Will Jones was a young man who left his family in southern Missouri in 1858 to search for gold in the Western Territories. He worked as a placer miner in many of the well known mining camps: Pike's Peak, Colorado; Grass Valley, California; Aurora, Nevada; Hassayampa River, Lynx Creek, Big Bug Creek Arizona from 1859 to 1864.
This is a photo of Joseph Walker, the famous trapper and guide who led the first party of Pioneers to the Prescott area in 1863. Jones encountered the Walker Party in the fall of 1863, after his trek from Aurora, Nevada. Jones worked placer mining claims along the Hassayampa River, Lynx Creek, and Big Bug Creek. He was associated with some of the important leaders of the era: J.T. Alsap, Theodore Boggs, King Woolsey, etc.
The fascinating story of William Jones is included in a collection of nine letters that were donated by his family to the Sharlot Hall Museum.
This is a link to the letters on the Arizona Memory Collection:http://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/compoundobject/collection/shmwpj/id/71/rec/36
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