Spent most of his young life near Leroy, Kansas. Hunting and fishing on the Neosheo River. Worked on the Crandall Ranch, but in 1890 worked for the Kansas State Asylum in Osawatomie, Kansas as a Dairyman and Overseer of the lawn. Worked for the Missouri Pacific Railway. He was employed by Metropolitan Cable of Kansas City October of 1902 until October of 1904. He was proud of the fact that he was allowed to make the first run of a Cable Car in Kansas City. Sometime in these years he spent some time in Cheyenne, Wyoming. There were several receipts among his things to indicate he funded a State Campaign for “Peoples Party” in Topeka and Quenemo, Kansas. He was a qualified voter in the City of Oswatomie in 1900. I found among his things, a letter for each place of employment, recommending him highly as a good man for any position. In 1903/04 he went to Billings, Oklahoma and with his cousin, Frank Redfern, put in a Grocery Store. This did not work out too well because of their generosity with credit. Anna Back was clerking in the Dry Goods store in Billings at the same time, they ate in the same cafe and soon he started courting her. They were married on 11-July-1907 by George F. Dennis (Minister). Mrs. Olive Wagener and his brother, Ralph, were witnesses. He had always wanted to farm. Brother Ralph was living and farming southeast of Tonkawa and Indian Land was being leased across the river from him and Bill was able to get a lease on 40 acres near the 101 Ranch. Soon he was able to buy this and add more land to it. Although he raised corn and wheat, his first love was truck farming, and caring for his orchard. After the death of their oldest child in 1909, Anna joined him in the Reservation. They lived here and farmed their own land until it became necessary to move into a school district. For the following years they lived on what was known as the “Jeffery Ranch” and the Birdsnest School District. They farmed and raised stock on this 320 aches as well as continued to tend their own land. In 1923 they built a new home in Tonkawa on the corner of 7th Street and Stone Avenue. He continued to farm until his death on June 10, 1935. Anna maintained the home and farm and raised and educated the children. She died August 23, 1955. Both are buried in the IOOF Cemetery near Tonkawa.1,32

Family Group page information obtained from family records. Page dated September 9, 1980.

Virgil Joe Woodruff owns the originals of the following documents (photocopied in the book owned by Burt Woodruff).

William Thomas Stone
* Attendant, Dairyman and Overseer of lawn at the Kansas State Insane Asylum at Osawatomie, Kansas for at least 2 years (June 1887 until June 14, 1899).
* Laborer on locomotive and coatch of the Missouri Pacific Railway Dec 19 - April 7, 1900
* Gripman and Motorman for the Metropolitan Street Rail Way Co. in Kansas City Mo. (October 17, 1902 until October 18, 1904).
* Papers to indicate he was registed to vote in Osawatomie and Topeka Kansas.
* Papers to indicate he funded a State campaign for “Peoples Party”: Topeka, Kansas Mar 1898 -26; Topeka, Kansas July 11, 1898, Quenemo Kansas October 4, 1898
* Baggage check indicates he went from Independence, Missouri to Billiings Okla. while he was still on a pass for the R.R.

Stone Funeral Rites Held Wednesday p.m.

Funeral servies for William Thomas Stone, 67, were held in the McCafferty funeral home Wednesday afternoon at 2:430 o’clock. Rev. Wayne E. Diskill, pastor of the First Christian church preached the funeral sermon. Burial was in the Tonkawa I. O. O. F. cemetery.
Stone, a residence of this vicinity for the past 25 years, died in the Stricklin hospital at Arkansas City Monday afternoon at 4:10 o’clock following a several months illness from stomach trouble.
--Obituary--
Mr. William T. Stone, son of Samuel and Catherine Stone, was born December 12th, 1868, at Kirkville, Ohio. When he was three years of age he moved with his parents to Burlington, Kans., where he grew to manhood.
For several years prior to coming to Oklahoma he worked as a motorman in Jansas City. In 1900 he moved to Billings, Okla., where he was engaged in the mercantile business for several years. It was there that he met and married Miss Anna H. Bach [sic]. They were united in marriage July 11, 1907, and to this union were born four children: Catherine Louise, Helen Nadine, William Philup [sic], and Virgil Eugene.
During his entire life Mr. Stone’s affections centered around nature and shortly after their marriage they moved to a farm near Tonkawa where engaged in the work that he really loved--watching nature unfold. He was engaged in farming until the time of his last illness which led to his death.
Those who survive to mourn his loss are his widow, three children, Helen, William, and Virgil, all of the home. Four brothers, James and Ralph of Tonkawa; John of McAllen, Texas; and Frank, of Milford, Mo. Two sisters, Mrs. Ruth Krider [sic] of Springfield, Mo., and Mrs. Mary Redfern of Gridley, Kans., besides several nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
The loved ones who preceded him in death are his little daughter, Catherine Louise, his father and mother, and two brothers, one of whom died in infancy, and Charles, of Lamar, Mo. Also two sisters, Mrs. Carrie Sutton of Tonkawa and Mrs. Alice Galliager [sic] of Leroy, Kans.
Perhaps none of his friends will miss him more deeply than his children’s playmates and friends and the aged with which he was associated. He was a friend to children and the aged . To be remembered is to live again.

Card of Thanks
We wish to thank our friends and neighbors for their many acts of kindness during the illness and death of our husband and father. Also for the beautiful flowers. --Mrs. William Stone and Children

“Only a dad, with tired face
Coming home from the daily race,
Bringing little of gold or fame,
To show how well he has played the game.
But glad in his heart that his own rejoice
To see him come and to hear his voice.

Only a dad to a brood of four,
One of ten million men or more,
Plodding along in the daily strife,
Bearing the whips and scars of life
With never a whimper of pain or hate
For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,
Merely one of the surging crowd,
Toiling, striving from day to day,
Facing whatever may come his way,
Silent, whenever the harsh condemn.
And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad but he gives all
To smooth his way for his children small
Doing with courage set and grim,
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is a line that for him I pen,
Only a dad, but the best of men.

----
Rites Today
--
Servies to be conducted at McCafferty Home for Stone
--
TONKAWA, June 11--Rites for William Thomas Stone, 67, pioneer resident of Tonkawa and vicinity who died at the Stricklin hospital in Arkansas City, Kans., Monday afternoon will be held in the chapel of the McCafferty Funeral home in Tonkawa Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Rev Bayne [sic] E. Driskill, pastor of the First Christian church, will be in charge of the services. Burial will be in the Tonkawa I. O. O. F. Cemetery.
--

Sometime in the 1970’s their daughter, Helen, was traveling in the southwest United States. In conversation with a stranger, the topic of watermelons came up. The stranger said the best watermelons she had ever had were grown outside of Ponca City by William Stone--Helen was delighted to hear this story of her father’s truck farming. Incidently the watermelon of the time was the Black Diamond.33

He died of cancer at an Arkansas City hospital. As I recall the story, Mom and Virgil were quarantined with Diptheria (??) in their home so their mother couldn’t be with them and take care of her husband in the hospital.

1870 Federal Census (Ohio, Licking, Kirkersville, 4): Samuel J. ?2 M W Grocer 5000; Catherine 31 F W Housekeeping; Alice 12 F W house work; Carrie 8 F W; Mary 6 F W; James 4 M W; Charles 3 M W; William 2 M W; Ralph 0/12 M W born Mar; Creedo Rebecca 36 F W house work Pennsylvania cannot read cannot write. All others born in Ohio. Alice, Carrie, and Mary attended school that year.

1880 Federal Census (Kansas, Coffey, Neosho, 049, 5). Samuel A. Stone W M 52 Farmer; Catherine M. W F 41 Wife ; Keeping House, Carrie M W 18 F Daughter At Home; Mary E. W F 16 Daughter At Home; James H. W M 14 Son At Home; Charles T W M 12 Son At Home; William T. W M 11 Son, At Home; Ralph H.  M 10 Son At School; John C. W M 8 Son; Ruth V W F 2 Daughter. Samuel and Catherine are indicated as married. All the children are marked as single. All children from Carrie to John were in school that year. All four grandparents were born in Virginia. John, Frank, and Ruth were born in Kansas. All the others in the family were born in Ohio.

Certified copy of the marriage certificate from the Court Clerk in Perry, Noble County, Oklahoma obtained June 16, 1978.

Territory of Oklahoma, Noble County.

Wm. Stone, Groom 38 White b. Ohio, Residence Noble Co., Father S. A. Stone Mother’s Madiden Name Kathryne Cain
Anna H. Back Bride 22 White b Missouri, Residence Noble Co., Father Phillip Back. Doesn’t know mothers maiden name.

The certificate was issued from the Office of the Probate Judge In Perry on July 9th, 1907 by Esther Strom , Clerk of the Probate Court.

The Certificate of marriage certifies that on 11 July 1907 at Billings Oklhahoma I duly joined in marraige Mr. Wm Stone and Miss Anna H. Back and there were present as witnesses Mrs. Olive Waggoner and Mr. R. H. Stone on July 11, 1907. Eeo. F Dennis, Minister.

Family tradition (from HNS) is that he died of cancer.
On the page of newspaper obituaries of her parents, Helen Stone Woodruff included a clipping: “An autopsy performed Monday night reveal [William] Stone’s death was a result of a pyloric obstruction in the stomach rather than possible injuries resulting from a recent fall as was first believed.”

Johnson County Historical Society
Archives, Independence Square Courthouse Rm 103
Independence, Missouri 64050

June 1, 1982

Helen Stone Woodruff
806 S. State
Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464

Dear Mrs. Woodruff:

Bion J. Arnold’s “Report on the Value of the Properties of the Metropolitan Street Railway System of Kansas City, Missouri,” published in Kansas City, Missouri c. 1912, contains a story of the companies from which it was formed. In Volume I pages 97 ff, The Kansas City Cable Raiway Company is mentioned. This company was incorporated in the laws of Missouri July 5, 1883 and sold to the Metropolitan Street Railway Company in 1895. Kansas City Cable Railway Company began operation in 1885 and had four lines with 20.576 miles of track in operation by 1889. These four lines included the 9th Street Incline.

Arnold’s work contains no employee records. However it does contain maps showing routes of ll the companies consolodated into the Metropolitan Street Railway Company. The sybolism is rather blurred and difficult to decipher, however.

To determine where your father took the first street car you would need to the date of the initiation of service and then would have to check the newspapers for that date. According to Arnold’s work, there were other street cars in operation at the same time as the cable system. It may well be, that the consolodation [sic] of the system and his taking the first street car out under the colsolodation [sic] did not prove to be newsworthy and therefore was not reported in the papers.

We shall be happy to assist you in any other way we can.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Donald B. Ehrlich
Director of Archives.

Pioneer Trust Company
Kansas City, Mo.

October 18, 1904

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The bearer, Wm. Stone, has been in the employ of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company of this city in the capacity of Gripman and Motorman, from October 175y, 1902 to date. He is still employed but contemplates a change.
During my connection with the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, as President and General Manager, Mr. Stone always performed his duties in a very satisfacotry manner, and I have no hesitancy in recommending him.

Respectfully,

[Signature difficult to decipher]
Martin W Colburn ??

--------
The Missouri Pacific Railway Company
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Raiway Co.

Service Certificate Record No 10,010
April 11, 1900
St. Louis, Mo.

This is to certify that Wm. Stone has been employed in the capacity of Laborer in the l. & C. department of the Missouri Pacific System, Mo.Fac. Division from Dec 19th, 1899 to April 7, 1900. When he left servicde of his own accord in good standing.

J. D. Pattee (Signed)
Supt. l. & C. Dept.

----
Missouri Pacific Railway Co.
12/18/99
Mr. ???? Parker ?
Dear Sir
The bearer (a young man of my acquaintance for whom I can vouch) wishes employment from the M.O.P. I have nothing for him at present. Can you assist him until such time as I have. [Signature cut off in photocopy]

-----------
Kansas State Insane Asylum
Thomas Kirk, Jr., M. D.
Osawatomie, Kan., June 14, 1899.

To whome this may concern
This is to certify that I am well acquainted with Wm Stone and that he has worked at this asylum for the two years last past as attendent and dairyman and overseer of the lawn work all of whihch positions he filled to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. I can cheerfully [?} recommend him to any one wishing his services as being a gentleman and willing to do his whole duty Resp E ? Hinton, M. D., Assist Supt.

Letter written to Anna & William Stone when Catherine died.
Boonville Mo
Feb 10/09
Dear Anna & husband
Ethel Kline was just over telling me the sad news the death of your darling babe. I realize that this letter will find you buried in the deepest sorrow at the loss of your darling. And that words of mine will be entirely inadequate to assuage your overwhelming grief. Yet I feel that I must write a few words to assure you that I am thinking of you & your loss and praying for you. May God give you strenght [sic] to bear this your first sad bereavement. If there can be a compensating thought It is that your darling returned to the God who gave it pure and unspotted by the worlds temptations.

God giveth and God hath taken it away
‘Ere sin could harm, or sorrow fade
Death came with friendly care;
The opening bud to he has conveged
And bade it blossom there.
This lovely bud, so young so fair
called hence by early doom,
Just came to show how sweet a flower,
In paradise would bloom.

With sincere sympathy
Emma