Thursday, September 10, 2015

Florida 1845


On March 3, 1845, Florida was the twenty-seventh State to be admitted to the Union.  The Spanish word "florida" means "blooming" and was named by those early Spanish explorers Ponce de Leon, De Narvaez, and De Soto. 

The first JONES to be recorded appear in the 1840 census of Florida.  Not sure why it is recorded as the 1840 census, but Washington Co., Jackson Co., and Columbia Co., Florida are listed with the JONES surname.

They are as follows:     Washington Co., FL  Jonah Jones , Jonathan Jones, Wiley Jones

                                      Jackson Co., FL  Samuel Jones, J.S. Jones, Kindred Jones, Jonathan Jones,
                                                                  William Jones

                                      Columbia Co., FL   Keziah Jones, Heary Jones, Thomas Jones

There is no indication which Jones was actually the first to settle the area.  The reference is found in Jones Journeys, Vol. 2, 1974, p. 10 and p. 78.

Anyone out there who knows the story of this 1840 census of Florida?  Please post...:-).