BIO: Stephen P. STONE, Jr., Beaver County, PA
    
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    BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES.  This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches 
    of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  Buffalo, N.Y., 
    Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 145-148.
    _________________________________________________________________ 
    
    STEPHEN P. and DAN H. STONE, Jr., prominent and progressive business men of
  Beaver, Pa., whose portraits accompany this sketch, are scions of one of the
  pioneer families of Beaver county. The family was established here when this
  section of the state was little more than a wilderness, principally inhabited
  by the Indian race, and infested by beasts of the forest. This region has
  furnished good, substantial men to the community, who have zealously promoted
  the rapid growth and development of the country.
    
    Stephen P. Stone, grandfather of the gentlemen named above, was born in
  Derby, Conn., April 21, 1759, and was for some years a sea captain. In 1804,
  he went to Western Pennsylvania where he purchased twenty-four hundred acres
  of land for $1,200, it being located in Franklin and Marion townships, Beaver
  county. He returned to his native state for his family, and incidentally
  disposed of one-half of his purchase at $1 per acre, - thus paying for the
  whole. He established a home in Marion township and erected a set of log
  buildings, which included a house, store and barn. It became known as the
  "Stone place," and is now owned by J. D. Boots. He next built a large
  eight-room brick house, with spacious and convenient rooms, and this was
  considered the finest residence in the township. It is still standing and in
  good condition, - being owned by Mrs. Mary A. Leyda. He subsequently
  purchased a large tract of land where Harmony is now situated, and in 1805
  bought the point of land lying north of the Beaver and Ohio rivers, known
  since as Stone's Point. He built a residence there, now belonging to August
  Myers, and established a landing and warehouse for supply boats, - both being
  swept away in the flood of 1832. He also kept a tavern there, mainly for the
  accommodation of boat-
    
    146  BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
    
  men. He purchased pig iron from the Bassenhem furnace, - it being delivered
  by wagon and shipped on keel boats, for it was before the day of railroads and
  steamboats. These boats were "poled" up the river by men, or drawn by horse
  where they could be; and were carried down the river by the current to the
  different ports.. Upon reaching their destination many of the boats were
  sold, and the men, who had received fifty cents per day for their work, were
  compelled to walk home. The boats not sold were stocked with various kinds of
  goods, and "poled" up stream again. Mr. Stone continued at this branch of work
  all of his life, and was a very prosperous man. He died in the last residence
  which he built (now owned by the heirs of Margaret Davidson), on October 2,
  1839. Religiously, he was a member of the Episcopal church. He was first
  joined in wedlock with Caty Hull, January 5, 1795, and they had nine
  children, namely: Stephen; Eliza, who married Elihu Evans; Mary J., the wife
  of Joseph McCombs; Dan H.; Sherlock; Charles; Catherine, the wife of Henry W.
  Smith; Adelia; and Henry L., who died at the age of two months and one day
  Mrs. Stone died September 18, 1825. Mr. Stone formed a second marital union
  with Sarah Fuller, November 4, 1829, after he had attained the advanced age
  of seventy years. His widow was again married, to Samuel Colter; as a result
  of her second union three children were born: George H., Marshal P., and
  William E.
    
    Dan H. Stone, Sr., the father of Stephen P. and Dan H., Jr., was born in
  Derby, Conn., September 27, 1802, but was very young when his parents removed
  to Pennsylvania. During his younger days he assisted his father and was
  charged with many duties of a very responsible nature. When but eighteen
  years of age, he was sent on horseback to Columbus, Ohio, to collect a bill
  for his father, amounting to $2,000. His first day's work for himself was in
  assisting to pole a boat eighteen miles, working from sunrise to the first
  star of evening and then walking home, - his salary being fifty cents per
  day. Like his ancestors he was very fond of the water, and as this was one of
  the principal employments of the day, he followed it for many years. Later, in
  connection with his brothers, Stephen and Charles, he owned and operated
  several steamboats, which ran to Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Louisville, and New
  Orleans. They had the contract for carrying the United States mail, and this
  yielded them large profits. Mr. Stone was very successful and accumulated
  considerable wealth; before the war he disposed of his interest in the
  business. Having inherited a portion of the old homestead in Marion township,
  he built saw mills and engaged very extensively in lumbering. His business was
  injured largely by the panic of 1873, and as he was of a generous nature, he
  gave assistance to others, which almost resulted in his financial ruin, and
  left him again a poor man. His health failed and he died on March 25, 1879.
  July 14, 1853 was the date of his marriage to Mary Patterson, a daughter of
  James Patterson,
    
    BEAVER COUNTY  147
    
  who was an early settler of Beaver county and a resident of Beaver
  Falls, - then known as Brighton. She was born November 5, 1830, and is still
  living at Beaver, and enjoying the best of health. Their union resulted in
  the birth of seven children, as follows: Stephen P.; Elizabeth, the widow of
  D. F. Robinson; Dan H., Jr.; James P., who is engaged in the real estate
  business in Beaver Falls; Mary J.; Charles H.; and Sally P., a resident of
  Beaver.
    
    Stephen P. Stone was born in Beaver, Beaver county, Pa., September 17,
  1854, and attended the public schools and Beaver Academy, but as his father
  had met with reverses, he was obliged to seek work at an early age. He
  entered a saw mill when fourteen years old, and from then until 1877 he did
  whatever work he happened to find. He was very ambitious and applied himself
  with a will, and in 1877 he received the appointment of deputy prothonotary
  of Beaver county. He gave satisfaction, and was elected prothonotary of the
  Court of Common Pleas in 1879, serving in that capacity for six years, when
  he was made assistant cashier of the Beaver Deposit Bank. He was subsequently
  promoted to be cashier, and now discharges the duties of that responsible
  position. He is a man of tried business ability, is progressive and
  enterprising, and is held in the highest esteem by his employers and his
  townsmen. The Beaver Deposit Bank was established in 1871 by M. S. Quay; J.
  S. Rutan; D. McKinney, M. D.; and J. R. Harrah. Mr. Quay was president, and
  upon his retirement, was succeeded by S. P. Wilson. Business was first
  transacted in the Barkley Building, where the Buchanan Block now stands, but
  in July, 1887, the bank was removed to the James Allison building, where it
  has since been located. The subject of this sketch is one of the
  stockholders, and was an organizer, of the Bridgewater Gas Company of which
  he became treasurer; he is treasurer of the Beaver Valley Traction Company,
  of which he was one of the organizers, and is financially interested in the
  People's Electric Street Railroad Company.
    
    On May 12, 1887, Stephen P. Stone was married to Louise M. Knox, a daughter
  of George W. Knox of Carlisle, Pa., a prominent, retired lawyer, of
  Philadelphia, and they are the parents of three children: Joseph K., born
  March 5, 1888; Stella Louise, born October 22, 1889; and Virginia K., born
  August 24, 1894. Politically, Mr. Stone is a Republican and has served as a
  delegate to the state convention, and on the county committee. He is a member
  of the Odd Fellows' lodge, of which he is a past grand; of the Masonic order,
  from F. & A. M. to K. T.; of the Junior Order United American Mechanics; and
  of the Elks. In 1887, he built a very fine residence opposite the depot,
  graded the lawn and set out shrubbery and fruit, making it one of the most
  desirable homes in the borough. It is excellently located and commands a
  beautiful view of the villages and mountains along the Beaver and Ohio rivers.