In Light of Black History...

The History of JONES VALLEY COMMUNITY, the CHURCH, SCHOOL and CEMETERY...

Mollie Jones Mims always called grandpa “Mr. Mims” and he always affectionately called her “Sug”. (1) She married Oliver Mims who at a young age, took his mother Amy’s advice, saved his money and bought a large acreage of land for fifty cents an acre.(2) Mollie’s father Frank Jones, Sr(Celia). who owned many acres of farmland, now called “JONES VALLEY” in Tyler, Texas, gave the newlyweds the land. This land, adjacent to the Oliver Mims farmland, was Mollie’s interest in the Jones’ estate. It not only expanded the Mims’ estate, but also made farming the two tracks of land much easier.(2) Oliver Mims was a gentleman farmer. He along with his wife Mollie Jones Mims became very successful and prosperous agriculturists. The large variety of livestock, crops and other marketable products from the land gave Oliver Mims the opportunity to provide jobs for the family, as well as, jobs for the community and even for students attending Texas College, a college for Black students located in Tyler, Texas.(3) It was Frank Jones who requested that a school, church and cemetery be built on the highest elevation on his property. Oliver Mims was very influential in carrying through Frank Jones’ request and meeting the needs of the community by selecting the land and providing the resources, equipment and some of the lumber. He also provided the means to transport building materials collected from the various sawmills. The church was called The JONES VALLEY CHURCH. Fred Daniels, grandpa Oliver Mims’ son-in-law, designed the church with a bell tower and supervised the construction. (Fred Daniels was a talented carpenter who like a trained architect, could see a building he wanted to build and duplicate it.)(5) Elder Fred Daniels, the carpenter, whom God also called into the ministry, became the first pastor of the newly built JONES VALLEY CHURCH.(2) The school was named the JONES VALLEY SCHOOL. It was called the “Colored School” during those days in Tyler. The cemetery was named the JONES VALLEY CEMETERY.(2) (Papa told me to make it known to all that our slave ancestors were buried in the southwest area of that cemetery and it should be reserved forever.” - Rosie Mims Daniels) Both Frank Jones and Oliver Mims were very active in civic affairs. Frank Jones was appointed by Texas Governor James Steven Hogg (1890-1895) to represent his region in an official capacity while serving on the Texas Highway Development Commission. Frank Jones and his wife Celia, attended social and civic sponsored by Governor Hogg and other civic officials.(4) Oliver Mims served on the Board of Trustees for the school district which supervised and administered the JONES VALLEY SCHOOL.(2)

Cynthia Warren Davis is the great-great-great granddaughter of Frank and Celia Jones, the original land owners of the area that is now known as the JONES VALLEY COMMUNITY She is the great-great granddaughter of Oliver and Mollie Jones Mims, the descendants who built the JONES VALLEY CHURCH, CEMETERY and SCHOOL.
Historian Citations: (1)Prince Ella Lacy Griffin (2)Rosie Mims Daniels (3)Dorothy Daniels Blair (4)Bishop Walter B. Houston (5 Jones Valley Church Records (6)Public Records (7) Artis Fitz grandson of Burl Mims (8)Deed Records of Smith County, Texas, August 1947.

I Cynthia Warren Davis, acknowledge that these historical excerpts were taken from the Jones Mims Family Heritage Album 1820-1997, which was compiled by historian Jeanette Fae Blair.