Jones Family Papers

Series

Identifier: MSS 438

Scope and Contents

The Jones Family Papers, spanning from 1881 to 1968, contains 45 rpm records, photographs, correspondence, financial records in the form of patient cards and ledgers, notebooks, patient records and personal records.

The collection is divided into six series. Series I. Audiovisual consists of a seven 45 rpm record series on cardiac auscultation and photographs of Anderson Porter’s place of birth, the home where William Notly “lived once”, a medical office, and a man who is possibly one of the four Jones men. Also included is a print of A. A. Robinson’s “A student’s dream.”

Series II. Correspondence spans the years 1874 to 1938 and consists of general correspondence from members of the Jones family, and a subseries of letters from James Porter Jones to his wife, Elizabeth.

Series III. Financial Records, dates from 1881to 1968 sand is comprised of general financial records, ledgers and cards documenting what patients owed for each appointment and their overall balance. Some records are unbound. Series IV. Notebooks, 1927 to 1936, consists of notebooks with small amounts of notes, notes about clinical pathology, possibly from a lecture; and notes written on loose scrap paper.

Series V. Patient Records, covering the years 1921 to 1968, holds records that James Porter kept on babies he delivered, Anderson Porter Jones’ patient record ledgers, and patient cards. The patient cards include information such as the patient's name, place of residence, diagnosis, and treatment.

Series VI. Personal Records, spanning from 1890 to 1940, includes Anderson Porter’s and Latimer Porter’s automobile licenses; some items documenting the tuition for the Delphian Society, of which Latimer Porter’s wife, Mary Louise, was a member; materials related to the formal medical education of Anderson Porter and James Porter; a Masonic textbook; a medical directory that lists both Latimer Porter and James Porter on page 177; an obituary of AP Jones; a Selective Service Medal certificate for James Porter; American Red Cross bulletins; the Ritchie County Chapter of the American Red Cross graduation program; and general printed materials. Of note are several buttons and medals, including two from the American Red Cross and an Eastern Star Pin, and a ribbon with red crosses.

Dates

1881-1968

Creator

Jones, A. P. (Andersen Porter) (Person)

Biographical / Historical

The Jones Family Papers focus on four generations of country doctors from West Virginia. William Notly Jones was born in 1809 and died in 1887. He spent most, if not all, of his professional life in Hebron, West Virginia, where he began his practice in 1840.

Andersen Porter Jones (APJ) was born in 1854 and died in 1933. He studied medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, MD, but returned home due to lack of funds. He practiced with his father in Hebron, then tried his hand at school again, this time in St. Louis, but once again did not finish due to lack of funds. APJ moved his family and practice to Pennsboro, WV, in 1902.

Latimer Porter Jones (LPJ) was born in 1884 and died in 1956. Originally, he studied journalism at Marietta College but was expelled due to a prank. After being expelled, LPJ was sent to study medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore. He did his residency at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. During this time, he met his wife, Mary Louise Reichert. They had one child, James Porter Jones. LPJ was drafted into the army during the First World War but missed the boat to Europe, so was stationed near New Orleans instead. He practiced medicine with his father before and after the war. After APJ’s death, LPJ moved the medical practice to Masonic Ave, still in Pennsboro, WV.

James Porter Jones (JPJ) was born in 1910 and died in 1974. JPJ went to medical school at University of Maryland during the 1930s and had an opportunity to continue as a resident surgeon, but returned home because his father suffered from alcoholism. Much of JPJ’s time as a doctor was spent doing house calls or traveling to the nearest hospital that was 40 miles away. Both LPJ and JPJ were B&O Railroad doctors, which meant that they were on call for the railroad in case anyone going through the town on the train was sick. It also meant that they had to care for any accident victims. James Porter suffered two heart attacks, one at age 46 and another at 56. After this, he closed down his practice because of his deteriorating health. He developed congestive heart failure after the second heart attack and died at 64 from an aortic aneurysm.

Sources:

Azelvandre, Mary Lee. “Dr’s. Jones History.” Personal Genealogy, undated. Whitaker, Jane Jones. “Recollections of Four Generations of Country Doctors.” Personal Genealogy, undated.

Extent

11 Linear feet (8 document boxes, 1 half document box, 1 post card box, 81 volumes, and 1 oversized folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

The Jones Family Papers, spanning from 1881 to 1968, documents parts of the family practice and life as a family where the patriarch is a country doctor. The collection contains 45 rpm records, photographs, correspondence, financial records in the form of patient cards and ledgers, notebooks, patient records and personal records.

The Jones Family Papers focus on several of country doctors from West Virginia. William Notly Jones is the first doctor of the family, but is not well represented with this collection. The materials mainly focus on the later generations of men: Andersen Porter Jones, Latimer Porter Jones, and James Porter Jones.

Separated Materials

A hemoglobin pipette was included in the collection, but deaccessioned because it was not unique to the Jones Family Papers collection and the Mütter Museum has several of the same already in its possession. An empty doctors’ bag was included in the collection as well, but was also deaccessioned because of its deteriorated condition. Photographs of the doctor’s bag are available in the accession file