R.T. Jones: Before Canton
by Bruce Baker
The family name Tyre is an old Scottish name, indicative of the Clan McIntyre, who settled and farmed under the McDonalds on the Kintyre Peninsula. Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney resides there today, and his 1977 hit song “Mull of Kintyre” speaks of his love for the place and its people. The Tyres of Kintyre were no strangers to hard work; in fact, the Tyre Crest contains the family Motto: Per Ardua (through difficulties). It’s pure speculation, of course, but perhaps some of that proud clan blood ran through the veins of Robert Tyre Jones, Sr., imbuing him with the devout faith, redoubtable work ethic, and vigorous spirit for which he is known.
The legacy of Robert Tyre Jones, Sr., is all over the City of Canton. Most know him as the founder of the Canton Cotton Mills, and as the owner of Jones Mercantile. As important as those are to the history of the city, that’s only a part of his story. R. T. Jones was instrumental in bringing the first bank to Canton, and would serve as its first Vice President, followed by many years as its President. He later purchased and operated Georgia Marble and Finishing Works. Holes 4, 5, and 6 of the Canton Country Club were built on land donated by Jones; the current Sosebee’s Funeral Home was originally built and operated by R. T., as the Jones Funeral Home. He purchased and donated the first building used as a Public Library in Canton, which is in part why the current library is named in his honor. Even after his passing, through the R. T. Jones Foundation, he has continued to serve as a benefactor for the city, perhaps most notably in helping to fund the R. T. Jones Memorial Hospital which opened its doors in 1962.
Image: Crowd Photo at R. T. Jones Memorial Hospital
Yet Canton was his adopted home; he was not a native of the city he so greatly influenced. Awed as we are by his prodigious impact, we rarely hear about his early life; and yet, the story behind how he got here is equally fascinating. We might be tempted to assume that he came from wealth given just how successful he was, but this is not the case. The Tyre Family Motto, “through difficulties,” applies quite well to his days before coming to Canton.
Jones was born in 1849, and raised on the family farm near Covington, Georgia. The Civil War began when he was eleven, and his teenage years were difficult. The War between the States ended when he was sixteen; he only narrowly escaped serving. Farming is hard, and times were even harder; his faith and his work ethic would be honed in those trying days. His father wanted all his sons to become farmers themselves; at age twenty R. T. was given a horse and a saddle by his dad and told to make his way. But R. T. Jones had other ideas; he sold that horse and saddle, borrowed a little more, and enrolled in a small business college in nearby Atlanta. After graduating, he started as a bookkeeper for a local cotton mill.
Dad wasn’t enthusiastic and would try to reroute his son’s ambitions. He bought 300 acres nearby, selling each son 100 acres to farm. Robert returned to Covington, determined to repay his father as soon as possible. Amazingly, he did this in just three years’ time, as he not only farmed but also took any odd job he could find. Once the farm was paid for, he sold his acreage for a tidy profit, and went back to bookkeeping, this time for a local business in Covington. He also put his profits to work by lending money to others.
In 1878 he married Susie Walker, and a year later he’d saved enough money to finally embark upon his dream of owning his own business. But what business, and where?
A Bright Future in a Small Town
The answer was to come from Susie’s uncle, a man named R. F. Maddox. This local businessman and banker had come to know Jones well and was impressed by his tireless work ethic. Jones, by the way, was impressive physically also: six foot five inches tall, 235 pounds, with a sober voice that commanded attention. Maddox had just partnered with the Tate Family in Pickens County to build a narrow-gauge railway that ran from Marietta to Tate, Georgia, creating a much more efficient means for the Tates to get marble from their quarries to market. He suggested to the 28-year-old Jones that this railroad would open up all sorts of opportunities along its route. In particular, the little city of Canton, with only 300 residents, was ideally placed, and would grow rapidly. He advised R. T. to take his money and start a business there.
Jones would take the advice of his mentor. The following year, in 1879, Robert Tyre Jones, his wife Susie Walker Jones, and their 10-week-old son Robert Permedus Jones, along with all their worldly possessions, would step off Maddox’s train in Canton. His initial plan was to build a Mercantile business, on a three-year timetable, sell it, and move on.
Thankfully for Canton, there was a change in plans.