Amasa Stone

AMASA STONE.

Amasa Stone, a prominent railroad manager and Iniilder, was born in Charlton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, April 27, 1818. The founders of the family in America, mentioned in the succeeding sketch, were members of a Puritan colony which landed at Boston in 1635.

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In 1839 and '40 he was engaged with Mr. Howe in building the bridge across the Connecticut river at Springfield, Massachusetts, for the Western railroad company. Mr. Howe had just secured his patent for what is known as die "Howe Truss Bridge." From the time of building this bridge, and for several years, Mr. Stone was constantly employed in building railway bridges and depot buildings. In 1842, he and Mr. A. Boody purchased from Mr. Howe his bridge patent for the New England States, and a company, under the name of Boody. Stone A' Co.. was formed for the construction of railways and railway bridges, the mechanical branch of the wink to lie under the care of Mr. Stone. In 1845 he was appointed superintendent of the New Haven, Hartford and Springfield railroad, still continuing his relations with the firm, but the business of the latter became so heavy that he was obliged to resign the position of superintendent.

Messrs. Boody & Stone had agreed to pay forty thousand dollars for the patent of the Howe truss bridge. A few years afterward defects were found in bridges erected on this plan; other jjlans completed for the superiority, and it was feared that the purchase was a very poor investment. Mr. Stone's inventive genius was such that he was able to improve the patent in several important particulars, so that it was not found necessary to change it afterward.

In 1846 the bridge over the Connecticut river at

Enfield Falls, one fourth of a mile long, was carried away by a hurricane. Mr. Stone was applied to by the president of the New Haven, Hartford and Springfield railroad for advice in regard to its reconstruction. This meeting and the subsequent action of the directors resulted in making Mr. Stone sole manager of the work of erecting another bridge. It was completed, and a train of cars passed over it, within forty days from the day the order was given for its erection. He regarded this as one of the most important events of his life, and he was rewarded by complimentary resolutions and a check for one thousand dollars, given by the company.

The next winter the firm of Boody, Stone & Co. was dissolved, Mr. Stone taking, of the States covered by the patent, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. He then formed a partnership with Mr. D. L. Harris, which continued until 1849. In 1848 he formed another partnership, with Mr. Stillman Witt and Mr. Frederick Harbach, and this firm contracted with the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati railroad company to construct the road from Cleveland to Columbus. This was thought by many to be a doubtful undertaking, as a part of the payment for the work was to be taken in the capital stock of the company. It was finished, however, and the stock proved to be a very profitable investment.

In 1850 Mr. Stone was appointed its superintendent, and in the same year he removed to Cleveland. Another most important enterprise with which he was connected was the construction of the railroad from Cleveland to Erie. This was completed in the face of numberless difficulties, and Mr. Stone was appointed its superintendent. In 1852, while still acting as superintendent of both the roads named, Mr. Stone was elected a director in each of the companies, and he attended to the duties of these various positions with great ability until 1854, when he resigned the superintendency on account of ill health. He was also, for several years, president of the Cleveland, Painesvillo and Ashtabula railroad. In 1855 Messrs. Stone and Witt contracted to build the Chicago and Milwaukee railroad, and the former was for many years a director in that company.

He was also a director in several banks — the Merchants' of Cleveland, the Bank of Commerce, the Second National Bank, the Commercial National Bank, and the Cleveland Banking Company. For several years he was the president of the Toledo branch of the State Bank of Ohio, at Toledo, a director of the Jamestown and Franklin Railroad Company, and the president of the Mercer Iron and Coal Company. He also aided in establishing several manufactories, ca.n-i(.Ml cm extensive ear works, and gave financial aid to several iron-manufacturing interests. In 1861 he erected a large woolen-mill in Cleveland. He also gave special attention to the construction of roofs of buildings, covering many acres of ground; the last designed by him being that of the Union passenger depot at Cleveland. He was also said to r be the first to design and erect pivot drawbridges of long span, and in the construction of railroad cars and locomotives he introduced numerous improvements.

Mr. Stone took a prominent part in the recruiting and supply of troops during the war for the Union, and was offered by President Lincoln a commission as l)brigadier-general for the purpose of Iniilding a military railroad through Kentucky to Knoxville, Tennessee, a project which was afterwards relinquished by the government. He went abroad in 1808 for the benefit of his health, and spent two years in travel and observation. On his return, in 1873, he resumed charge of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroad as managing director, which position he resigned in 18T5; afterward devoting his time to the care of his own estate. He gave, at this and other periods, a great deal of attention to works of public charity, and in 1877 he built and endowed a home for aged and indigent women at Cleveland.

Mr. Stone was married on the 12th day of.January, 18-12, to Miss Julia Ann Gleason of Warren, Massachusetts. His children have been three in number: a son, Adelbert B. Stone, a young gentleman of remarkable promise, wdio was drowned in the Connecticut river while a student at Yale College; and two daughters, the elder of whom was married in 18;-1 to.Iohii Ilav, Es.i.

As printed in History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio ... : with portraits and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.