Texas Legislators: Past & Present

J. Ras Jones

Full Name: James Ras Jones
Birth date: August 26, 1834
Death date: February 26, 1916

Terms of Service

House, 28th ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾ Legislature
1/13/1903 - 1/10/1905
Democrat
House, 22nd Legislature
1/13/1891 - 1/10/1893
Democrat
House, 21st ⁽¹⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ Legislature
1/8/1889 - 1/13/1891
Democrat
House, 20th ⁽⁸⁾ Legislature
1/11/1887 - 1/8/1889
Democrat
House, 19th ⁽²⁾ Legislature
1/13/1885 - 1/11/1887
Democrat

(1) Democrat. Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas: List of Senators and Representatives .
(2) "Maj. J. Ras Jones . . . a sound Democrat." Fort Worth Daily Gazette, 11/11/1884, p. 6. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers .
(3) R. Ras Jones, Longbranch, Panola County. "Members of the Twenty-Eighth Legislature, House of Representatives," 11/9/1902, p. 24. Galveston Daily News .
(4) PINEHILL, TEXAS. "Pinehill, also known as Pine Hill, is on a hill covered with pine trees eleven miles east of Henderson in far eastern Rusk County." Handbook of Texas Online .
(5) Long Branch, Panola County. House Journal .
(6) Democrat. Legislative Reference Library Card File .
(7) Long Branch, Panola County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004 2005.
(8) Roster of senators and representatives of the 20th Legislature with their postoffice address, Austin Weekly Statesman, "Governmental," 12/30/1886, p. 6. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) .
(9) Roster of Representatives of the 21st Legislature, "Twenty-First Legislature: Members of the House, Address, Occupation and Politics," Galveston Daily News, 1/5/1889, p. 2, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) .
(10) Pine Hill. Texas Legislative Manual .
(11) Long Branch. Year Book for Texas, Volume II 1903.

Biographical Notes and Resources

Resolutions and Journal entries

22nd Legislature (1891) - J. Ras. Jones, postoffice Pine Hill, nativity Georgia, age 56, farmer, 24 years in Texas, member of previous legislatures: 19th, 20th, 21st. House Journal .

Photographs

Photograph. J. Ras. Jones, State Preservation Board
Photograph. J.R. Jones, State Preservation Board
Photograph. J.R. Jones, State Preservation Board

Other Resources

J. Ras Jones of Carthage, Panola County, born circa 1835. Confederate pension application disapproved 3/25/1907; War Department memo. Pension File No. 02820, Alabama, Texas and Virginia, U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958. Ancestry.com .
"Personals," 12/21/1910, p. 3. "J. Ras Jones of Carthage, Tex., arrived in the city yesterday to spend a month at the home of his son, Attorney W.R. Jones. The older Mr. Jones bears the distinction of having served for fourteen years in the State legislature." Brownsville Herald .
"Mortuary - Father of Mrs. W. R. Jones Dead," 3/25/1916, p. 4. Also notes "Judge W.R. Jones of Brownsville, whose father, J. Ras Jones, died in Clayton [Panola County], Texas, a month ago . . . " Brownsville Herald .
Census of 1870 - J.R. Jones, Carthage, Panola County, age 36, born circa 1834 in Georgia, farmer, wife Emily, children John, Charles, Lizzie, Emily.
Census of 1880 - James R. Jones, Precinct 8, Panola County, age 45, born circa 1835 in Georgia, farmer, wife Emily E., children John R., Charles S., Ever E., Emily J. , William R., Martha V.
Census of 1900 - Junius Jones [James R. Jones], Justice Precinct 8, Panola County, age 66, born Aug. 1834 in Georgia, farmer, wife Emily E., children Dorsey, Cora.
Census of 1910 - J. Ras Janes [J. Ras Jones], Justice Precinct 8, Panola County, age 75, born circa 1835 in Georgia, widowed, living in household of daughter Belle Jones and son-in-law Joseph H. Jones. FamilySearch . 1910 1900

1880

1870

J. Ras Jones, birth date 8/26/1834, death date 2/26/1916, burial in Pinehill Baptist Cemetery, Pinehill, Rusk County. Find a Grave .
Biography of Louis Jones - J. Ras Jones arrived in Panola County in 1867 and later served as State Representative; reprinted from Rusk County History. Lady Texian County Research Pages .
Mentioned in Personnel of the Texas State Government for 1885, 19th Legislature 1885.
Mentioned in Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 20th Legislature 1887.
28th Legislature (1903) - J. Ras Jones, postoffice Pine Hill, nativity Georgia, age 68, farmer, member of former legislatures: 19th-22nd, Democrat. Texas Legislative Manual .