History of Williamstown, (Grant County) Kentucky United States of America

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Benjamin Franklin Jonas, senator, was born in Williamstown, Ky., July 19, 1834; son of Abraham and Louisa (Block) Jonas. His father was born in Devonshire, England, in 1801, and came to America in 1815. His maternal grandfather was a native of Bohemia, and came to America shortly after the close of the Revolution. His parents removed to Adams county, Ill., while he was a child, and he received a common-school education, and in 1853 went to New Orleans, La. He was graduated at the University of Louisiana, LL.B., in 1855, and began the practise of law in that city. He enlisted in the Confederate army as a private, and was prolnoted acting adjutant of artillery in Hood's corps, Army of Tennessee, serving till the end of the war. He served in the lower branch of the Louisiana legislature, 1865; was a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1868; the Democratic nominee for lieutenant-governor in 1872, but declined in the interest of consolidation against the Republican candidate; and a state senator in 1873. He was city attorney of New Orleans, 1875-78; a member of the Democratic national committee, 1876-88; was defeated for the nomination for U.S. senator in 1877 by one vote; was a representative in the state legislature, 1877-79; U.S. senator, 1879-85; and collector of the port of New Orleans 1885-89. He was married in 1859 to Josephine Block, a native of New Orleans, La., and had two sons: Frank Beckham Jonas, who settled in Washington, D.C., and Edwin A. Jonas, who became an officer in the U.S. marine corps.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Williamstown, (Grant County) Kentucky

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