Jonesville
Jonesville lies in the western part of Grant County on the Owen County line. The community has been called Macedonia and Nonesuch. The Macedonia Post Office was established in 1858 with Nathan Steward as postmaster. He was succeeded by Stephan Jump in 1863. The post office was discontinued in 1866. It has been known as Jonesville since the 1880s, being so named for seven unrelated Jones families owning farms in the vicinity.
The Macedonia Baptist Church was organized in 1843. The charter members were William Smith, Robert Patterson, Wesley Wharton, Nancy Wharton, Julia Wharton, Margarita Hambrick, Amanda Hambrick, Lydia Stone, Johnathan Johnson, and Julia Johnson. In 1928 the Macedonia Baptist Church constructed its new building. In 1936, the church was deeded the adjoining cemetery by Jonesville Lodge #637, Free and Accepted Masons. The parsonage was built in 1944. Reverend G. C. Mullins served this church for 24 years.
Although there was undoubtedly a school at an earlier time, the first record we have today are the names of the school's trustees in 1885. They were C. H. Beatty, R. McKensie and D. L. Stewart. In 1894, school trustees Jefferson Davis Renaker, A. H. Calendar and Thomas V. Toon purchased the Masonic Hall on the Elliston Station Road from the Masonic Joint Stock Company. The stockholders were William M. Gray, W. T. Noel, Mr. Jump, J. J. Jump, Joe R. Thomas, Thomas Coon, Mo. O. Hampton, Thomas R. Stewart, W. H. Owen, T. B. Jones, J. D. Rennecker and Joe McKinsey. In 1931 the schoolhouse burned. A two room schoolhouse was built and then torn down in 1939. A two-story brick school was built in it place. After 1966, which was the last year school was held in Jonesville, the building was sold. It was converted to a personal care home.
The Jonesville Deposit Bank was incorporated June 8, 1893, at Jonesville, Grant County. It opened its office for business on July 1, 1893. Those who signed the incorporation papers were W. E Foster. W. T. Callendar, Jacob Maddox, R. C. Green, C. W. Bradley, Jeff D. Renneckar, Joe McKinsey, T. V. Toon and W. M. Gray. On March 13, 1934, the bank was recapitalized and the articles of incorporation were restated in accordance with the requirements of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
In addition to the individuals named above, J. R. Ennis, H. J. Satterwhite, H. D. Brock, Walter Brock, R. W> Orr, B. C. Cotton, Leonard Snell, C. D. Cotton, Frank Bromley, J. L. Tackett, Alfred Green, G. C. Renneckar, Bradford Brock, Eulysis Jump and Edwin E. Blackburn, among others, also served the bank as officers and/or directors, at one time or another. On June 4, 1940, the bank was reincorporated under the name of Citizens Bank with its main office at Dry Ridge and an agency office at Jonesville.
The Masonic Lodge was organized in 1889 and the Odd Fellows in 1899. Both orders exist today, meeting on the second floor of the Jonesville Grocery.
>The portion of Jonesville in Grant County was incorporated as a sixth class city at the turn of the century, but relinquished its charter in the 1920s. The only record of its activity as a city found today was the sale of the city jail property to James Caldwell in 1919.
In 1910, Uriah (Coon) Bickers donated ground for a new Methodist Episcopal Church South. Marion Beverly, Willie Perry, John Robert Clifton and Lester Isaacs landscaped the property by digging up trees from a farm and replanting them in the church yard. The church was dedicated July 30, 1911. The Reverend J. M. Evans was the first minister and remained here until 1914. Other charter members of this church were Mr. and Mrs. John Triplett, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Beverly and Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Cook.
Over the years there were a number of physicians located in the Jonesville area. The earliest was probably Dr. Carter Snell. Later doctors were McBee, Chrisman, Shupert, Abbott and Roberts.
From the 1910s through the 1930s Jonesville was a thriving community, with a hotel run by Mrs. Mary Dow Beverly and three blacksmith shops owned by Al Green, Henry Edmondson and Jim House. Charlie Beverly owned and operated an undertaker's establishment. Neal Elliott ran a saw mill business. There were tow barber shops run by Theodore Edmondson and John Davis.
In Jonesville's past, a 1909 fire destroyed several buildings. In 1931, the schoolhouse burned. In 1936, a garage, lodge building, J. C. Vannarsdall's residence and Stewart Drug Store burned.
Jonesville is now a quiet, peaceful community, still partly in Owen County and partly in Grant County. It is surrounded by prosperous farms in both counties.
History
of Grant County, John B. Conrad, Editor
Published by the Grant County Historical
Society
Williamstown,
Kentucky
Article by C.
Vannarsdale & P. R. Perkins,
1992.