Harlingen Chronolgy Correction

Jones Moving Correction and Addition

Jack McNally

To Norman Rozeff

Nov 28 at 3:33 PM

Norman –
You may remember me. I wrote you a few years ago about Ida Gilbert (my ex-grandmother in law), mother of Mike Gilbert, Harlingen postmaster. Ida was also the owner of the property that once was Harlingen’s first hospital at 305 S F St. It is now preserved in the Harlingen museum thanks to Lewis Levine.
I browsed your website  Chronological History of Harlingen and noted the errors below

Pg 238- 1920

In this year Fulton Jones comes to town. His first enterprise is ice delivery. Two years later he starts the Fulton Jones Moving and Storage Co. when he purchases a truck with solid rubber wheels. By 1924 he is occupying a warehouse on N. Commerce near J.W. Rhone's seed store (later to be Jackson Feed). By 1930 he is at a larger facility in the 1000 block of West Harrison. His drayage business becomes Valley-wide, and he uses the names Jones Motor Freight lines and Jones Transfer and Storage Co. for his businesses. As the downtown Harlingen area becomes more congested and additional space is required, the now Jones Moving and Storage Co. builds a warehouse facility at 2404 Wilson Road. Living at 320 Pecan, McAllen in his later years, he dies at age 65 on 12/16/62 leaving his wife Ottie and brother George of McAllen. This Church of Christ member left no children.

Norman –

I’ve been with Jones Moving since 1979 and know a little about its history. Fulton Jones changed the name Jones Transfer and Storage to Jones Moving and Storage when he incorporated the company around 1929. Back then the terms of duration of incorporation were only one year and had to be renewed annually until 1938 when the term became ‘in perpetuity’. He affiliated with Mayflower Transit in 1934 while his brother George Jones split off and founded Fidelity Bonded Warehouse in McAllen – an affiliate of Allied Van Lines – around that same time. Glenn Key became president of Jones Moving upon Fulton’s death. Fulton’s wife Ottie (McAllen), and branch managers Brack Lipscomb (McAllen) and James Reed (Brownsville) all owned an interest in the corporation. Key retired in 1981 and arranged the sale of the company to a single owner - Bailey D Reynolds of Rio Hondo. Shortly after the sale (1983?), the company moved from the 1002 West Jackson into a newly built (co-owned by Reynolds) warehouse at Hanmore Industrial Parkway. By 1988, the company had consolidated its McAllen and Brownsville offices into the Harlingen  location and in the early 1990’s the firm moved its operation to the present location at 2404 Wilson Road – a former fruit and vegetable warehouse built in the 1950’s. Mark H. Groves purchased the company around 1994.

Hope you find the above useful…

Jack McNally
956-778-7662 cell
wizard@scribeslair.com
jack@jonesmoving.com
956-423-6030 office

PS: Per the TX Almanac (1972-73 p. 349) clip attached, Jones received the FIRST Railroad Commission permit ever issued - in the 1920’s.

“ The motor truck industry, now a major enterprise, began in the 1920s as a series of small, local operators, much as bus lines did. But in 1929 the State of Texas started issuing permits to to truck lines

through the Motor Transportation Division of the Railroad Commission. The first permit was issued to Jones Transfer and Storage, Harlingen. Its route was Mission to Harlingen via Pharr and Mercedes; Mission to Harlingen via Pharr, Edinburg, La Villa, and Mercedes; Raymondville to Brownsville via Harlingen.”