JOHN E. JONES, the eighth governor of Nevada, was born in Montgomeryshire, Wales on December 5, 1840. His early education was attained in the common schools of his native country. He later attended Iowa State University, where he graduated in 1865. After working as a miner and teacher, Jones took a railroad construction job that brought him to Nevada around 1869. He was instrumental in forming the state militia in 1876, where he served as major. Jones first entered public service as U.S. deputy internal revenue collector, a position he was appointed to in 1883. He also served as the surveyor-general of Nevada from 1886 to 1894. Jones next secured the Silver Party gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote in 1894. During his tenure, irrigation programs were supported; and the state’s first public library in Reno was established. After being diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 1895, Jones went to San Francisco to recuperate, however, he lost his battle on April 10, 1896. Governor John E. Jones was buried in the Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City, Nevada.