John S. Jones
A Black Butler County farmer and documented Underground Railroad conductor who assisted his father, Jack Jones, in moving freedom seekers north from Hamilton and later provided a waypoint from his farm in Oxford Township.
Why Jones Matters
John S. Jones expands the Hamilton Underground Railroad story beyond the city's white legal and Presbyterian networks. Brad Spurlock's research identifies Jones and his father, Jack Jones, as conductors on a route that moved freedom seekers north from Hamilton through Butler County and toward Oxford Township.
Working With His Father, Jack Jones
According to John Jones's obituary, as cited by Brad Spurlock, Jack Jones used a covered wagon to transport freedom seekers north from Hamilton. John assisted his father in that work. Jack lived for a time on Millikin's Island, later known as Campbell's Island, between Hamilton and New Miami, and also near the present High Street and Witt Way area.
Evidence status: documented in later local reporting based on John Jones's obituary and Jones family research preserved by the Smith Library of Regional History.
The Booth Road Farm
Jones purchased a 60-acre farm on Booth Road in Oxford Township on February 29, 1859. Spurlock's research identifies the farm as an additional waypoint: freedom seekers could follow the Junction Railroad line north from Hamilton to Jones's farm before continuing toward West Elkton, Ohio, or Richmond, Indiana.
The Jones family farmhouse stood at 5643 Booth Road until it was destroyed by fire in 1974. Local historical research describes the property as strongly evidenced as an Underground Railroad stop.
Public Life
Jones was born in Butler County in October 1819. He married Lucinda Giles in 1838 and later Ellen V. Fletcher. In 1852, he testified in a lawsuit after two horses were killed by a train while he was farming on Millikin's Island. Brad Spurlock's research identifies this as the first time a Black citizen testified in a Butler County court following the repeal of Ohio's Black Laws.
The Jones Family and the Civil War
Two of John S. Jones's sons served in Black Union regiments. Robert J. Jones enlisted in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, while John M. Jones served in the 55th Massachusetts. Robert participated in the assault on Fort Wagner and later died during or after the Battle of Olustee; surviving sources disagree on the precise circumstances. John M. Jones survived the war.
Later Life
John S. Jones continued farming his Oxford Township property for the rest of his life. He died on August 20, 1898, after being thrown from a wagon when the horses were startled by a falling bundle of shingles. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton.
Sources
Brad Spurlock, “Local Legends: Freedom and glory,” Oxford Free Press, August 11, 2024.
Portrait of John S. Jones provided by Brad Spurlock, Smith Library of Regional History / Cummins Local History Room, Lane Libraries.