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Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Free Resources Stories & Photos

Covers from British Columbia to Puget sound. Counties covered:
Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan. An evolving history dedicated
to the principle of committing random acts of historical kindness

Noel V. Bourasaw, editor

810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284
Home of the Tarheel Stomp

Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug

Dr. G.A. Jones, pioneer veterinarian

Sedro-Woolley Courier-Times, April 24, 1958

Doc Jones

Dr. George A. Jones Sr. was the surprised guest of honor at a "This Is Your life" program at the Mary Purcell school last Thursday night. ["This Is Your life" was a very popular television program in the 1950s where host Ralph Edwards "surprised" celebrity guests with relatives and a story of their lives.]
Dr. Jones has served fifteen years on the school board of Sedro-Woolley district No. 101, much of the time as board chairman. He has served several terms as mayor Sedro-Woolley and has been for many years on the board of Memorial Hospital [on State street, which preceded United General Hospital from 1929-64].
The evening, disguised as a Sedro-Woolley Education Association meeting, was one of the best-kept secrets of the age, at least as far as Dr. Jones was concerned. Mayor P.A. Stendal, in his best "Ralph Edwards" manner, served as master of ceremonies and introduced the surprise visitors.
The biggest surprise was the appearance of his brother Bruce Jones from Laramie, Wyoming. Letters were read by [district] Superintendent Robert Chisholm, from four other brothers from Montana, Wyoming and other parts of the West, and a telegram from a sister. They told of Dr. Jones' early life as a boy in Wyoming with his quarter horse and rodeo activities.
Dr. Jones came to Sedro-Woolley in 1912, and was married here to Laura Thompson [who was born and raised in Lincoln, Kansas]. Two of their three daughters, who live in Seattle, and their son, Dr. George "Bud" Jones Jr., and his wife, the former Judy Bingham, were seated on the stage with Dr. and Mrs. Jones and his brother Bruce.
Mayor Stendal reviewed the civic service of Dr. Jones. The Sedro-Woolley district teachers presented him with a clock; friends in the community gave him a fine Hi-Fi phonograph and radio. One of his most cherished presents was a beautiful painting of a cowboy and his horse, which Dr. Jones had often admired when in the home of the late E.G. "Dad" Abbott [owner of the Dream Theater and Abbott Motor Co. on Woodworth street]. Mrs. Emma Abbott Ridgway and her son Hugh presented him the painting, which was displayed on the stage.
Jess Burford told of the work of Dr. Jones in the Knight of Pythias lodge in which he has been a leader for many years. County commissioner Brown Wiseman told of the early years here when Doc Jones first arrived. He used to help with the football team on which Wiseman and Stendal both played and then became the leading referee in county games.
Wes Jonasson, president of the Sedro-Woolley High School Student Body presented Dr. Jones with a lifetime pass to all school activities of the district.
The meeting of the SWEA was opened by Rudy Franulovich and Alma Sapp was elected as president of the local group. Tom Mullen, former school board member, presented a plan on behalf of the teachers to Mrs. Harriet [Thue] Staack, who is retiring after 43 years of teaching school, most of the time in Sedro-Woolley. She taught here from 1913-18, from 1946-48 and from 1951 to the present time. Her present work is remedial work in reading.

Ed. Note: You may recall that Doc Jones's office was once in the old Frank Hoehn's livery stable building at the northeast corner of Murdock and Ferry, which was later replaced by Donnelly's and Coffland Motors and even later by the present Skagit State Bank. After that, his office was in the old Interurban office and depot when it stood on the lots which are now the south parking lot for Vern Sims/North Cascade Ford. Hoehn was an ideal landlord because he had been handling horses and mules since he ran away at age 10 and rode to Texas to work as a cowboy. Hoehn later performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows and he had practical experience that supplemented Doc Jones's formal training. In the 1913 Polk Directory, we find that Doc Jones boarded with the widow Anna Herron, three blocks east from Hoehn's livery barn. That house was at 502 Ferry and Mark Chatt and family live there in 2003. He has restored it and is now doing the same at pioneer Harry Devin's house on Warner. Doc later built a charming house on Central street, just south of the railroad tracks, which retired school principal Richard Ruhl has restored over the past few years. The animal barn behind it still stands. Doc's son, Bud, and his wife, Judy, still live in Sedro-Woolley.

Story posted January 25, 2004, updated on March 21, 2004
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