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Note: 1800 - 1846
Son of Judge John Rice Jones and Mary Barger.
Husband of Patsy Peery.
Father of Amelia Scott Jones Fariss.
He is erroneously shown born in 1809 in the computer Ancestral Fileof Salt Lake City.
Myers was born in Kankaskia, Illinois, and as a small boy came withhis parents to Washington County, Missouri.
He was named for the prominent Philadelphia attorney Myers Fisher, hisfather's law partner and best friend. His father had earlier beenmarried to Mary Eliza Powell, and a baby boy in 1787 had been namedMyers Fisher Jones, but both mother and baby died in childbirth. Soafter marrying Mary Barger, his father once more named a baby boy MyersFisher Jones in 1800.
His father Judge John Rice Jones was in partnership with Moses Austinin the lead-smelting business. Myers and his brothers were boyhoodplaymates of Stephen F. Austin.
The general area where Myers Fisher Jones resided included Mine ABreton, Potosi, Caledonia, and Bellevue, all in Washington County,Missouri. "Early settlers who obtained Spanish Grants in and about MineA Breton included John Jones. The majority of the Spanish Grants weremade to the early settlers before the close of the last century, orduring the first three years of this century (1803), while the Spaniardsstill retained possession of the territory." "Land Entries, Township35: The first entries were made in 1820. In 1822, entries were made byMyers Jones."
His first wife, Elizabeth Reyburn, died August 9, 1822.
Myers Fisher Jones was engaged in iron-smelting, milling, stockdealing, and farming in Washington County, Missouri.
Myers was appointed County Assessor on May 10, 1824. He was appointedAugust 12, 1824 to be Overseer of the road from Old Mines to Potosi. Hewas appointed to lay off a new road from Caledonia through WilliamWoods' lane, passing by the east corner of Elijah Gragg's field fence,through Prewitt's land and by Woods' saw mill so as intersect near BlackRiver by way of the Iron Works on Big River.
He married Patsy Peery on June 22, 1825.
On July 26, 1825, Daniel and Emiline Hunt deeded to M. F. Jones for$3000 a 1/6 interest in the Springfield Smelting Furnace, MissouriForge and Cedar Creek Forge. The Springfield Furnace was the firstsmelting furnace west of the Mississippi River, and was between Potosiand Caledonia. It was established in 1823, and made cannon balls,stoves, kettles, and other hollow-iron goods.
From the estate of his father-in-law Andrew Peery, Myers bought threeslaves for $1190 in 1831.
He was appointed Private Patrol of Breton Township November 8, 1826.On August 22, 1828, he was appointed Captain of the Patrol for BellevueTownship. See below.
He was appointed Road Overseer for Bellevue Township in May 1834. Hewas granted a tavern license in Caledonia on November 3, 1834.
He was selected to serve on the Internal Improvement Convention in St.Louis in April 1835 and June 1836 to decide the locations of the firstrailroads in Missouri. The May 5, 1835 election for Bellevue Townshipwas held at his residence.
He was a Representative to the State Legislature of Missouri forWashington County for the Ninth General Assembly in 1836. He wasappointed to the committee on Internal Improvements (railroads). He wasre-elected to the House in 1838.
Two Jones brothers married three Reyburn sisters: Myers Fisher to hisfirst wife Elizabeth Elsie Reyburn, and Gen. Augustus Jones to MaryPolly Reyburn first, and to Agnes Woods Reyburn second (and later to athird wife).
Myers Fisher Jones and his second wife Martha Patsy Peery moved toTexas from Caledonia, Missouri with their first five children inDecember 1839. The four youngest of the nine children were born inTexas. His mother had died in January. His brother-in-law CrockettPeery and wife, and sister-in-law Eliza Peery Snedicor came on the sametrip. John Rufus Alexander moved at about the same time.
Gus Fariss said that his Grandma, Amelia Scott Jones, mentionedmeeting the Gaither family "when we were living at Felipe." This is SanFelipe de Austin, on the Brazos River near present-day Sealy. EvidentlyMyers Fisher Jones first settled his family at Felipe.
Lyda Fariss Wilson reports in a hand-written note that Stephen F.Austin owed money to the Jones family, and that the Jones boys moved toTexas and were given land in payment for the debt. His olderbrother, John Rice Postmaster General Jones, came to Texas in 1831 andobtained some land in Brazoria County. It is possible that he receivedthis land from Stephen F. Austin. John Rice Jones wrote a letter tohis brother, George Wallace Jones, June 18, 1840, from the BrazoriaCounty plantation "Peach Point" of a friend, James F. Perry. (He askedfor money.) The "John Rice Jones League" on old Texas maps is a largetract of land about 3 miles southwest of Shelby, or 10 miles south ofRound Top.
Mr. Parke Jones writes in a typed tract that Myers Fisher Jones boughthis own land, an 8000-acre tract near Round Top.
Myers was locally conspicuous in defending frontier settlementsagainst the frequent pillaging of Indians and Mexicans. He with hiscompany was once absent three months in pursuing and punishing a band ofraiders.
Myers served as a Private in campaigns against Comanche Indians in1840, under command of J. H. Moore. He was a Private in Capt. Thomas T.Rabb's company under Col. Hohn H. Moore in a campaign against theComanche Indians; entered service Sept. 20, 1840 and was discharged Nov.9, 1840.
Myers Fisher Jones was Captain of Co. D of Fayette County in theill-fated Santa Fe Expedition in 1841. The group left Brushy Creek nearAustin June 21, 1841 under Gen. McLeod.
Myers served as a Private in the expedition commanded by Gen. EdwardBurleson in the spring of 1842, for the purpose of repelling theinvasion of Texas by Mexicans under Gen. Vasquez.
He was Captain of Co. D of Fayette County in the Snively Expedition of1843. His nephew J. R. Jones III was with him.
Myers was a member of the House of Representatives of the Republic ofTexas, representing Washington County.
Myers operated a Mail Route along with his other businesses. In thosepioneer days, this was quite a feat, due to Indians and other hazards.It is possible that his older brother, the Postmaster General of theRepublic of Texas, was instrumental in gaining this assignment forMyers.
In 1846, Myers was summoned to Court at San Felipe de Austin. Hestopped at an inn on the way. The proprietor was drunk, and wakedeveryone up too early. Myers started on his trip without breakfast. Hetook a congestive chill and became seriously ill somewhere near MillCreek, where he died October 21, 1846 and was buried. Patsy Peery sentslaves with an ox wagon to retrieve his body, and to re-inter him inRound Top. The grave today is unmarked.
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Approved by the Second General Assembly, December 14, 1822:
"Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State ofMissouri, that the several county courts shall appoint in each townshipa company of patrollers, consisting of one sober and discreet person tobe called Captain of the Patrol, and as many others as necessary but notto exceed four, who shall patrol not less than twelve hours each month,and visit negro quarters, and other places suspected of unlawfulassemblages of slaves; and any slave found at such assembly, or whoshall be found strolling about from one plantation to another, without apass from his master, mistress, or overseer, shall receive any number oflashes on his or her bare back at the discretion of the patrol, notexceeding ten, or if taken before a Justice of the Peace, he or sheshall receive any number of lashes, not to exceed thirty-nine. Thepersons appointed as patrollers shall be exempt from serving on juriesand from performing militia duty. Nothing herein contained shall beconstrued to affect any slave going to or returning directly from divineworship."
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