John Jones (California politician)

John J. Jones
John J. Jones
President of the Los Angeles Common Council
	In office; December 9, 1870 – December 11, 1871
Preceded by	John King
Succeeded by	H. K. S. O'Melveny
Member of the Los Angeles Common Council for the 1st ward
	In office; December 9, 1870 – December 11, 1871
Personal details
Born	1800; Warsaw, Poland
Died	December 28, 1876 (aged 75–76); Los Angeles, California
Spouse	Doria Deighton-Jones (m. 1868)
Children	3

John J. Jones (1800 – December 28, 1876) was a Polish-born American property developer and politician who served as President of the Los Angeles Common Council from 1870 to 1871.

Personal life

Jones, a Jew, was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1800 and emigrated to Britain. After being transported to Australia following a criminal trial in 1836, he came to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. He was married in 1858 to Doria Deighton,[1] with the marriage occurring three years after Doria came to Los Angeles from San Francisco. "Some historians posit that Mrs. Jones converted to Judaism prior to her marriage to Jones."[2] Others maintain that she never ever converted. In Los Angeles the couple lived in a "large adobe home" adjoining the present site of Olvera Street in the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District.[2] They had three children, including son Mark Gordon and daughters Constance (Simpson) and Caroline A. (Mrs. James B. Lankershim).[3] He died in 1877.

Business

John Jones was a wholesale grocer, and by 1853 the first wholesale liquor dealer in Los Angeles, with their business located the Arcadia Block at the corner of Main and Commercial Streets. By 1866 he had sold it to Harris Newmark, who had premises next to his.[4][5]

Public service

John Jones was elected as the city's 1st Ward representative on the Los Angeles Common Council, for a one-year term ending December 11, 1871. Fellow Common Council members chose him as the first Jewish president of the city's governing body, during his term.[2][6]

References

Graeme Deighton Hastie, History of the Deighton Family in Scotland, 2012
Stephen J. Sass, "Downtown's Jewish L.A.Landmarks," JewishJournal.com, August 9, 2011
"The Alvarado House Tour Presented by the Los Angeles Conservancy" (1982)
Juan José Warner, An Historical Sketch of Los Angeles County, California . . .
Harris Newmark, Sixty Years in Southern California, 1853–1913 . . .
Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials,1850-1938, compiled under direction of Municipal Reference Library, City Hall, Los Angeles (March 1938, reprinted 1966). "Prepared ... as a report on Project No. SA 3123-5703-6077-8121-9900 conducted under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration."

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[1] Graeme Deighton Hastie, History of the Deighton Family in Scotland, 2012

[JewishJournal-2] Stephen J. Sass, "Downtown's Jewish L.A.Landmarks," JewishJournal.com, August 9, 2011

[AlvaradoTerrace-3] "The Alvarado House Tour Presented by the Los Angeles Conservancy" (1982)

[4] Juan José Warner, An Historical Sketch of Los Angeles County, California . . .

[HarrisNewmark-5] Harris Newmark, Sixty Years in Southern California, 1853–1913 . . .

[6] Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials,1850-1938, compiled under direction of Municipal Reference Library, City Hall, Los Angeles (March 1938, reprinted 1966). "Prepared ... as a report on Project No. SA 3123-5703-6077-8121-9900 conducted under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration."