Jones Family

But the story of Clarence and Ruth Jones began long before they found their 268-acre dream farm.

Clarence Jones was born on January 13, 1895, in London, Laurel County, Kentucky. He was number 13 of 14 children born to John and Elizabeth Jones. He had some schooling in London but left at a very early age.

He came to Texas and took up his trade as an apprentice machinist in Fort Worth. He later went to Baltimore, Maryland, to work. Two machinist friends, Allen and Harold Daley took him home to dinner and introduced him to their sister, Alma Ruth Daley. They soon were in love and then married. Ruth Jones was born in Baltimore on August 12, 1899.

In 1919, they moved with their daughter, Dorothy Maude “Dotty,” to Fort Worth in the Riverside area. Daddy began work as a machinist with the T&P Railway until the railroad strike of 1922. He was a foreman for Texas Steel and superintendent for the oil-well-supplies division of the Oil Well Supply Company. Mother and Daddy invested their savings in a water system to serve a part of Riverside. Mother said she cried all the time they were digging, she was so afraid all their savings were going into a dry hole. What satisfaction when all went well, and there was water for a lot of people.

Sometime during all of this, I, Naomi Ruth “Sis” Jones, was born March 18, 1924.

Mother and Daddy sold the water system in 1928, and he started the Jones Lumber Company. A large trade was built up, and Dad was always after new customers in Fort Worth and surrounding areas. In time, there was a lumber company office and sheds on the south side of 4224 East Belknap and a mill building on the north side.

I can remember when I was a student at Riverside High School my family often went driving, looking for a farm. Mother wanted a colonial-style house and Dad wanted a big barn. I know now he also wanted to choose land that would be great for future development. They found their 268-acre farm on the Grapevine Highway, Texas 121, now Texas 26, and Pipeline Road, now Glenview Drive. It was purchased in the early 1940s, and we moved there in 1943. They built the colonial-style house for Mother and had a big white barn with a red roof for Daddy.

The soil was so black, and I couldn’t believe the way it stuck to your shoes when it was wet. There were some mesquite trees scattered around, and Daddy assured us that both black soil and mesquite trees were good signs. We were used to the sand in Riverside, which grew lots of bull nettles, Johnson grass, and flowers, but this soil was different. It was level, and there was not a worry about serious flooding.

We had a great older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Rodgers, who lived in another house on the farm and took care of the farm chores. Mr. Rodgers usually came for coffee while we had breakfast. He would tell Dad about the animals and how they were doing, about the garden, what needed fixing, etc., and they would decide what to do next. The fresh milk, butter, eggs, and vegetables were always great, and Mother loved passing along the extras to friends. For a time, the Manor Bakery Company had a delivery truck route out of Dallas that sold the freshest bread, rolls, cakes, and goodies.

Now, for things not so good. We didn’t have a telephone. You had to leave a message at our lumber company, but you couldn’t get a quick reply. One of us had to bring the message home, then wait till we could get to a phone. I wonder how Dad made it through this time because he always had a phone right by him.

Another problem was the well. At times there wasn’t enough water. We would have to call Dan McKee to come to get things back on track. Dan always succeeded.

Because of the war, gas was rationed and cars and trucks were showing age. We had a couple of trucks for delivery, so we did pretty well even though we were living further out. You were allowed more gas for your trucks, so we seemed to always get by.

My sister, Dotty, and Cullen Turner had married in 1936, so she was not living at the farm. Their son, Cullen Wayne, was born in 1940, and they came to visit often. Briley was attending Amon Carter Riverside High School. He would go in with Dad to school and stay at the lumberyard after school until Dad came home or Mom picked him up.  Briley and Stanley Parchman were really good at hitchhiking to the Tower Theater in Riverside or the Haltom Theater in Haltom City. There wasn’t a lot of traffic, but a friendly neighbor going their way would do a good deed and give them a ride.

Mr. Rodgers and Briley rode horses into Fort Worth to ride in the Stock Show Parade and then rode back to the farm. They were worn out after the trip. I think Mr. Rodgers did better than Briley, in spite of the age difference. I don’t think that either one tried the Stock Show Parade again.

Mother learned to China paint during this time, and she made some lovely pieces. She helped keep all of us happy and busy. The family shared lots of good family dinners and Canasta games, and when the first six-or-seven-inch-screen televisions came out, that was something.

I married Guy L. Cummings, Jr. on September 6, 1946, and we moved to Riverside. We both worked at the Jones Lumber Company. In 1956, we moved back to North Richland Hills to Vance Road. Guy was associated with Dad in the development of NRH. We lived in the area for about 10 years, and our son, Mark Cummings, was born in 1960 while we were living on Riviera Drive. We moved to the Diamond Oaks area of Haltom City in March 1966, as Guy was then president of the Haltom City State Bank.

Briley went to Texas A&M in 1946. He received an architectural degree in 1951 and an engineering degree in 1952. In 1953, he was sent to Craig Air Force Base as a First Lieutenant and was discharged in 1955.  He remained in the U.S.A.F. Active Reserves and attained the rank of Major prior to suffering a disabling illness in 1965. Briley married Pat Southard in March 1964, and their daughter, Jennifer, was born July 27, 1965. Jennifer is a graduate of Dallas Catholic High School, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas in 1990, and was a 1996 graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, with a doctor of jurisprudence.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Daddy and other businessmen in the Oak Knoll and Haltom City area began to realize the need for a state bank located at 28th and Belknap Streets. He became president in 1952 and later chairman of the board and chief executive officer. In March 1965, the bank moved to its new building at 4800 E. Belknap Street. This was a proud time for Dad and all the family.

In 1954, the Jones Lumber Company had an opening for its new building celebrating its 25th anniversary. It was designed by Briley Jones and was his first commercial building.  Guy had been a manager since 1948.

Dad was president of J.C.T. Corporation, Deville Development, and Daley Construction Company. He built and leased a number of post offices in Texas, including the NRH post office in 1955 on land he donated. The first post office was located on Blaney Avenue, just off of Grapevine Highway.

In 1952, Daddy subdivided the farm for suburban development. He named it North Richland Hills. There were 12 acres that were reserved for a shopping center, built later and completed in December 1955. It was named Greater Richland Center. Since the colonial-style house sat on this property, Daddy had it moved north to Cummings Drive, just behind the center. Dad wanted good businesses and professionals located in the center, for he was going to be living there, too. Most of them were also our neighbors and friends.  

In 1956, our entire family went to London, Kentucky, as Dad had been selected to receive the Honor Guest Cup given by the Homecoming Committee of Laurel County, Kentucky, for his successes in the business world.

On April 5, 1966, there was a ground-breaking for the Diamond Industrial Park, a 72-acre industrial complex in North Fort Worth Industrial Park. He had purchased the property many years before, and this was his last project.

Mother and Daddy were members of the Riverside Baptist Church for many years. Dad was always interested in the Masonic Order. He was one of the founders of Richland Lodge #1348 A.F. & A.M. and gave the land for the building on Glenview Drive just off Blaney Drive and Grapevine Highway. This building was torn down in 1997 to make room for additional parking for a newly built Walgreen Drug. The lodge relocated to Richland Hills.

Mother was the founder and often called the “Chapter Mother” of the Richland Hills Eastern Star Chapter No. 1040. She was also the first matron of Keystone Chapter No. 9 in Fort Worth’s new Masonic Temple in 1932. She enjoyed the Eastern Star work all of her life, and she was so proud of the Richland Hills chapter.

Ruth and Clarence Jones lived in NRH until he died April 25, 1966, at age 71. His helpmate through life, Ruth Jones, was chairwoman of the Haltom City State Bank’s Board of Directors from 1966 to 1982 when she became Chairwoman Emeritus. She continued living in the colonial house on Cummings Drive until 1973 when she moved to a smaller place. She passed away July 6, 1982, at age 83. Briley Jones died June 6, 1998 (Green, 1999, p. 365). 

Green, G. N. (1999). The History of North Richland Hills : Where Families Live, Work, Worship, and Play. North Richland Hills: Smithfield Press.