Jones, Herbert C. (Herbert Coffin), 1880-1970.

Lawyer and state legislator (1913-1934) from San Jose, California.

Herbert C. Jones was born in Wichita on June 24, 1884. In 1915, while working for his father at the Jones Milling Company, Jones established the first bus line in Wichita by equipping a 1915 Ford with a wooden body that could hold up to 70 people. Jones operated the Wichita Motor Bus Company until he sold the company to his drivers during the First World War. Jones continued working at his father's milling company and took over operation of the mill when his father died.

Jones was also the inventor of an automobile compass and a lawn mower known as the "Jones Speedi-Cutter". Both compass and lawn mower were produced at the Jones Milling Company plant. Jones continued to be active in business and church activities until his death on October 29, 1979.

Biographical Note

Lawyer and state legislator (1913-1934) from San Jose, California.

Biographical Note

Herbert C. Jones was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where his father taught in Penn College. He received his grammar school and high school education in San Jose, California, and his university training at Stanford University, where he completed his bachelor's degree in 1902. In 1904 he graduated from the Stanford school of Law. After graduation, Mr. Jones spent a short period in the County Clerk's Office, Santa Clara County, then began to practice law in San Jose where he since has maintained law offices. Mr. Jones took a leading part in the civic and community affairs of San Jose and Santa Clara County and manifested an interest, as well, in state and national political events. On January 2, 1913 he was elected to the California State Senate, in the first recall election of a state legislative official in California. Senator Jones served as State Senator for twenty-two years, 1913 through 1934. The Jones Papers include material from 1912 to 1954, however, because Mr. Jones continued to follow closely state political activity after his term of official service.

Mr. Jones gave his papers to the Stanford Libraries' California Collection in 1955, for the interest and use of students of California history and politics in the twentieth century.

The papers were catalogued during the summers, 1956-and 1957, by a graduate student (Donna Keyes) in the Stanford Department of History.