Fresno County, California Biographies Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919) History By Paul E. Vandor Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919 Notes: Missing+page1185-1186 Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm WILLIAM A. JONES.� George William Curtis, the brilliant editor, essayist and orator, once wrote entertainingly of "The Scholar in Politics." and he might quite as profitably discourse today concerning many of the present land-proprietors of California, about the scholar in business, choosing for his text such a career as that of William A. Jones, the university graduate guiding the affairs of the Minnewawa Vineyard, of which he is the owner. His grandfather. John P. Jones, a blacksmith who afterwards became a farmer, brought his family to Wisconsin in 1848; and his father, who was born at Star Wales, was a miner and manufacturer who, with his two brothers, purchased the Mineral Point Zinc Company and made a great success of its management as an incorporated concern. He was the secretary, treasurer and manager of the affair, built it up and improved it, opened the zinc mines and constructed a large plant. In time he combined it with the New Jersey Zinc Company of New York. They rebuilt and enlarged the plant in 1910 for increased capacity, and he managed it until he died, in 1912, sixty-eight years old. At one time his father was mayor of Mineral Point, and in that office, he exerted himself strenuously for the improvement and uplift of the city, county and state. Fie was vice-president of the bank, a member of the Wis- consin Assembly: under McKinley and again under Roosevelt he served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington, D. C. filling the position creditably. He was a prominent Republican. Mason and Knight Templar, and equally prominent in Scottish Rite and Shriner circles. Mrs. Jones. William's mother, was Sarah Ansley before her marriage, and was born in Linden, Wis., the daughter of Thomas Ansley, a pioneer mer- chant of Chicago. After a life of devotion to her husband. W. A. Jones. Sr., and her four children, she still resides at Mineral Point. Born at Mineral Point, Iowa County. Wis., on October 13. 1883, the second oldest child and the only son. William was educated at the Lawrence- ville Preparatory School, and after graduating, entered Princeton College, where he continued for two years. Leaving college, he entered the Mineral Point Zinc Company's plant at Depue, Ill. working up in the manufacturing department until he became assistant superintendent. After three years at Depue. he was transferred to Palmerton, Pa., the largest plant of the New Jersey Zinc Company, and there he was assistant superintendent of a depart- ment until 1913, when he resigned and came to San Francisco, after seven months in the State, lie returned to Wisconsin as foreman for the Leonard Construction Company of Chicago, and with that responsibility he was busy For several years. Returning to California in 1916, Mr. Jones bought the Minnewawa Vine- yard, four and a half miles east of Fresno ; and locating on it, he has since given it the major portion of his time, superintending and managing the large ranch of 620 acres. Minnewawa Vineyard was originally owned by Dr. Eshelman, who be- gan improvements there about thirty-five years ago. It is situated on Sections 16 and 17, to the extreme south of the Easterby tract and in the northern part of Lone Star. It was afterwards owned by Mr. Eshelman's daughter, Mrs. Sherman, who named it Minnewawa, "Wind of the Trees." Fancher Creek runs through the place. It is also known as Washington Colony ditch. But irrigation is afforded in addition by the use of appliances never dreamed of by Mr. Eshelman � five electric pumping plants, the largest of which has a five-inch pump. The ranch is devoted to both viticulture and horticulture, and also to general farming; table grapes are raised (emperors and malagas) and raisins, prunes, muscatels and some Thompsons. Five acres are set out in navel oranges ; eighty-seven acres in olives, and of these thirty-seven acres are bearing orchards and large producers, some trees being twenty-seven years old. In the operation of the ranch, besides teams, the best tractors are used. On the property Mr. Jones has a beautiful residence of Colonial architecture, surrounded by a park of seven acres, including ornamental shade trees of numerous varieties. These trees are so placed that the Jones residence and grounds may truly be said to be one of the show-places of the county. Mr. Jones was married at Piedmont, Cal., to Miss Emily Chickering, a native of Oakland, and the daughter of the late W. H. Chickering, a prom- inent attorney of San Francisco. Growing up, she received the completion of her education at the University of California, from which she graduated with honors.