Born in Milford, Massachusetts, on the 16th of February, 1832, his parents being John and Melinda (Chamberlain) Jones, the former of Welsh ancestry. Julius was reared to manhood on the farm where he was born and supplemented his early education by a course of study in the Milford high school. In the spring of 1856, when a young man of twenty-four years, he came to Iowa and Webster City, becoming a sawyer in the old steam mill that stood on the east side of town. Mr. Jones worked in the mill until the autumn of 1858, when he was elected clerk of the district court, to which position he was reelected and in which capacity he ably served for six years. As candidate for a third term he received the unanimous vote of the county, and he was nominated without opposition for still another term but the following day received from Abraham Lincoln the appointment of major and paymaster in the army. He was stationed at Louisville, Kentucky, until the cessation of hostilities between the north and the south. After the close of the war Major Jones was engaged in the whole-sale stoneware trade at Chicago for two years, on the expiration of which period he returned to Webster City. For many years thereafter he devoted his attention to general merchandising, being first associated for two years with Kendall Young. After the retirement of the latter he continued in the business for about fifteen years and during the last five years of that period was associated with Cyrus Smith. Owing to failing health he then retired for a time from active business pursuits and devoted his attention to the supervision of his farming interests. In financial circles he was also prominent, being one of the organizers of the Fanners National Bank and directing its affairs as its president until his son, Robert Emmons Jones, became the chief executive officer of the institution. On the 4th of March, 1869, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Fisher, a native of West Medway, Massachusetts. Major Jones has always given his political allegiance to the republican party and has been honored by his fellow townsmen in election to positions of public trust and responsibility. He was chosen a member of the board of supervisors in 1869 and acted as chairman during his term. In the autumn of 1883 he was elected a member of the Iowa house of representatives for the term of two years. He was very active in behalf of the important temperance legislation of the period, which resulted in the passage of the law totally prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors and which was the foremost topic of the times. His service in public office was always marked by great prudence and efficiency and over the record of his official career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil.