Mary Ann (Jones) and John S. Evans
Page by Bob Leathers
John S. Evans and Mary Ann (Jones) Evans (Courtesy Elk Mountain Hotel. Susan Prescott)
Life Story
1865 June 18: Mary Ann Jones was born in Wales, UK to John Paul and Margaret Jones.
1867 May 4: John S. Evans was born in Wales, UK to Evan E. and Sarah Evans.
1881: Mary Ann Jones, age 15, was living in Wales. Her father, John P. Jones was a foreman of an underground mine. Living with him were Margaret Jones, John's wife, age 42; David Jones, age 20, a coal miner; John Jones, age 18, a coal miner; Mary Ann Jones, age 15; Caroline Jones, age 12; Maggie Jones, age 3; and James W. Jones, age 1. Catherine, his first-born child, was not listed on the census. (1881 UK Census)
1887: John S. Evans immigrated to the United States from Wales.
1888: Mary Ann Jones immigrated with her parents to the United States from Wales to Carbon, Carbon County, Wyoming.
1890 April 26: Mary Ann Jones, age 24 and John S. Evans were married in Carbon, Wyoming.
Mary Ann (Jones) Evans (Courtesy Elk Mountain Hotel. Susan Prescott)
John S. Evans (Courtesy Elk Mountain Hotel. Susan Prescott)
1890-1905: Ten children in 15 years were born to Mary Ann (Jones) and John S. Evans.
1890-1900: Seven of the ten children - all babies - died early and were buried in the Carbon, Carbon County, Cemetery.
1900: Not much is known about the babies buried in Carbon, not even death dates. However, it is known that Mary Ann wrote to her mother, Margaret Jones:
"I am going to have a baby that lives even if I have to fill up the entire Carbon Cemetery." (Mary Ann (Jones) Evans)
Carbon Cemetery. Location of Mary Ann and John S. Evans' Babies Headstones (Image by Bob Leathers)
Carbon Cemetery. Mary Ann and John S. Evans' Babies Headstones (Image by Bob Leathers)
(Image by Bob Leathers)
(Image by Bob Leathers)
(Image by Bob Leathers)
(Image by Bob Leathers)
(Image by Bob Leathers)
(Image by Bob Leathers)
(Image by Bob Leathers)
1900: After the first seven babies died, Mary Ann had three children that lived to adulthood - Joseph "Joe" Evans, Abrey Evans, and William "Bill" Evans.
1900: Mary Ann and John Evans had their first baby that survived to adulthood - Joseph "Joe" Evans. The following two babies, Abrey Evans and William "Bill" Evans survived as well.
1905: Mary Ann (Jones) and John S. Evans built the Elk Mountain Hotel. It was originally called the Grand View or Mountain View Hotel.
1910: Mary Ann (Jones), age 45 and John S. Evans were living in Elk Mountain, Wyoming.
1920: The Evans Family built the Garden Spot Pavilion near the Elk Mountain Hotel.
1920: Mary Ann (Jones) age 55 and John S. Evans were living in Elk Mountain.
1930: Mary Ann (Jones) age 65 and John S. Evans were living in Elk Mountain.
1939 August 22: John S. Evans died in Hanna, Wyoming at the age of 72. At the time of his death, Mary Ann and John had been married for 49 years.
1947: Mark Jackson bought the Elk Mountain Hotel and Pavilion from the Evans family. He remodeled the dance hall and performed there with his Cowboy Band. Jackson also enticed traveling bands to stop in Elk Mountain. Many famous musicians—country singers Hank Thompson and Jim Reeves and bands led by Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong and Lawrence Welk—performed in Elk Mountain over the years. (Elk Mountain Hotel)
1949 February 2: Mary Ann (Jones) Evans age 83 died in Hanna, Wyoming and was buried in the Hanna, Cemetery with her husband John S. Evans.
Mary Ann (Jones) and John S. Evans had 10 children together.
- Evans, Willie Hayden Buried in Carbon
- Baby Evans 1 Buried in Carbon.
- Baby Evans 2 Buried in Carbon
- Baby Evans 3 Buried in Carbon
- Baby Evans 4 Buried in Carbon
- Baby Evans 5 Buried in Carbon
- Baby Evans 6 Buried in Carbon
- Joseph "Joe" Evans (1900 - 1975) Buried in Hanna, Wyoming
- Abrey Evans (1903-1980)
- William John "Bill" Evans (1905 - ?)
1980's: The Elk Mountain Hotel and Pavilion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1999: Peter Thieriot bought the hotel and over a period of years renovated the property.
2000 about: The Garden Spot was determined not to be safe and was torn down for safety reasons.
2007: Susan Prescott-Havers and her husband Arthur bought the hotel.
2005 November 25: Gerald McArdle, son-in-law to Joseph "Joe" Evans, provided the Hanna Basin Museum with a drawing used by Joe Evans [drawing below] to find his siblings' grave sites each year at Memorial Day.
Carbon Cemetery Map showing the location of the Evans' Babies. (Map from Gerald McArdle)
Carbon Cemetery Map showing the location of the Evans' Babies. (Map from Gerald McArdle)
2006 May: The drawing was used by Bob Leathers - first cousin to the Evans' babies - to place granite markers next to the original stone markers to mark the location of each babies' grave. The original stone markers were left untouched. Willie Hayden Evans already had a marker, so no changes were made to his grave site.
Is the Elk Mountain Hotel haunted? Bruce C. Raisch thinks it is.
Evans, John S.
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: "May 4, 1867 - Aug. 22, 1939; Father"
Plot: 220
Born: May 4, 1867
Died: Aug. 22, 1939
Age: 72 y's, 3 m's, 18 d's
Note: John S. Evans was married to Mary Ann (Jones) Evans. (BL)
Note: John S. Evans and Mary Ann (Jones) Evans built the Elk Mountain, Wyoming hotel. (BL)
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: "May 4, 1867 - Aug. 22, 1939; Father"
Plot: 220
Born: May 4, 1867
Died: Aug. 22, 1939
Age: 72 y's, 3 m's, 18 d's
Note: John S. Evans was married to Mary Ann (Jones) Evans. (BL)
Note: John S. Evans and Mary Ann (Jones) Evans built the Elk Mountain, Wyoming hotel. (BL)
(Image by Bob Leathers. 2021)
Evans, Mary Ann
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: "June 18, 1865 - Feb. 2, 1949; Mother"
Plot: 220
Born: June 18, 1865
Died: Feb. 2, 1949
Age: 83 y's, 7 m's, 14 d's
Note: 1865 June 18: Mary Ann (Jones) Evans was born in Wales, UK to John Paul and Margaret Jones. (BL)
Note: John S. Evans and Mary Ann (Jones) Evans built the Elk Mountain, Wyoming hotel. (BL)
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: "June 18, 1865 - Feb. 2, 1949; Mother"
Plot: 220
Born: June 18, 1865
Died: Feb. 2, 1949
Age: 83 y's, 7 m's, 14 d's
Note: 1865 June 18: Mary Ann (Jones) Evans was born in Wales, UK to John Paul and Margaret Jones. (BL)
Note: John S. Evans and Mary Ann (Jones) Evans built the Elk Mountain, Wyoming hotel. (BL)
(Image by Bob Leathers. 2021)
Evans, Baby Willie Hayden
Cemetery: Carbon
Headstone: "Son of John S. & Mary Ann Evans, Aged 3 m's, 5 d's"
Born: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Age: 3 m's, 5 d's
Cemetery: Carbon
Headstone: "Son of John S. & Mary Ann Evans, Aged 3 m's, 5 d's"
Born: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Age: 3 m's, 5 d's
(Image by Bob Leathers. 2021)
Evans, Babies - Six Babies
Cemetery: Carbon
Headstones: "Baby of John S. & Mary Ann Evans. Six matching headstones.
Born: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Note: "The original graves were marked with native rock with no inscriptions. The native rock was not disturbed when a new headstone was placed behind the original rock. Each grave also has a rock footstone.
Cemetery: Carbon
Headstones: "Baby of John S. & Mary Ann Evans. Six matching headstones.
Born: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Note: "The original graves were marked with native rock with no inscriptions. The native rock was not disturbed when a new headstone was placed behind the original rock. Each grave also has a rock footstone.
(Image by Bob Leathers. 2021)