1890 Buchanan and Delaware Counties History pgs. 450-452
ANDREW STONE. Among those who came
into Delaware county at an early date and gave the vigor of mature manhood to
the arduous labors connected with the
settlement, growth and development of the
county, must be recorded the name of the late Andrew Stone, of the town of Delhi.
Mr. Stone settled in the county in 1854, and from that time up to
his death, which occurred but recently, he was actively, and in some instances,
prominently connected with the history of his adopted county, giving
to the county as citizen and official the results of his best efforts and
energies for more than a third of a century. His history,
therefore, finds a befitting place in this volume, devoted, as it largely is,
to preserving a memorial record of Delaware county's
first settlers and most reputable citizens.
Andrew
Stone came of Scotch and Irish extraction, his
parents, however, having been natives of Rhode Island. He was the fourth son of a family
of nine children born to Carder and Barzilla
(Hopkins) Stone, the others being three boys and five girls, as follows-Squire,
Betsie, Lawton, Stukley,
Hannah, Susan, Chloe and Ann. Mr. Stone's parents moved to Otsego county, N.
Y., at an early day, and settled about eight miles west of where the town of
Milford now stands. There they passed all their remaining years in the peaceful
pursuits of agriculture, leading the active, industrious and useful lives
common to their calling. The elder Stone was a man of good intelligence and,
although his earlier training was neglected, yet with the naturally strong mind
that he possessed, he became, by extensive reading, a well-informed man, and
was enabled from the knowledge so acquired to give useful instruction to his
children, directing their studies, and in a large measure supplementing the
meager school training which, from their isolated position on the frontier,
fell to their lot. He was prosperous in his affairs and accumulated
considerable property. A zealous member of the Baptist church, his family was
reared under the best church influence, and most of them adhered to the faith of their parents, becoming earnest
workers in the cause of Christianity.
The subject
of this notice was born in the town of Milford, Otsego
county, N. Y., March 28, 1805. He was
reared on his father's farm, and divided his time in his earlier years between
his duties as farm boy and his attendance at the district schools. He received
a fair common-school education, and acquired a large knowledge of a practical
sort by association with his father. He resided on the old home place in
Milford till he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he was released from
his obligations to his parents, and with such help as they could give him and
their blessing for future usefulness and prosperity, he started out in the
world to make his own way. His first step was to purchase a small tract of land
near where he was reared and establish himself as an independent farmer. The
farm which he bought also had on it a saw-mill and to this he gave attention,
varying his farm labors with those connected with his mill. About the same time
he married, taking to share his life's fortunes, Miss Priscilla Pepper, who was
a native of the town of Ware, Mass. This marriage took place December
27, 1827.
Mr. Stone resided in his native county till 1854, engaged during the time in
farming. Seeing, about that time, a considerable family of children growing up
around him for whom he was desirous of providing in a way better than he was
enabled to where he lived, he decided to move West and
did so, coming to this state and settling in Delaware county in April, that year. He
first located on a place a mile and a half north of the town of Delhi, but resided there only one year,
moving, at the end of that time into the town where he lived ever afterwards.
He was a farmer, mainly, throughout life. He had a small amount of capital when
he came to this county, but hardly enough to make even a fair beginning. But he
began accumulating at once and accumulated steadily from year to year, until
his children all became grown and he began dividing his means and assisting
them. When he died he still had considerable property, although he had
liberally assisted his sons and daughters in acquiring educations and making a
start in the world. He took an active interest in all his affairs up to the
date of his death, giving his own personal attention to their management, and
so long as his physical condition would allow, watching after them as closely
as in his earlier years. In this respect, he excelled most men of his age. He
was a man of great physical strength and endurance, and was marked throughout
life for his indefatigable industry. He was a marvel of energy and endurance to
his early associates. It is related that when he first married and started out in
the world he used, frequently, to work all day on his farm and then half the
night at his saw-mill. Of course, he could not last at this, but he
always displayed the greatest industry until he was taken from the active pursuits
of life by the infirmities of age. He was not afraid of work and
he liked people who were not afraid of it. No man was quicker
to find out or more willing to help a hard
working, deserving person than he
was. There are men all over the country, some of them occupying
honorable positions, who owe their first steps in life to the helping hand he
gave them. He was very indulgent, for one of his nervous temperament,
where he believed his indulgence was needed. For some time
prior to his death he was engaged in the mercantile business at Delhi, and also lent considerable money.
He was never known to do a slip-shod business, yet it is known that he supplied
people with the necessaries of life from his store when he had no reasonable
hopes of return, and to those who became indebted to him on loans he frequently
gave extensions from time to time so as to enable them to pay out without
sacrificing their property. To the poor and needy he was ever charitable, and
to the afflicted kind and sympathetic. He was a zealous member of the Baptist
church, and gave liberally to the support of the church. He gave $500 towards
building the present church edifice at Delhi. For years he was a deacon in the church;
and his declining years were solaced by the contemplation of those great truths
of religion which he tried so zealously to give a practical meaning to in his
daily walk and conversation.
Mr. Stone
was twice married, being so unfortunate as to
lose the wife of his youth after moving to this county,
she dying April 17, 1876, age seventy six,
having been born in the year 1800. He married again October
15, 1876,
taking to wife a lady of this county, Mrs. Elizabeth Knickerbocker,
who was born in Columbia county, K
Y., January 22, 1821. By the former marriage
he had seven children, there being no issue of the second
marriage. His children, those who are now living, are
grown and settled off in life, honored and useful citizens. First and
third, Sevella Ann and Henry, died
in infancy, Hiram B. is
a prosperous farmer in Coffee county, Kans., having
spent his earlier years in teaching. Emily M. died in 1876, just after
completing her education, and at a time when her life gave promise of much
usefulness and distinction. She was educated at Homesdale College, Pennsylvania,
and had taught some herself. She possessed
exceptional powers as an elocutionist and gave several entertainments
throughout the state, which were pronounced of a high order;
and she had much musical talent. Leverett,
the next son, resides in Nebraska. Chester D. still
lives in this country, being a resident of the town of Delhi. A sketch of him
will be found in its appropriate place in this volume. The youngest
is James L.
After a
long life of great activity and usefulness, Andrew Stone died May
20, 1890,
universally mourned by all who knew him.
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