He and his twin brother, John Calvin, were the 6th and 7th children born to Silas W. R. Jones and Elizabeth Allen. His twin brother died at 15 months of age.

Silas recalled some of his time with his grandfather Allen in Indiana. He remembered taking grist to his mill and getting dressed up and accompanying him to get his pension from the War of 1812.

At 7 years of age he left Indiana with his parents and they walked 20 miles a day on the Oregon trail to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. His family established a homestead there near Brooks, Oregon.

At 16, the Civil War broke out and Silas spent the 3 longest years of his life serving his country. He spent the time in Walla Walla, WA and The Dalles, OR. He served some time under U. S. Grant. He used his discharge money to finish his education.

February 18, 1868, he married Rebecca Larkins and their first home was on the Homestead of his parents, called "The Nook". Their daughter, Lizzie, was born here.

In 1870, they moved to Polk County where Silas was principal of Bethal Academy for 3 years. They then returned to the area near The Nook. Silas and his brother Jesse took over The Nook farm.

In 1874, they moved to Sublimity and sold half of their farm near to his brother, Mattie.

In 1879, they moved to Stayton, OR and milled flour there. Silas was on the building committee of the first church in Stayton.

In 1884, he went up the Santiam River with a friend and was caught in a snow storm. He and the friend both were so badly frozen that their feet had to be amputated and the active outdoorsman was confined to a wheelchair at 39 years of age.

In 1886, he had turned to the law and was admitted to the Oregon bar.

1890 brought them back to the Willamette valley and near their old home. They lived north of Brooks for the next 20 years. During this time, Silas was teaching in the same district where he got his first years of education. He also was ordained an Elder in the Christian Church after being instrumental in organizing 3 churches in communities near him.

In 1914, the family built a new home in Brooks. Silas died just before it was completed. He was 69 years of age. Rebecca lived alone in the home for several years and then lived with her daughter Lizzie.

See Rebecca's bio at the spouse link below for the children of this union.

Information above from the Annals of SWR Jones Family.

My mother's maternal great uncle.