Centennial history of Rush
County, Indiana
Edited by A. L Gary and E. B. Thomas
Rushville, Ind.
In Two Volumes
Illustrated
VOLUME II
1921
HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS

HARRIE JONES. There is no county in the United States that has won more fame for its fast harness horses than Rush, and few men have been here engaged in horse dealing and training who have won more far reaching renown than Harrie Jones, of Rushville. He was born in that city, August 23, 1872, the son of W. A. and Laura M. (Oglesby) Jones, both natives of Ohio, the former of Har- rison, the latter of Sidney. When he was eighteen years of age, W. A. Jones came to Rush county, walking from his home in Harrison, and located at the county seat. His first employment was found in a restaurant where he worked for a short time at a small wage, leav- ing there to enter the boot and shoe business for a brief period. He then engaged in the hotel business, and bought the Windsor hotel in about 1870. This he conducted successfully for about three years, then selling out and going to Cincinnati where he bought the Gait House. After a little more than a year in that city, he returned to Rushville, buying the Windsor hotel again. However, he sold out in a short time to engage in the harness horse business. He then bought back the hotel and in addition a farm adjoining the city of Rushville, known as Riverside Park. Here he constructed a mile track and a racing stable where he trained and bred many of the finest speed horses in the country. For many years he gave an annual race meeting on his track, but in 1902 he retired from active racing inter- ests to devote his entire time to the management of his 242 acre farm. Among the most notable of his horses were: "Florence M.," 2:221/4, which won forty-nine out of fifty-three races in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky; "Raven Boy," 2:151/4, which held several track records over the country, and "Harrie Jones," 2:181/4. William A. Jones was born in Dearborn county, Ohio, October 2, 1845, the seventh of thirteen children born to Thomas H. and Emily (Wilkins) Jones, who moved to Hamilton county, Ohio, settling near Harrison, where the boy's youth was spent on the farm. On May 5, 1869, he married Laura M. Oglesby, who was born on September 1, 1850, daughter of Jacob H. and Mary (Fielding) Oglesby, and to their union were born three children : Carrie, Harrie, and Freddie. Harrie Jones received his education in the public schools of Rushville, upon leaving which he engaged in the harness horse business with his father with whom he was associated until 1902, when he engaged in business for himself. He had one of the best equipped "plants" to be anywhere found, including a barn 300 feet long, every stall box 12x12, 210 acres of ground, good pasture for brood mares and colts and other attractive features. During the fall, winter, and spring he devoted his time to preparing horses and colts for the coming season's campaign, as well as preparing them for sales. He- sold several animals for from $1,000 to $8,500, and among the list of horses he marked while racing and in his stable may be mentioned : "Alcyfras," 2:031/4, which held the world's record for mares on a half-mile track; "George Gano," 2:02; "Fay Richmond," 2:03 3/4; "Harry the Ghost," 2:041/2; "John Ward," 2:05 1/4; and ninety-six others in 2:20 and better, too numerous to be here enumerated. Mr. Jones raced on the Grand Circuit and the Great Western Circuit, and in 1907 had sixty-six horses in his care, and employed from twenty- five to thirty men on his place. In 1918, he retired from the harness- horse game to devote his attention to farming, in which he is at present occupied, but in 1921 he became engaged in the horse business again. In 1895 Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Mayme Mauzy, a daughter of G. G. and Lydia (Wolf) Mauzy, and he and his wife are popular members of Rushville society. Fraternally, Mr. Jones holds membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, in the affairs of which he takes an active interest. His political views incline him toward the Demo- cratic party, which he supports.