John Divine Jones (1814-1895) was the son of John H. Jones and nephew of Walter R. Jones, two of the principal figures in the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Company. In 1829, at the age of 15, he accepted a clerkship in the Atlantic Insurance Company in New York City where he laid the foundation of his career in the mercantile trade. In 1842 he was elected secretary of the Atlantic Insurance Co. and by 1849, he was chosen as second vice president. In 1859, following the deaths of both his father and his uncle, John D. Jones became president of the Company. Under his leadership as president the Company enjoyed great success, and he served in that position until his death in 1895.
The Disston Papers were loaned to the Museum by Mrs. Eleanor Disston of Laurel Hollow in 1972 and donated in 1987.
