John Jones Harlow was born in Sandwich, MA on August 29, 1833. As a young man of sixteen he began his sailing career on the whaling bark PARKER COOK. During most of his years at sea Harlow worked aboard whalers, beginning as a seaman and working his way up to second mate on the brig LEONIDAS. In 1863 Harlow returned to North Falmouth, Massachusetts and married Susan Percival on November 19, 1863. Together they had seven children.

With his whaling career behind him, Harlow and his brother Thomas bought a canal boat and ran it from Albany, NY to Princeton, NJ and from New York City to Philadelphia, PA. Returning home to Barnstable, MA John J. Harlow worked as a carpenter and a builder of cranberry bogs. He also served as Deputy Sheriff and Constable of Barnstable, MA until his death on March 11, 1922.