County of city: Montgomery County
Loction of city: S. side of I-70, old US 40 (Boonslick Rd) ran right thru town
Location of city hall: 106 W. Boonslick Rd., Jonesburg
Elevation: 902 ft (275 m)
Population: 745 (2013)
The Person:
"James Jones, who built the Cross Keys Tavern, was a farmer who came from Rockingham County, Virginia. He rented Widow Bast’s farm. This tavern was an important stage stop in 1829. Later the town of Jonesburg was started. James Jones became the first postmaster in 1828 and the center room of the tavern was the post office. There were no stamps so postage charges were kept in account books which were passed down to members of the family." ~ DAR
"James Jones came from Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1829. There were few settlers here, mostly west and north of Jonesburg, and also a stagecoach line from St. Charles to Booneslick in Howard County. One of the drivers for the stagecoach line was Hampton (Hamp) Ball. His route was from St. Charles to Mineola.
"James Jones rented for one year the widow Bost's farm, which was three or four miles northeast of High Hill. Then he entered lots of land on which Jonesburg is now situated and built a house in the eastern part of town. This was the first house built in Jonesburg and was located west of Bolton's (Cemetery Road).
"The post office was also established in 1858 and James Jones also served as the first postmaster." ~ MoGenWeb, Montgomery County
The Place:
"It is located in the southeast corner of the county, near Warren County line.
It is situated on Sec. 10, Twp. 47 N, R. 4 W on 70 on Warren County line." ~ The State of Missouri, in 1904, Williams, p. 455.
"It had three churches, a public school, 1 hotel, a newspaper, the "Journal," a flouring mill, five general stores and a number of other stores and shops" ~ Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 3, p. 47.
"It is 9 miles east of New Florence ... and contained 10 stores, 1 wagon shop and 2 saddler's shops, 2 lumberyards, 2 saw mills, 1 box factory, 1 hotel and several other business houses ... Population (1874) about 650." ~ New Atlas of Missouri, 1874, Campbell, p. 336.
"It was laid out in 1858 and named in honor of James Jones, who was an early settler in the county and had a house in the center of the town until 1904." ~ How Missouri Counties, Towns, Streams were Named, Eaton, p. 332.
"A town in southeast Bear Creek Township, laid out in 1858 and named for James Jones, an early settler from North Carolina and Virginia, who located here in 1828. A post office established here before the town was laid out was named Green Hill, descriptive of its location. (See High Hill). A still earlier post office, named High Hill, had been moved to the new location of High Hill. Spelled Jonesboro by Thwaites, XXII, 282n." ~ History of St. Charles, Montgomery and Warren Counties, Missouri (1885), p. 711-712, 719-720
"James Jones came from Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1829. There were few settlers here, mostly west and north of Jonesburg, and also a stagecoach line from St. Charles to Booneslick in Howard County. One of the drivers for the stagecoach line was Hampton (Hamp) Ball. His route was from St. Charles to Mineola.
"James Jones rented for one year the widow Bost's farm, which was three or four miles northeast of High Hill. Then he entered lots of land on which Jonesburg is now situated and built a house in the eastern part of town. This was the first house built in Jonesburg and was located west of Bolton's (Cemetery Road).
"The depot building was put up in 1858 after the citizens had agreed to pay the railroad company considerable subscription to defray all expenses of the building, the side track, etc.
"With the building of the railroad the town got a start. Since it had a railroad and a depot it had to have a name, so it was called Jonesburg after James Jones who was the first depot agent.
"While slavery was still in practice they had slave dealers who would buy and sell slaves at auction in Jonesburg. Liggett and Myers built a tobacco factory, first in Jonesburg, but they stayed only a few years and moved to St. Louis where they are still in business. The factory was across from Ludy's Store, just west of the Historical Society.
"In the early 1920's, the Farmers' Elevator was built and was in business until they sold out in 1981 to the Agri-Center." ~ History of Jonesburg, by Bob Ockerhausen (2001)