Monomoy Lighthouse Photo with Keeper Asa L Jones 1880s

Hi All,

First time poster! Have a few questions? Hope this is the right place to ask! I have some old cabinet photos of the Monomoy Lighthouse. The names written on them are Asa L Jones, Maro B Jones (son) and Clara (wife). Asa was apparently the Keeper from 1870 - 1886. I have been trying to find other photos of the Jones family to do some comparison with no luck. Does anyone have any images of the Jones family? Does anyone have any additional info on the story of the Jones family? Any help or input (perhaps a differnt forum?) would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you would like to see the other photos.

Thank you,

Great photo, Smokeless! I hope someone on the Forum has some more information for you.

You might find something here, click on the data icon..

Monomoy at Library of Congress

Thanks everyone for the input. I had not even thought about checking out the Library of Congress.

The person who may be of most help to you would be Jeremy D'Entremont. He is the president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and also its historian. His website, "New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide" is a reference I use quite frequently for our Lighthouse Encyclopedia. You can contact him from a link on the bottom of the above page.
His Monomoy history, etc. is here.

The picture is of my greatgrandfather Asa L Jones and his family in front of the Monomoy Lighthouse. I have many more photos of the family and information on Asa, Clara, and Maro. The writing on the pictures is by my mother, Lucia Jones Hills.
I am Emily Aasted [Emilyfor monomy]

We would love to see some more pictures Emily. If you some help, just holler.

As for other pictures taken at Monomoy I only have the same one of the family taken in front of the light house. I have a picture of the Shovelful Lightship that Asa served on prior to becoming keeper at Monomoy. I have a family group picture of Asa's family in Harwich in his middle age, his Civil War pictures as Sgt and then Lt in the 6th Colored Troops, individual pictures of his son Maro, wife Clara, and Asa in later life. Asa was wounded in the Civil War while serving as a white officer in the 6th colored troops and after the light house became an undertaker in Harwich where he raised Maro and two other children. Maro, the boy, became interested in languages while living at Monomoy. Life was lonely for a young boy on Monomoy so he visited his cousins who were serving at the nearby Life Guard Stations. He became interested in languages from the breacher buoys. So, what do you want?
and how do I post them here? Emily Hills Aasted

The Lightship would be very cool! Thank you for the history information. To post photos look at this thread....
posting photos
If you get stuck, leave it up and someone will help. It usually takes a few tries.
Thank you Emily!

I have selected a picture of the Shovelful Lightship which was stationed somewhere off Monomoy. My greatgrandfather Asa L Jones commanded this ship before he became keeper at the Monomoy Light House [following his stepfather and mother who were keepers at Monomoy before him].
Emily H Aasted

Thank you! Thats a great historic picture.
(Very impressed that you got the picture posting down so quickly.)

Emily,
Do you live here on Cape Cod? I am, by the way, very intrigued with your recants of family history and the historic photos. As I am fond of expressing, "Every lighthouse has a story", and a big part of each story centers on the individual keepers and their families.

No, I love Cape Cod and my grandparents grew up there and my folks lived in Harwich in their retirement, but I live in Santa Barbara, CA. I'm still hoping to get out to Monomoy Light again in the future. I do have an unfinished story written by my grandfather Maro B. Jones that takes place at Monomoy. In it he includes a description of life at the lighthouse and the nearby coast guard life saving stations. Always willing to share anything I might have and to learn more about Monomoy.
Emily

Great picture, Emily! Thank you. Do you know how long the Shovelful was at sea (on average) before coming back to port? Or did they just change crews? As you can guess, I know nothing about light ships!

I do not know. As you can see I'm no more informed than you, but I would love to learn also.
Emily

Thanks for posting these great old pics Emily & Joe!

Hi Emily!

I am sorry I have been out for a while... I have more photos and snap shots including the one pictured below. Does this photo include the people of which is stated on the bottom? I thought that maybe it was taken at the Lighthouse, but the Shutters throw me off?

Thank you Emily for the history... I love the ship photo! I do not think I have any pictures with ships. I do have a CDV picturing a baby of whom is written to be Maro. I will see what I can dig up and post more pics as I get time.

Shawn

Really love these old photos!! Please post more.

Shawn, The photo of the Jones family is taken in front of their Harwich Center home. Asa and Clara's three children are pictured along with Maro's wife Myra and their daughter Lucia. FYI Lucia is the one that wrote the names of the family on the picture and she was my mother. The last two children were born after Asa's lighthouse days, when he became an undertake in Harwich. I would be most interested in the picture of Maro as a baby - don't have that one! Does this make you a cousin? If so, how related? Emily

Hi all,

Here are some more pictures of the Jones family associated with the Monomoy Lighthouse.

Maro Jones "Baby Picture" - Who lived several years at the Lighthouse.





I believe this is Lucia Jones: Emily, I think this is a very beautiful photo of your mother.

These are great! Thanks for sharing!

Carol

Wow, you did have two pictures that I have never seen. What else do you have?
Anything labeled Burt family? They were from Provincetown and Dard Burt sailed a packet between Boston and Provincetown. Anything labeled Madeleine or Lucius (Asa's other children) or Lorraine and Rosemary (Madeleine's children) or Leonard Maro Jones (Lucius' son)? I still can't believe you found them for sale on the internet. I'm so glad you are sharing them here. Thanks, Emily

Hi Emily -

I'm joing this discussion late - but it would appear that we may be related (through marriage). My G-G-Grandfather was John B. Tuttle who married Love Jones - and his step son was Asa Jones. John B. Tuttle was the keeper of the Monomoy light from 1865 to 1875, and then passed the role to Asa Jones (Father to Step-Son). John B. Tuttle's natural son was William T. Tuttle who was the keeper of the Monomoy Lifesaving station from 1882 to 1899.

Asa Jones and his step-brother - William T. Tuttle were about 6 years apart and were good friends, and later in life, were partners in a few crandberry bog farms in South Harwich.

Long shot, but maybe you have photos or references to John B. Tuttle or William T. Tuttle? Thanks, Doug

Are you related to Essig's in SE Penna?
They (the ones I know of) have a plumbing business in Reading and have done a lot of work for me this last year.

Ellie

This is great stuff here! And the connections that are being made in this Topic are amazing!

Thanks,
Bob

Hi Ellie - no relationship to the Tuttles in SE Penna - different tribe.