Why Did Steven Jones Leave Kansas?

WHY DID JONES LEAVE KANSAS?

“Mr. Jones married in Alabama, 

in November, 1849, Miss Louisa 

M. Barber of Tallapoosa County, 

by which marriage he has had 

five children, of whom Christiana 

A. and Louisa M. are living.”

—William G. Cutler's History 

of the State of Kansas

http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/chase/chase-co-p5.html 

________________

Stephen Jones was there—

In Chase County Kansas

For ten years and then

His wife came to see the—

Huge elegant tall limestone

Mansion Jones built for her

______________

Plains Vernacular—

19th Century Second Empire 

Grandiose Renaissance style

But Louisa Barber came from—

A Southern plantation family

That had slaves back then

_______________

She was used to a social—

Antebellum Southern lifestyle

Down in there in Alabama

One can imagine what—

Louisa thought of the lonely

Wild Tall Grass Prairies

____________

Stuck out there in the—

Middle of nowhere with only

Little Strong City nearby

Even though she brought—

Her own black servants to

Serve her like a Southern belle

_______________

Still, that’s probably why—

She lasted only five years out

There in the wilds of Kansas

So Jones, his wife, his children—

They all moved to Kansas City

After he sold his Empire Ranch

____________

Maybe that’s why he came—

Back to Strong City to die

Homesick for his real home

So that now he’s buried—

There in the Prairie Grove

Cemetery west of town