Journal was started by W. B. Jones of Jefferson County on January 11, 1872, with his last entry dated March 22, 1879. W. B. Jones died suddenly in Natchez on April 2, 1879, and entries in the journal were begun on June 1, 1879, by his brother, J. H. Jones and continued through October 29, 1882. On that date, J. H. Jones wrote that he would discontinue the journal. However, three pages of entries were made later and are dated January 16, 1893, and March 12, 1893.

The major portion of the entries were made by W. B. Jones and cover an unusually wide variety of subjects. The unsettled condition of the area during this period of Reconstruction, weather, crops, social activities, politics on the local and national level, floods, yellow fever, deaths of members of family and friends, coming of the railroad to the area, and the founding of the Grange are a few of the many events recorded by the pungent pen of Mr. Jones. The plantation was sold to B. H. Smith, son-in-law of Dr. Bisland Shields. Mr. Smith used several pages of the Journal to record contracts with tenants on various plantations in Jefferson County. The first contract is dated January 1, 1897, and the last is dated November 9, 1898. The Jones-Smith plantation is presently owned and occupied by Mr. Clem Ellerbe.