John W. Bones

John W. Bones
Portrait by George Frederick Keller, 1878
Member of the California Senate
from the 14th district
In office
January 30, 1878 – January 5, 1880
Preceded byNathan Porter
Succeeded byMulti-member district
Personal details
Born(1818-09-01)September 1, 1818
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJuly 30, 1901(1901-07-30) (aged 82)
Oakland, California, U.S.
PartyRepublican
Other political
affiliations		Workingmen's (1878)
Spouse
Anna Maria West
​
​
(m. 1846; died 1886)​
Children
  • Mary
  • William
  • Samuel
OccupationCarpenter, architect, politician

John Wesley Bones (September 1, 1818 – July 30, 1901)[1] was an American carpenter, architect, and politician who served in the California State Senate from 1878[2] to 1880.[3] He won a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Nathan Porter,[4] making him the first member of the Workingmen's Party of California ever elected to public office.[5] He became known for his independent voting record[4] and was expelled from the party for refusing to follow its line, leading to threats of lynching.[1]

Bones was a member of the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance in 1856.[6] He spent most of his life in Alameda, including the time he spent serving in the State Senate.[4] He also lived in Fresno for a time and designed multiple buildings there, including the Ogle House, the Grand Central Hotel, the Masonic Temple, the Fiske Block and the City Hall.[6]

  • "It's Too Bad"
    "It's Too Bad"
  • "Stanford's Trap"
    "Stanford's Trap"
  • "Next"
    "Next"

References

  1. ^ a b "KEARNEY'S CANDIDATE". Oakland Enquirer. Oakland. July 31, 1901. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  2. ^ "Senator Bones Sworn In". Santa Barbara Daily Press. Santa Barbara. January 31, 1878. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  3. ^ "John W. Bones". JoinCalifornia. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Parkinson, R. R. (1878). Pen Portraits; Autobiographies of State Officers, Legislators, Prominent Business and Professional Men of the Capital of the State of California; Also of Newspaper Proprietors, Editors, and Members of the Corps Reportorial. San Francisco: Alta California Print. p. 16. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  5. ^ Kauer, Ralph (September 1944). "The Workingmen's Party of California". Pacific Historical Review. 13 (3): 282. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  6. ^ a b A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company. 1892. pp. 594–595. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  • Media related to John W. Bones at Wikimedia Commons
  • JoinCalifornia - John W. Bones
  • Pen Portraits - Hon. John W. Bones
  • The Workingmen’s Party & The Denis Kearney Agitation
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