MABEL JONES BRYAN
Mabel Jones was born on April 16, 1860 in Trenton, Missouri to parents Enoch and Margaret Reynolds Jones. Her parents led modest lives but spent all that they could on books and magazines and their most prized possession was a walnut bookcase. After the death of her father in 1866, the family moved to Chillicothe since her mother had two brothers there. It was an icy January so their horse drawn wagon only made it to Farmersville the first day. Mabel's mother started a millinery shop on the north side of the Square.
Mabel grew up going to the schools in Chillicothe attending the Fourth Ward School, then on the east side of Walnut Street, a bit south of Third Street. In about 1870 she began attending Professor Long’s school, the Chillicothe Seminary. After he left in 1877 she changed to the new Central School on Elm St. She and her family were devout members of the First Christian Church.
In 1876 her family lived above their millinery shop, on the north side of the Square, just south of the City Hall. One night City hall caught fire. Mabel was very scared, but their building did not burn. The volunteer fire fighters fought the blaze with a buckets of water. As a young woman, Mabel attended dances and operas at the new City Hall as well as at the Platter Livery opera house.
Mabel married Alfonso Bryan on December 28, 1881. They had eight children. Her life was spent raising her family, travelling, visiting with friends, and serving in her church.
In 1951 she wrote her memoirs, which give us a fabulous window into life in Livingston County and Trenton from the 1870s to the early 1950s. Some of this information exists nowhere else anymore. Some of her details can be checked and have proven to be very accurate. These memoirs were published in a book entitled Missouri Musings Over Eighty-five Years and contain a wealth of information, stories, family histories, business details, church and school information, etc. It is put together in an easy-to-read style and is quite engrossing for anyone interested in local history or what life was like from the 1870s through the 1940s. This is an invaluable resource to Livingston County.
Mabel died December 20, 1951 at the age of 91 and is buried in Edgewood Cemetery.
Mabel grew up going to the schools in Chillicothe attending the Fourth Ward School, then on the east side of Walnut Street, a bit south of Third Street. In about 1870 she began attending Professor Long’s school, the Chillicothe Seminary. After he left in 1877 she changed to the new Central School on Elm St. She and her family were devout members of the First Christian Church.
In 1876 her family lived above their millinery shop, on the north side of the Square, just south of the City Hall. One night City hall caught fire. Mabel was very scared, but their building did not burn. The volunteer fire fighters fought the blaze with a buckets of water. As a young woman, Mabel attended dances and operas at the new City Hall as well as at the Platter Livery opera house.
Mabel married Alfonso Bryan on December 28, 1881. They had eight children. Her life was spent raising her family, travelling, visiting with friends, and serving in her church.
In 1951 she wrote her memoirs, which give us a fabulous window into life in Livingston County and Trenton from the 1870s to the early 1950s. Some of this information exists nowhere else anymore. Some of her details can be checked and have proven to be very accurate. These memoirs were published in a book entitled Missouri Musings Over Eighty-five Years and contain a wealth of information, stories, family histories, business details, church and school information, etc. It is put together in an easy-to-read style and is quite engrossing for anyone interested in local history or what life was like from the 1870s through the 1940s. This is an invaluable resource to Livingston County.
Mabel died December 20, 1951 at the age of 91 and is buried in Edgewood Cemetery.
Sources: Bryan, Mabel Jones, Missouri Musings Over Eighty-five Years. 1951. On file at the Livingston County Library. Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune newspaper