author
N. E. (Nelson Edward) Jones
1821–1901
A frontier doctor, naturalist, and storyteller, he wrote with the eye of someone who had seen early Ohio life up close. His best-known book blends local history, memory, and vivid scenes from the pioneer era.
1 Audiobook
The Squirrel Hunters of Ohio; or, Glimpses of Pioneer Life
by N. E. (Nelson Edward) Jones
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1821, Nelson Edward Jones was an American physician and writer remembered for The Squirrel Hunters of Ohio; or, Glimpses of Pioneer Life. Library and archival records identify him as N. E. Jones and connect him with Ohio history, medicine, and natural history writing.
Jones was more than a bookish observer. Smithsonian Library material about the Jones family describes him as part of a family deeply involved in the study of birds and nature, and Yale archival records for his family papers note interests ranging from medicine to local and Native history in the Circleville, Ohio, region. That mix of doctor, observer, and local historian helps explain the grounded, firsthand feel of his writing.
He died in 1901. Today he is chiefly read for his evocation of pioneer Ohio, especially by readers interested in frontier life, regional history, and firsthand-flavored nineteenth-century storytelling.