One of the oldest, most honored and
influential families in Fayette county is that represented by W. H. STONE,
a leading citizen of Waucoma and a man who has long enjoyed distinctive
prestige in the business world, ready at all times to do his full share in
furthering movements calculated to advance the general welfare of his
community and county. He was born at Warrensburg, Warren County, New York,
May 29, 1852. In 1860, when eight years of age, he came to Iowa with his
parents, Oliver and Mary E. (BONESTEEL) STONE, also
natives of New York, who settled four miles southeast of Waucoma, Eden
township, Fayette County, Iowa, on the wild prairie, where they remained
until eight years before the father's death, which occurred at Waucoma,
where he spent the last years of his life, dying in 1899 at the age of
seventy-six years; his widow survived until 1906, dying at the same age.
When the family came here they found a sparsely settled country which
abounded in wild animals and frequently bands of Indians passed through.
It was necessary for the family to do much of their trading at McGregor,
fifty miles distant, this being the nearest shipping point for years,
consequently, much livestock was driven there and grain was hauled to that
market. Mr. Stone paid five dollars per acre for his first eighty. He was
a good manager and prospered and added to his original purchase, until he
owned two hundred acres. His son, Gerald O., is now
occupying the old homestead. He was a well known and influential man in
those early days and highly respected by his neighbors. He was a Democrat
and held several local offices, and he belonged to the Methodist Episcopal
church.
Four children, two sons and two daughters, were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Oliver Stone, namely: Juliette, the wife of H. A.
BENDER, of Fayette, Iowa; W. H., of
this review; Jannette, wife of M. S. ADAMS,
of Waucoma, Eden township; Gerald O., who lives on the
home place.
W. H. Stone remained on the home farm until he was twenty-one years old.
He received an excellent education in the common schools and in the Upper
Iowa University, where he spent two terms. When only eighteen years of age
he began teaching, which he continued during several winters. He spent two
and one-half years, from 1873 to 1875, in Montana, prospecting for gold.
He was in the present great city of Butte when there were but thirty men
there. In 1875 he started a hardware store in Waucoma which he conducted
for two years, then spent one year on a farm, then entered the dry goods
store of his father-in-law, with whom he remained. He was for some time
cashier of the S. B. Ziegler Community Bank at Waucoma. He has been very
successful in whatever he has undertaken and he is now the owner of over
one thousand acres of excellent land in this locality, which he rents. He
devotes most of his attention to the bank, having been connected with the
same for a period of twenty-eight years. About twelve years ago, in
company with his nephew, he started the First State Bank of Glenville,
Minnesota, in which he still has an interest. In company with his
brother-in-law, C. A. MOODY, he started the First State
Bank of Fountain, Minnesota, in which he is also still interested, and he
is a stockholder in other banks.
Mr. Stone was married in 1879 to Hattie M. MOODY, a lady of culture and
education and the representative of a prominent old family. This union has
resulted in the birth of the following children: Leo C.;
L. Oliver, who is in the bank at Mason City, Iowa;
Ruby Cornelia was a student in the Upper Iowa University
at Fayette, but is now at Los Angeles, California; two died in infancy.
In all his relations with his fellow men the conduct of Mr. Stone has been
above reproach . . . . . . .The Bank of Waucoma, the private bank of W. H.
Stone, was established in 1882 by S. B. Ziegler & Company under the
same name, with W. H. Stone as cashier, who remained in this capacity for
a period of five years when he purchased the institution and has since
conducted it as a private bank, giving it his personal management. It is
well equipped with safety deposit vaults and all modern fixtures, and is
well patronized by the citizens of northwestern Fayette county. Mr.
Stone's son, Leo C. Stone, is the present efficient cashier."