Samuel Jackson Jones was born in Dublin, Ireland, on January 29, 1822. He emigrated to New York in 1837. He spent time in Alabama and New Orleans before heading to California during the gold rush. He spent the early 1860s in England. He came to Helena, Montana, in 1871, to take charge of the Whitlatch-Union mining properties of the National Mining and Exploring Company. A year later he brought his wife Sarah V. and their young son Francis D. Jones to Helena. The Company ceased active operations in 1876, but continued to employ Jones as its agent. During the 1880s Jones was recording clerk for the U.S. Surveyor General's Office in Helena. He was later promoted to draftsman. He died in Helena on December 28 1902.
Samuel's son Francis D. "Frank" Jones was born in England in August 1861. He came to Helena in 1871 with his parents as a ten year old. By 1880 he was working as a stationer. He joined his father as a draftsman at the U.S. Surveyor General's Office and worked his way up by 1914 to the office of U.S. Surveyor General. By the 1920s he was a civil engineer for the Montana Highway Commission. He served for many years as recorder for the Knights Templar in Helena. He married Ida Bridenthal on July 15, 1896. They had one daughter Frances.
From the description of Francis D. Jones papers, 1888-1943. (Montana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 430078729
