Eliphalet Stone (Massachusetts politician)
Col. Eliphalet Stone (May 12, 1813 – February 5, 1886) was an American politician.
Colonel Eliphalet Stone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the Dedham district | |
| In office 1861–1863 | |
| In office 1869–1869 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 12, 1813 Hubbardston, Massachusetts |
| Died | February 5, 1886 (aged 72) Dedham, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Barrows |
Personal life
Stone was born May 12, 1813, in Hubbardston, Massachusetts.[1][2] His father died when he was six, and he was adopted by a relative.[1] Though he was ambitious to acquire an education, his opportunities to do so were meager given the schooling provided to farmers boys in the district school at that time.[3]
Stone was a major landowner along High Street in Dedham and lived at what is today 19 Mount Vernon Street in Dedham.[4] He married Elizabeth Barrows, the daughter of Thomas Barrows, on October 10, 1839.[5][3][2]
Business career
He settled in Dedham, Massachusetts and engaged in a number of business pursuits.[3] By 1833, he was largely engaged in the baking and grocery business, real estate and building, and for many years was the leading auctioneer in that part of Norfolk County.[3] He was especially active in building residences in the east village of Dedham and labored earnestly to advance the interests of that part of the town.[3]
Agriculture
From early youth, Stone manifested a lively interest in agriculture and horticultural pursuits.[3] He wrote many valuable papers on fruit culture.[3][2]
Political career
Stone represented Dedham, Massachusetts as a Republican in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1869.[4][3][2] He served on the committee that established Brookdale Cemetery.[6]
Philanthropy
It was said that benevolence was one of Stone's leading characteristics and no one was ever turned empty handed from his door.[3] He donated the land upon which Dedham High School and Stone Park were built.[4][7][8] He also donated a waiting room at the railroad stop, Stone Haven station, next to his home.[9]
He was also a great supporter of the men of Dedham who served in the American Civil War.[8][4] During the war, it was said that no person was more interested in the welfare of the soldiers than Stone.[3] He sacrificed his business interests to visit the soldiers in the field and made arrangements to provide for their families.[3][8][10] After the war, he donated a choice plot of land upon a hill and a monument to their sacrifice in Brookdale Cemetery to the local Grand Army of the Republic chapter.[2][8][10]
Death
Stone died in Dedham on February 5, 1886, of paralysis after a three-month illness.[2]
References
- Hurd 1884, p. 107.
- "The Soldiers' Friend Gone". The Boston Globe. February 6, 1886. p. 8. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- Hurd 1884, p. 108.
- Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 89.
- Bosworth Genealogy: A History of the Descendants of Edward Bosworth who Arrived in America in the Year 1634; with an Appendix Containing Other Lines of American Bosworths. 1936. p. 1805.
- Smith 1936, p. 147.
- Chapters 64 and 65 of the Acts of 1957
- Smith 1936, p. 149.
- Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 96.
- Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 116.
Works cited
- Dedham Historical Society (2001). Dedham. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0944-0. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1884). History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. J. W. Lewis & Company. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- Smith, Frank (1936). A History of Dedham, Massachusetts. Transcript Press, Incorporated. Retrieved July 21, 2019.