James S. Jones was born August 31, 1811 in Warren County, GA.  He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical College in 1834 and established a medical practice in Warrenton for a time before moving to Thomson.   In 1842, Dr. Jones was elected to the Georgia Senate from Warren County.  Despite his move toward a more political career, Dr. Jones remained close to his east-central Georgia roots and in 1853 helped to found the First Methodist Church in Thomson.  Following the upheaval of the Civil War, Dr. Jones served as a delegate to the Georgia Constitutional Convention of 1865 from Columbia County.   In 1877, Dr. Jones was elected to the Georgia House from McDuffie County. He was married to Susan Ann Butt; they had seven children.  An early McDuffie County school was named for their daughter Laura Philoclear Jones who was a popular educator in Thomson.  Dr. Jones died in Thomson on September 8, 1885.

​