Henry T. Jones and John L. Jones died December 24, 1871 in Virginia City, Nevada, during a winter blizzard.  Their grave marker was stolen sometime after 1974. Aged 14 and 9 years these boys had suffered an abusive life and now, in death, have not been spared by modern vandals.

Alfred Doten, Comstock 19th century journalist, shares their story… “Old Bob Jones whom I knew as a milk rancher at American Flat in the early times died in Reno last Sunday, aged 73 years—tough old case—hard parent—caused his daughter to commit suicide at home from the cruel treatment and the death of his two sons by freezing to death on the Ophir grade one cold Christmas eve— horseback, trying to get home from Truckee meadows, with a young calf, in obedience to father’s command, who would beat them half to death if they did not obey orders—He always treated me well—didn’t dare do otherwise, the cowardly old brute, and child murderer—His boys were found frozen to the ground and their horses standing by them”

The Comstock Cemetery Foundation was formed to preserve and restore gravesites such as the Jones boys.  Our vision is, “To return the gardens, the warmth, and the dignity to the historic landscapes of the Comstock cemeteries while preserving their heritage and cultural value.”

Reconstruction of the Jones Boys’ gravesite was a joint preservation project between the Bureau of Land Management and the Comstock Cemetery Foundation.

Reconstruction is the act of depicting, by means of new construction, the form, features, and detailing of a non-surviving site. Reconstruction was selected because the headstone had been stolen. However strong photographic, historical documentation, and archaeological evident existed. The reconstruction process does not include attempts to make the replacement look old.

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