Ventura County Biographies

William R. Stone

Submitted by Sandy Neder

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
William R. Stone, one of the leading business men of San Buenaventura, was born 
in Winchester, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles from Boston, August 
17, 1854. His father, Hon. j. F. Stone, a native of New Hampshire, was a 
business man of that State for many years, and for the last eight years of his 
life represented his district in the Legislature of Massachusetts, as a 
Republican. His wife, nee Melvina Clark, is also a native of the Old Granite 
State. They have five children, of whom three are living. Mr. Stone, our 
subject, finished his education in a Bryant & Stratton business college, located 
at Boston, Massachusetts, and when of age he became a traveling salesman for 
John M. Davis & Co., in the line of gents' furnishing goods, and continued three 
years in their employ, with good success. Then, for four years, he had charge of 
the furnishing-goods department of C. C. Hastings & Co.; next he was salesman 
until 1885 in the hosiery department of Murphy, Grant & Co.; and then he 
embarked in business for himself in San Buenaventura, buying out John A. 
Walker's establishment of dry goods, fancy goods and gents' furnishing goods. He 
conducted the business with marked success until November 23, 1887, when he 
moved into his large, new store, the "White House," where he enjoys a large 
trade from the better class of customers, based on keeping fine fashionable 
goods. The store is kept well filled with stock; it has a nice, cosy office, and 
a gallery in the rear for a cloak department. Every feature is metropolitan, 
showing that the proprietor is a trained merchant of experience, although 
comparatively young. He is Master Workman of Ventura Lodge, No. 173, A. O. U. 
W., Chancellor Commander of the K. of P., a member of the K. of H., and is a 
prompt and efficient officer as First Lieutenant of Company D, Seventh Infantry, 
First Brigade, National Guard of California.
    He was married in 1879 to Miss Minnie C. Clark, a native of San Francisco. 
By this marriage there was one daughter, named Maud C., born in San Francisco 
February 23, 1880. In 1882 Mrs. Stone met with a sad accident which caused her 
death; and in 1884 Mr. Stone was again married, this time to Miss Emma 
Ellinghouse, whose place of birth was San Jose; and by this marriage there is 
also one daughter, named Arlie B., and born in San Buenaventura, in 1886.
 
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS 
OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 439