C. R. Jones

C.R. Jones, one of the most active and successful vessel men connected with the Great Lakes, was born August 12, 1867, at Detroit, Mich., and is a son of J.M. and Martha (Robinson) Jones. The father was married twice, Martha Robinson being his second wife, and by her he had five children, three of whom are still living.

As a boy C.R. Jones attended the public schools in Detroit, and also private schools and a business college in that city. At the age of fifteen he entered his father's office in Detroit, the latter being engaged in the vessel agency business. A year and a half later he enlisted in the United States navy as an apprentice, with the view of obtaining practical experience in seamanship. He remained in the navy four and a half years, making a complete circuit of the globe in the United States steamer Juniata. His experience in the navy has since been of great benefit to him in many ways, he coming in contact with all classes of ships in all countries, and in many ocean ports. In 1889 he was honorably discharged and returned to Detroit, and there became a member of the firm of J.M. Jones & Co., with which he was connected until the spring of 1891, when he removed to Cleveland, Ohio, and established the business of C.R. Jones & Co., a brief sketch of which is else- where published in this history. He is also a member of the firm of Parks & Jones, which carries on a large local fire insurance business, and which makes a specialty of insuring vessels and marine property, inside and outside of Cleveland.

Mr. Jones was married April 27, 1891, to Miss Jessie Truscott, who died quite suddenly after a short illness, in March 1898. She was the daughter of W.H. Truscott, one of the pioneer settlers and prominent members and business men of the West side of Cleveland. It was Mr. Truscott who started the first street railroad on that side of the river. To Mr. and Mrs. Jones were born three children: Charles Truscott, who was born in 1892; James Robinson, born in 1895; and Erwin Conger, born in 1897. The family lives at No. 972 E. Madison avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Jones is a member of the Reformed Protestant Episcopal Church, as was also his wife.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.