Homestead in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Jones Family of Biscayne
Biscayne National Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 17, 2024
1. The Jones Family of Biscayne Marker
Israel Lafayette Jones was born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1858. He was an adventurous soul in search of a life of freedom and independence. He arrived in South Florida in 1892, where he met and married a Bahamian woman named Mozelle Albury. Israel and Mozelle raised two boys who they named King Arthur and Sir Lancelot. Together, the family homesteaded hundreds of acres of land in the Florida Keys and became prominent community members who were respected throughout Miami.
The Joneses purchased Porgy Key in 1898. Two years later they began a rigorous pioneer life on the island. The landscape was dense with mangroves and hardwood hammock vegetation. It was swarming with insects and the subtropical heat and humidity were unrelenting. The Jones family cleared and cultivated the land, turning the wilderness into their home. Their farm became one of the largest producers of key limes and pineapples on the east coast of Florida. They achieved autonomy, success, and respect despite harsh Jim Crow laws and institutional segregation of the day.
Eventually, farms in Mexico began outproducing farms in Florida and the hurricane
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"I like the word monument. It means things here are going to stay pretty much as they are today."
-Sir Lancelot Jones
In time Israel and Mozelle passed and King Arthur moved away, but Sir Lancelot stayed at his beloved home on Porgy Key. Along with being a successful farmer, a fishing guide to several U.S. presidents, and a prominent community member, Sir Lancelot was also an early advocate for environmental conservation. In the 1960s developers planned a causeway connecting Miami to Key Largo and attempted to purchase the Jones property. Sir Lancelot rather became a blockade to development and at the age of 70, he sold his land to the National Park Service. In return, he remained at his home on Porgy Key in the newly-established Biscayne National Monument. In his later years, he loved to share his ecological knowledge with schoolchildren who visited nearby Adams Key as part of the park's early environmental education programming.
In 1992 Hurricane Andrew destroyed the Jones
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 17, 2024
2. The Jones Family of Biscayne Marker
"I like the word monument," said Sir Lancelot. "It means that things here are going to stay pretty much as they are today."
(captions)
(Top left) A portrait of a young Israel Lafayette Jones, made by Ralph Middleton Munroe around the turn of the century.
(Top right) Sir Lancelot Jones on his dock at Porgy Key in 1985.
(Botom left) Mozelle (bottom left), Sir Lancelot (right), and Israel (right with beard). The other figures are unknown, but the Joneses were prominent members of their community. Israel served as a religious figure and was known as "Parson."
(Bottom right) Map showing the southern portion of the park, where the Jones family homestead was.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 25° 27.857′ N, 80° 20.059′ W. Marker is in Homestead, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It can be reached from Southwest 328th Street 2.8 miles east of Southwest 117th Avenue when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9700 SW 328th St, Homestead FL 33033, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South Florida, on the Gold Coast, and in Greater Miami. It is also in the American South and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Two Parks, Divided (here, next to this marker); Ring the Biscayne Channel Sea Bell! (a few steps from this marker); A Sudden Squall (a few steps from this marker); Maritime Heritage Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); His Majesty's Ship Fowey (within shouting distance of this marker); HMS Fowey Cannon (within shouting distance of this marker); Dante B. Fascell (within shouting distance of this marker); Hurricane Andrew (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Homestead.
Also see . . . Biscayne National Park. National Park Service (Submitted on May 1, 2024.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 29, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 632 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
