questions or comments? email us

Wilson N. Jones and his Hospital

Ever wondered why this hospital is named Wilson N. Jones? Take a look at the history of our facility.

Childhood Years
Wilson Nathaniel Jones was born in the Choctaw Indian territory of Mississippi in 1827 or 1828, the son of Choctaw-white parents.

Wilson N. Jones' family was one sent west on the removal caravans in 1833. It was an arduous journey and nearly half the Indians died along the way. Upon arriving in the Territory, the Joneses settled in the Little River area in present-day McCurtain County.

Wilson's father, Captain Nathaniel Jones, was an annuity captain in charge of distributing government payments to Choctaws in his district. Nathaniel also served on the tribal council in its early years in the Territory. Nathaniel Jones died sometime before the Civil War.

Making the Range Pay
Wilson built up control of an estate of over 17,000 acres, 600 of them under cultivation and the rest in pasture. On that land he raised 5,000 head of cattle and as many as 300 horses, and inventory which made him one of the largest cattlemen in the Territory. Even after the land law was changed in 1883, restricting an individuals fenced holdings to 1,000 acres, Jones still kept his 27 square miles of land since the law was not retroactive.

Other Business Interests
Wilson did not confine his business dealings to the Indian Territory. He owned real estate in Sherman, stock in the Sherman Hotel Company and Sherman Packing House, and stock in banks from Caddo to Van Alstyne. He also lent money to individuals and small businesses.

By 1890, Wilson N. Jones was widely considered to be the richest man in the Territory. At some point, he built a large two-story home near Cade with fourteen rooms, each with its own fireplace, and a huge cellar. When he died eleven years later, his estate would be valued at more than 200,000. (The Jones mansion was demolished in 1970)

Entering Politics
It was inevitable that a man with that much wealth, business savvy, and connections would get involved in politics. Jones made his first run for the office of Principal Chief of Choctaw Nation in 1866 - and got one vote. His first real political position finally came in 1844, when he was elected school trustee of the Pushmataha District. That same year, Wilson also attended the first General Council of the Nation at their new capital in Tuskahoma. In 1887 he was elected the nation's Treasurer.

He ran for Chief again one year later and finally won the first of his two terms in 1890. He won despite the fact that he was largely uneducated and could barely write his own name, and spoke broken English.

Wilson N. Jones was passionately interested in education. During his four years as Principal Chief, three new schools were built, one of which was named Jones Academy in his honor. He also insisted that Choctaws run the schools. Wilson N. Jones' home in Sherman was located at the corner of Crockett and Washington Streets, on the present site of Grayson Bank's main office. He purchased the house in 1894 from its builder, Judge Thomas J. Brown, a member of the Texas Supreme Court. The house was later moved from the site and subsequently burned.

The Man and His Family
Wilson N. Jones' business and political successes were offset by the many personal tragedies in his life. He married three times and probably had a fourth "trial" marriage by Choctaw law. Of the nine children born of these marriages, only two lived to adulthood and both of them died before the age of 30. Daughter Annie died in college, son Willie was shot to death on a sandbar in the Red River after a drunken brawl.

Willie's son Nat then became the Jones' heir, since he never acknowledged as his son, Jackson, born of his "trial" marriage. Unfortunately Nat inherited Willie's wild and abusive character. He repeatedly ran away from school, developed serious chemical abuse problems, and very nearly spent all of Wilson N. Jones' fortune on the proverbial wine, women, and song. Nat was eventually placed in an Oklahoma Asylum, only to die at the age of 29 after jumping - or being pushed - from the building's ninth floor. Several women came forth after his death, claiming to be Nat's wife and the mother of his child, but all their claims were set aside.

more