Husband to Perfetta Ames.

He was a sailor from Amesbury, Mass., and said to have been an uncle of the well-known Oakes Ames. He married, in Lower California, a lady named Perfecta Espinosa. He was an otter hunter in 1846, and served as a volunteer in the Mex­ican War. He held some offices at an early day, including that of city trustee in 1853 and 1855. About 1859 or 1860, he
se­ttled on El Cajon ranch, where he died in February, 1866. His children were: Francisco, who lives in Lower California: Sam, who married Adelaide, a daughter of José Antonio Serrano, and lives in Lower California; José, who married María, daughter of José Machado, and lived and died at Lakeside; Mary, who married James Flynn; and Nievas, who married Charles Greenleaf, of Lakeside.

Julian Jesse Ames courted Perfecta Espinosa of Old Town for 17 years and in 1838 they were married at the San Diego Mission. It was a big celebration and all the business were closed so all the residents of Old Town could attend the wedding. At the age of 56 (1859) he moved his family including eight children to the 28 acres on the Los Coches Rancho.

There with the help of his Indian friends he built an adobe home with several rooms near the Los Coches Creek. The Indians taught the family members how to select nuts and fruits that were edible and how to cook them. Julian Jessie raised cattle and sheep, grew corn and raised vegetables. He also had the first stone mill to grind corn and wheat which he grew in the El Cajon Valley.

In 1866 when Perfecta was to have her tenth child, Julian went to San Diego to get the doctor, and on the return trip his wagon wheel became stuck in the mud. When Julian attempted to lift the wagon wheel he fell over dead. Perfecta continued to operate the ranch until 1888. When the Ames family was no longer using the original adobe house the home was offered to be used as the first school in the area.

In the 1970s the cemetery was converted into the Mission Hills Memorial Park, and only 150 of the original 2016 gravestones were salvaged. These gravestones were placed near the stone wall closest to the Middle School. The grave stone marker for this person was salvaged, and is near the left end of the row of markers. All records relating to the exact locations of the graves in the park were reported to have been lost in a fire.