek on a bridge and grandma just was afraid he'd fall with the baby as he was so drunk he couldn't walk straight but he never did.

My dad had a bro. Uncle Jerry and Aunt Mandy that lived in Oregon and eight mile Oregon. (we got realitives all threw those places). They came to Mabton once or twice to visit us- and my dad and mom and smaller children went there to visit at least once. After we sold hills ranch and moved to Mabton- dad and a friend went into the dray business. They didn't have trucks than. (Dads partners name was John Sparks, they became real good pals. They had, I think, some no. of kids as my dad did, real nice people.)

They made a good living, they hauled anything in the winter. When Yakima river froze over they cut ice and fill ice houses. In Sept 16/1917, the year Lloyd and I were married, it was grape season and how he loved to eat them. He took appendicitis and wouldn't go to Dr in time so they broke (Dr said his appendix was full of grape seeds) and he suffered for 2 wks, and died in the old Sunnyside Hospital. Dr. said he also was so full of ulcers and so poisonous inside, if Dr. or nurses handled him without rubber gloves they would get gang-green poison in any little sore. He was only 52 yrs old and my mother in her 40's left with Orvall, Clarence, Edith, Mable, and Flo to raise. She had to have an auction sale to sell all horses, the work horses, all machinery and hay. With the money dad had she managed but she used to pick berries, apples, thin fruit etc. With the kids help and finally Edith, Mable, Orvall and Clarence got married on their own. (Pearl married George Simpson 2 yrs before I did marry) My mother had heart trouble and diabetes in later years. She lived across from Flo, so she stayed at Flo's. Clarence lived in his and moms home and batched several years. Flo looked after him and he married Flo's husband's, Richard Tweeten, sister and they got along fine until she died with heart attack and Clarence got heart trouble and Dr told him not to lift or do nothing. Had to put him in nursing home. He came up to nurses desk and said "I sure hurt in here" pointing to his chest. She looked up at him and said "Mr Barlow, go to your room and lie down, I'll be right in" and as soon as he hit the bed he died before nurse got to him, he died May 3, 1969. Flo sold his (Clarence) place and made funeral arrangements when he went to funeral home at Smith Funeral Home. She had enough to give him a nice funeral. Anna Belle, Edith's oldest girl preached his funeral and was real good.

Flo died at Sunnyside Hospital and was cremated.

Lester died in Puyallup May 1, 1970- buried at Mabton. Lester was in T.B. hosp in Tacoma for long time after got out had heart attack.

Pearl died Oct 8, 1969, she buried in Mabton- died at Sunnyside Hospital.

Edith died in Calf with diabetes, had one leg amputated and didn't heal and Dr was going to take more off but she died in surgery. She was buried in Prosser by Bob here husband and his folks too.

Mable and I are only ones left in our family and still going. Lloyd only one left 9 in his family. Lloyd has a small cancer on prostrate gland but Dr says its small and slow growing and it will probably out-live him. He also had typhoid fever and phenomena when Marie was small. Lived in Mabton than.

My father nearly always took all of us somewhere to celebrate the 4th of July and we always took lots to eat for picnic lunches and had ice cream or what we wanted.

Fred and Hattie Hayworth, she lived in Mabton don't remember the date. They had 9 children.

Lester married Mae Tinius at Mabton, they had 5 children and Mae took T.B. and Lester fixed up a covered wagon and took the family to Arizona for her health, but she died after a few years there. Lester and Mae's children were Lester Ray Jr. or Sonny, Mable Mae, Betty, Mollie and Billie. Lester did a good job raising them keep them to-geather until they all married on their own.

Fred and Hattie had 9 kids, Charlie married Kay?, Charles was married before and divorced had one boy Harold, court wouldn't let him have him. They had I guess 4 kids.

Floyd and Geneva had 4 kids
Ivan and Ruth had 4 girls
Virgil and Bernice had 4 or 5
Edna and Kenny had 1
Erma and Jene had 4
Fred and Betty had 5
Leonard and Dorthy had 4 girls and the boy with musterdistrphy they lost 2 yrs ago Michael, he was 21.

Albert, youngest one, and wife. They had 3 or 4. She worked in Sunnyside Hospital for years, she almost runs it.

Floyd, has I believe 3 children, he lives out of Tacoma and has since married. Floyd and his cousin had a cabinet shop and someway Floyd got hurt and had some disks out and hasn't been good since he is retired now and travels a lot.

Charlie is retired and he and Kay travel a lot has his own farm up near Chehallis

Ivan worked in Seattle for years in a a uto parts store and his boss sent his to Alaska to open up a shop there, and he worked until he retired. He and Ruth travel a lot now. Have their home out of Kent.

Virgil and Bernice have a real big house at Black Lake. Would like to sell it, but can't So Virgil did a lot of building for Ivan's boss and when Ivan retired Virgule is working for him until he can retire. He fly back and forth here, so does Bernie.

Edna and Kenny has lived in Sunnyside for years running a big farm, he can retire soon I think. Kenny has cancer-but its pretty good I guess, doctor's got it they say. (Just lately Kenny's cans Has broke out and in his liver, can't do anything with liver cancer. The big farm has been sold and Kenny retired and got a house in Sunnyside, he can't live long.

Erma and Jene has lived in Yakima for years. He has worked for Puget Sound Power and Light for years and retired there. He and Harvey alwayshad a lot of talk about when they got to geather.

Fred and Betty has taught S.D.A. schools since they got married. His oldest son is a S.D.A. preacher.

Leonard and Dorthy He works for Boeing for years they fly him all over on business, a lot is secret his wife don't even know.

Lest, oldest boy is Lester Jr. He lives on Island across from Seattle for years. He worked in a lumber mill for years until retired now he works on Ferry boat. He married Nelda Ruffer.

Pearl married Geo. Simpson and only had one boy, Floyd. He had three wives, he died with cancer. George always was crippled up with arthritis got in wheel-chair and couldn't hardly feed himself, and had a hospital bed.

Poor Pearl had such a hard life, she had to take care of him since she married him. Sick all her life too, worked out in hospitals and big garden at home and her yard and she finely died. We think of cancer as her kidney flushed away. Dr said wasn't cancer.

Edit died in Calf-buried in Prosser

Flo died in Mabton and was cremated.

Mable still going she works so hard too in garden- cans frezer keeping, keeping up house, they have a real nice home.

Me, well I'm still going, going on I mean 87. I'm oldest in my family guess I am sure tonight, I know I am to go threw what I have loosing four of my five children. Theirs a road in Oregon, was called the old Barlow Trail and one time Chas and Barbara Sleeper took us home with the for a week end, and they always took us some place we hadn't been. So he took us over to my cousins Carl Barlow who lived in Washogal in Oregon and he was so glad to see me, he said when I got out of car, he told his wife yes thats Nora I would of known her, if I didn't know she was coming. He showed us a book of the old Barlow Trail and Chas always said that wasn't about our family, but we have so many realitives in Oregon it was about them, I guess.

Chas Barlow was Fred's oldest boy he lives near Chahalis now and comes ever so often. I told Carl Charles told me it wasn't my family and he said it was, so I not sure, I wanted to buy a book, and Carl said it was so many years ago they were hard to get but if he ever saw one he'd get it for me. I didn't have time to read his, couldn't stay that long. A family in Othello and some more went with them not many years ago, wanted to go on a vacation, so they took off on the Old Barlow Trail, was gone quite a long time- I have never got to talk to them yet. But she let Crooks and friends of theirs read it. I'd sure love to read it. These peoples name was Kerr They were S.D.A's- we know them Fred and Charles know them too.

I got a piece I cut out of paper written after Kerr's got home when I run acorss it. I'll let you have it to put with this. Well this is getting to be too long, but I wanted to say a little about my mother. She was the best Mom I or any one else could ever have, she had 11 children -she lost her oldest and her youngest one before she died - but after she died few years they began to die only Mable and I are left.

Lloyd and my mom always got along so good and teased each other, after we moved from big ranch near McKenna we moved near my mom (to Grandview) and Lloyd needed a job and she said I'll be Floyd Clark her neighbor would hire you so she and Lloyd went over to see him and he did hire him and he worked for Floyd for a long time and become good old pals or friends (for years. Anytime Lloyd needed to work) I could tell you more but this is enough.

I forgot to tell you of Bill's family, you know all about this but I wanted it in this write up.

Bill went to Auburn Academy 3 years and fell in love with Ardith Crooks which Lloyd and I have known since she was very small, she graduated 1 yrs ahead of him she went home for summer and in fall she came back to Academy to take up something and her and Bill decided to get married and on June 9 she was married at her folks place near Granger. I'm in yard 1st few years he worked for Arediths dad, and for a big farmer in Othello and for Buster, he didn't like working in woods, so his last job was with Mayer Bros of Ellensburg. Ardith went with him and take turns driving, and they had the wreck in Albany Oregon and Bill got killed. Ardith got 7 or 8 cut in back of her head, they took her to Springfield Hosp. (Bill got so hurt couldn't even know him at the furnel. Killed him instantly.)

Bill and Ardith had four children 1st boy was Cliff, he married Stepheney States, they had 2 nice boys Dean and Billie named after his grandad. 1st girl was Elaine married Gary Slaback. They have a boy Dustin and Lacey born -private. 2nd child Dareld married Lorie?, had 1 boy and she was untrue to him, he left her and married Cookie Marinka from Oregon. That where he and Lori used to live but now Dareld and Cookie has a nice new house and Dareld still drives truck.

Elaine married Gary Slaback from E. Numclaw and they live near Othello Wn on part of her moms place- They have Dustin James -private- and Lacey born on her great grandads birth -private-

Fay married Jim Bucannon on privateshe adopted a boy Jimmey and a girl Isabel, and Jimmie died soon after she adopted him and just before she adopted him she had a baby of her own Ryan born -private-

NORA

Barlow, Ora L.    Civic Leader, Ex-Mayor of Cornelius
Born: Colby, Kansas May 17, 1895, son of William and Mary S. -Cooper-     Education: public school of Kansas and Oregon
Married: Anna B. Tillson of Grass Valley, Oregon June 21, 1925     Children: Alta Byrnice "Sprague", William L., Mary Carolyn, Robert Lee

Born Here and Becomes Distinguished Lawyer and Author

William C. Jones, son of Caswell Jones and Mary Barlow Jones was born at Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois, July 15, 1848, and departed this life at his resident in Robinson, October 8, 1915, having the age of 67 years, 2 months and 23 days. His mother, Mary Jones-- before her marriage Mary Barlow-- being left a widow with her only child, William C., at the tender age of five years, in June, 1855, married again, becoming the wife of Honorable Ethelbert Callahan, and the family continued to reside at Hutsonville until 1861, when they removed to Robinson, where Mr. Callahan opened a law office and built up a very lucrative practice.

Judge Jones had a distinguished educational career. His early training was received in the public schools of Hutsonville and Robinson, the Ohio Wesleyan University of Delaware, Ohio, the law department of the University of Michigan, the printing office of the "Monitor", a newspaper published in Robinson, and in the law office of his step father, Honorable E. Callahan. He was admitted to the bar on the 9th day of May, 1868.

Judge Jones was married on the 25th of November, 1869 to Mary H. Steel, daughter of James H. and Emily J. Steel, and they have three children, two sons, Caswell S. Jones and William C. Jones Jr., and one daughter Dorothy J., who is the wife of Stewart L. Crebs of Carmi, Illinois.

Judge Jones is also survived by Honorable Ethelbert Callahan, his step father and one sister, Mrs. Mary Callahan Mercer, who resides in the city of Robinson.

Judge Jones was elected to the 27th General Assembly in 1870; county judge in 1877; he served but two of the four years term when he was elected judge of the 2nd circuit; in 1879 Judge Jones was appointed by Gov. Tanner, Judge of the Court of Claims of the state of Illinois; in 1893 he caused to be published, "Elements and Science of English Versification," a work still recognized as standard. He also had published a volume of poems that were very interesting and well received by the public generaly, entitled "Birch Rod Days and Poems."

While on the county bench, he with the assistance of Judge Cunningham prepared and published a treatise on County Court practice. This book was entitled "Jones and Cunningham's Practice in the County Court"-- a law book that has been considered a standard authority in county court practice and is now in universal use in all county courts throughout the state of Illinois.

Funeral services were conducted at the family residence Sunday at 2:00 p. m., by Rev. H. W. White of the Presbyterian church interment was made in city cemetery, attended by the beautiful ritualistic ceremony of the Masonic fraternity.