Vertical File Biographies

This is an individual biography from the vertical file of biographical information, primarily newspaper clippings, created by the Kansas State Histocial Society Library and Archives division. This is a concise version--there may be more information in this or other sources.

J. Logan Jones

Few Kansas Citians have been better known in the city’s history than Logan Jones who was the co-founder of the Jones Store and a leader in commercial and civic life for many years. His autobiography, which he completed at age 83 in 1942 stated his philosophy as: “to live a free life, give a square deal to everyone, everywhere, at all times.”

Jones was born in the cabin of an Ottawa Indian Chief on the banks of the Marais des Cygnes River. His parents were traveling to a land claim near Lawrence, Kansas when Mrs. Jones went into labor. The Jones were taken in by the chief and his New England born wife until mother and son were able to travel. The family farmed in Kansas from 1859 until 1961 when the border war became too much for them and they moved back to Southern Illinois just three months before Quantrill‘s raid on Lawrence.

Logan grew up in a rural community in Illinois, attended Hamilton College and taught school for a while before starting his first mercantile business at age 20. It was a great success and he soon went on to even bigger ventures.

In 1886, he returned to Kansas and opened a store in Stafford. Some years later, he moved to Kansas City and started the Logan Jones Dry Goods Company. The Jones Store operated as several different organizations and at a number of locations in Kansas City from 1890 until 1939 when Logan Jones retired.

Mr. Jones’ civic achievements included leadership in the fight for toll-free bridges in the Kansas City area as well as construction of the Intercity and Twelfth Street viaducts. He was instrumental in gaining citywide bus service and for locating the Union Train Station in it’s present location.

Jones said in his autobiography: “ I was always a trader and could never imagine myself a doctor, a lawyer, or a preacher.” He wrote a book of philosophy in 1909 entitled: “Sunshine and Shadow.” Among the many gems in it was; “An honest smile is the rarest, least expensive most valuable product of mankind.”

Sources:
“Winter Was More Of An Adventure In The Days Logan Jones Was A Boy,” Kansas City Star, 23 December 1942.
“J. Logan Jones Dies,” Kansas City Times, 22 October 1945.

The vertical file is on forty-three microfilm reels arranged alphabetically by name. These reels are available through interlibrary loan, or you may contact the reference staff . Please note that many of the clippings had yellowed and it may be impossible to produce a readable photocopy.

Completion of this biography was made possible by volunteer Frank Sotrines.