The Jones Genealogy Blog

Archive for the ‘Famous Joneses’ Category

As mentioned before, this past summer I made a trip I made to Cambria, WI - an area that my directly linked Jones ancestors settled in shortly after arriving from North Wales. While in Cambria, I attended the monthly Cambria-Friesland Historical Society meeting at which a native son, Davy Jones, was mentioned several times. The reason for this was that the town had been busy with commemorative events for Davy in both Cambria and Milwaukee, WI.

It just so happens that Davy Jones is a rather infamous major league baseball player who started his career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901. Most of his major league baseball days were spent with the Detroit Tigers though, where he played in the outfield along side Hall of Fame outfielders Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford. While with Detroit, Jones played in three World Series.

One of the more interesting tidbits about Davy Jones (other than his excellent baseball skills) was that he was part of a double steal, in which FIRST BASE was stolen. Now, if you know baseball well enough, then you know how puzzling this may sound. I mean after all, normally you’d have to start from home plate in order to steal first base, but a stolen first base did happen and you can read more about this rather interesting play at Wikipedia.

Another interesting tidbit of history that surrounded Davy Jones is the fact that, although he was officially retired from major league baseball, he actually caught the last baseball in the outfield before World War 1 started. You can read more about this rather unusual event on the Baseball Hall of Fame web site.

Lastly, there is also a bat manufacturing company started by his Great Grandson, Dave Jones, by the name of the Davy Jones Bat Company. Yet another example of Joneses that are leaving their marks in history!!

Last week I attended the PGA Chamionship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, MN. It was a lot of fun. We walked the entire course on a warm, sunny day and saw many of the world’s finest golf players like Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and more. There were also many up and comers like Rory McIlroy and the Japanese sensation, Ryo Ishikawa who at age 17, found himself surrounded by the Japanese press where ever he went.

Most importantly though, there was plenty of attention being paid to some rather famous fellow Joneses that I wanted to mention. They have been responsible for the design and enhancement of this great golf course. These are Robert Trent Jones and his son, Rees Jones.

Robert Trent Jones (not related to the infamous Bobby Jones) created the original course layout for the Hazeltine National Golf Club course which opened in 1962. Over time, Robert Trent Jones continued to modify many of the original holes in order to adapt it to the needs of major championship play.

His son Rees Jones, also a very well known golf course architect, was called upon to continue his father’s work on the course in advance of the 1991 U.S. Open Championship. The 1991 U.S. Open was won by Payne Stewart. For the 2009 PGA Championship, the Hazeltine National Golf course was the longest course in golf major history and played host to almost all of the top 100 golf players in the world.

Robert Trent Jones was born in England, but moved to the U.S., with his parents, at the ripe old age of 5. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987. He passed away on June 14, 2000.