12. JOHN NEWTON³ STONE (JOHN², STEPHEN¹) was born 04 Jul 1860 in Nr. Charleston, Coles, IL, and died 18 Dec 1947 in Walla Walla, Walla Walla, WA. He married SUSAN AGNES WHITELY 16 Aug 1882 in Umatilla Co., OR⁴⁵, daughter of SAMEUL WHITELY and CATHERINE ?. She was born Oct 1862 in Milton, Umatilla, Oregon, and died 17 Jun 1938 in Walla Walla, Walla Walla, WA⁴⁶.

Notes for JOHN NEWTON STONE:

Article in Walla Walla Union Bulletin - 1948

John Newton Stone Was Versed In Valley History 78 Years

For considerably more than the biblical quota of three score years and 10, the late John Newton Stone of Walla Walla lived in a district bounded by Athena at one end, Walla Walla at the other. As a result, highlights of history on both sides of Stateline, as far back as 1869, were tucked away in Stone's memory vault - to be brought out and dusted off as needed.

All it took to make Newt Stone the right answer to a reporter's prayer was to get him out around what is now Valley Chapel, or over to Milton. Boyhood and middle-age experiences were refreshed by such a trip - a trip that Stone and the r.r. (roving reporter) indulged in one day in early fall.

The interview was roughed out and Stone went over it to check for accuracy at the time, but publication was delayed for valid reasons. Now the subject of the interview is dead.

To begin at the beginning - as all narratives should - it should be noted that Stone was three years old when his family headed by the late Dr. and Mrs. John Stone, crossed the plains from Illinois to the Sacramento Valley.

Stone remembered until the end just how two of the oxen used on the trek looked - and their names. Both were mulleys. Shortly the Stones migrated to Silverton, Oregon and by 1869 had come to Walla Walla Valley.

Their first home was on the George Goodman place in the Umapine district. The stay there was brief and they moved to the Saunders place, less than a mile to the southwest from the Mojonnier Greenhouse.

Stone's father was a physician, and the Stone's were friends of the Dave Taylor's of Umatilla County, whose son Till was murdered in a jail break at Pendleton 27 years ago. Dr. Stone attended Mrs. Taylor when Till was born. If we recall Stone's remarks correctly, his father also attended Mrs. Taylor when "Jinks" Taylor was born.

Dr. Stone died while living on the Saunders place and was buried in the immediate vicinity of the graves which hold the earthly remains of the Whitman massacre victims.

During the rather airless drive around the valley with Newton Stone the pair reached the Valley Chapel burial ground, a miniature graveyard now sadly weeded over but still fenced. Stone remembered that the first body interred there was that of Martha Ellen Reser. Further burials near the Whitman Cemetery had been stopped, a point Martha Ellen knew during her long and fatal illness. She asked to be buried at a point which later generations called the Valley Chapel graveyard.

While in the same neighborhood Stone was reminded that under a rather high butte, there was a dam across that river, and there was established a community swimming-hole - a facility which drew big crowds in summer months.

While Stone lived in the district referred to, he attended a log schoolhouse, near the Bill Reser home. Among the extremely few living pupils of that time besides Stone was Billy Reser and a man named Owens.

In 1872, the Stone's moved to a farm near Athena, but Newton soon discovered his rather frail physique was not intended to juggle two-bushel wheat sacks. He elected to study pharmacy under his brother who at that time was practicing medicine at Brownsville, Ore. The young man also attended Principia Academy, conducted by W.R. Bishop, grandfather of the Bishop's who founded the Pendleton Woolen Mills.

Newton Stone came to Milton in 1881 and set up a drug business on the corner now occupied by the Price Chevrolet Company.

"Incidentally," Stone remarked, "I was the first Wells-Fargo express agent in Milton, and it was my job to hand up to the drivers the proverbial blue box which contained money and valuables. When the railroad was built to Blue Mountain Station, the express office was moved to the vicinity of the Dump, which was the terminal of the Blalock timber flume.

"Later, I built the first brick business building in Milton and it is still used as a bakery. I was a furniture dealer and undertaker 26 years here in Milton. I found time to help develop the fresh fruit market, and I was a member of the charter list that decided to build a Christian Church in Milton. Mrs. Jennie Berg of Seattle is the only other living charter member.

While living in Milton Stone married a daughter of "Doc" S.P. Whitely, a very early pioneer family, which settled about two miles up the Walla Walla from Milton. Mrs. Stone died some years ago. Three children survive; Mrs. Harold Lamb, Yakima; John Stone of Walla Walla; Mrs. Catherine Hale, of Walla Walla, with whom Stone made his home in recent years. Likewise two sisters survive; Mrs. Arminda Tettsworth, Midvale, Idaho, and Mrs. Cordelia Maloney, Salem. Deceased brothers are Dr. S.C. Stone, who was one of the early teachers in the Reser School and practiced medicine in Salem; E.H. Stone was another brother and the late Mrs. Samantha Gerking, who lived in Yakima was a sister.

The day of the interview and tour of the valley with Stone was the same week as the Whitman services, and he suggested that a light should be kept burning on the Whitman shaft.

It was really a big afternoon for reporter and the oldster. Among those he met on the trip was Mrs. Jerome Reser, whose husband was Stone's schoolmate. The Reser home is near the William McBean homestead, of historical importance.

A long list of historical subjects that were to be discussed and developed at a later date got brief mention that afternoon, but destiny had its own plans.

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He was an undertaker, furniture dealer, Wells Fargo Express Agent, and Druggist as of 1881.

1892 Pioneer Picnic shows J.N. STONE emigrated to Oregon in 1864 by Ox Team.

We are researching our Boly family and know James

married Susan Stone and John married Ellen Stone from

Coles County Illinois. We were told you might have

some memoirs of this family. If so, we would be very

interested. Please advise if you have anything on

either the Stone or the Boly family. Thank you very

much.

Jeanna Maughner

P O Box 682

Sweet Home, OR 97386

daybreaker_jm@yahoo.com

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OBIT - ?Paper - December 18, 1947

J.N. STONE, EARLY DAY RESIDENT, DIES

John Newton Stone, one of Milton's early-day business men, passed away this (Thursday) morning in Walla Walla at the age of 87 years. He was born June 4, 1860, in Coles County, Ill.

In 1863, at the age of three years, his family brought him west in a covered wagon drawn by ox team. They left Illinois May 7th and reached Marysville Calif., September 9th. The next year the family moved to the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and in 1869 moved to the Walla Walla Valley, living first in the Valley Chapel district.

Stone lived in this valley continuously since that time, a period of 78 years, making him one of the oldest surviving residents of this part of the country.

He was married in 1882 at Milton to Susan Agnes Whitley, and to them were born six children, three of wnom died in infancy or early childhood. In addition to the remaining three children, Mrs. Katherine Hale, Walla Walla; Mrs. Lorena R. Lamb, Yakima; John Stone, Walla Walla; he is survived by two sisters; Mrs. Arminda Tettsworth, Midvale, Idaho, and Mrs. Cordelia Maloney, Salem. There are also four grandchildren and one great grandchild, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Stone lived for many years in Milton. He was a charter member of the Milton Christian Church. He was a druggist and in the furniture and undertaking business, as well as operating a fruit orchard. He was one of the organizers of Milton's first bank, one of the first board of directors of the Milton Fruit Growers Union, and later one of the founders of the Lamb Fruit Co. He sold subscriptions to help in the establishment of the Milton Eagle, and has been a subscriber to the publication ever since. He was a constant business visitor in Milton until shortly before his death.

The last 25 years, Stone lived in Walla Walla with his daughter, Mrs. Hale.

No funeral arrangements have as yet been made, but interment will be in the Milton I.O.O.F. Cemetery.

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1900 Census OR Umatilla Milton ED 114 Pg 2B

Line 70

41 42 Stone John N Head WM June 1860 39 M 18 IL IL IN Dealer Furniture Co

-----------, Susan A Wife WF Oct 1862 37 M 18 (5 Children 3 Alive) OR KY IL

-----------, Katherine A Daughter WF May 1884 16 S OR IL OR At School

-----------, Lorena Daughter WF Jan 1890 10 S OR IL OR At School

-----------, John N Son WM Jan 1898 2 S OR IL OR

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1910 Census OR Umatilla S Milton Pct Dist 265 Pg 214A(16-23 April 1910 Nathan L Mason)

Line 46

360 358 Stone John N Head MW 59 M1 27 Illinois Kentucky Indiana Proprietor Furniture Store

--------------, Susan A Wife FW 46 M1 27 (5 Children 3 Alive) Oregon Kentucky Illinois

--------------, Lorena Daughter FW 20 S Oregon Illinois Oregon

--------------, John N Jr Son MW 12 S Oregon Illinois Oregon

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1930 Census WA Walla Walla Walla Walla ED 6 Pg 1A

Line 34

56 1/2 10 10 Stone John N Head MW 32 M 20 OR IL IN Salesman Groceries Retail

-----------, Goldie F Wife FW 31 M 19 KS MO IL Book-keeper Bank

-----------, Shirley M Daughter FW 8 S WA OR KS

-----------, John N Father MW 69 M 22 IL KY IN

-----------, Susan A Mother FW 66 M 19 OR KY OR

Hale Catharine A Sister FW 47 Wd 19 OR IL OR

More About JOHN NEWTON STONE:

Burial: IOOF Cemetery, Milton-Freewater, OR⁴⁷

Census 1: 1860, IL Coles Hutton PO Ashley Pg 309 (See Father)

Census 2: 1870, W.T. Walla Walla Pg 260(See Mother)

Census 3: 1880, OR Umatilla Greasewood Dist 145 Pg 101A

Census 4: 1900, OR Umatilla Milton ED 114 Pg 2B

Census 5: 1910, OR Umatilla S Milton Pct Dist 265 Pg 214A

Census 6: 1930, WA Walla Walla Walla Walla ED 6 Pg 1A

Emigration: 1864, IL by Ox Team 4 yrs old

Occupation 1: 1892, Farm Laborer

Occupation 2: 1900, furniture Dealer

Picnic: 1892, Weston, Umatilla, OR

Residence: 1892, Milton, Umatilla, OR

Notes for SUSAN AGNES WHITELY:

OBIT - ?Paper - 24 June 1938

SUSAN AGNES STONE

Mrs. Susan Agnes Stone, 74, daughter of a prominent Umatilla County pioneer family and a resident of the Walla Walla valley during her entire life, passed away at her home in Walla Walla shortly before noon Friday.

Born on a farm three miles above Milton on the Walla Walla River, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S.P. Whitley who settled in this district in 1860.

Surviving, besides her husband, J.N. Stone, are three children, Mrs. Katherine Hale of Walla Walla, Mrs. H.C. Lamb of Yakima and John Stone of Walla Walla; a sister, Mrs. Etta McEachern of Milton, two brothers,, William Whitley of Thompson Falls, Montana and Andrew Whitley of British Columbia and four grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon in Walla Walla with Rev. Ward A. Rice in charge. Interment was in the Milton I.O.O.F. Cemetery.

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1930 Census CA Los Angeles Los Angeles ED 719 Pg 8A

Line 16

1133 1/2 147 203 Stone Agnes S Head FW 68 M 21 OR US US

Hale, Katherine Daughter FW 45 Wd OR IL OR

Smith Blanch Lodger FW 56 M 18 MA Canada Canada

More About SUSAN AGNES WHITELY:

Burial: IOOF Cemetery, Milton-Freewater, OR⁴⁸

Census 1: 1870, OR Umatilla Walla Walla Pct Pg 381(See Father)

Census 2: 1880, OR Umatilla Milton Pct Dist 110 Pg 9B(See Father)

Census 3: 1900, OR Umatilla Milton ED 114 Pg 2B(See Husband)

Census 4: 1910, OR Umatilla S Milton Pct Dist 265 Pg 214A(See Husband)

Census 5: 1930, CA Los Angeles Los Angeles ED 719 Pg 8A

Census 6: 1930, WA Walla Walla Walla Walla ED 6 Pg 1A(See Husband)

Picnic: 1892, Weston, Umatilla, OR

Residence: 1892, Milton, Umatilla, OR

Marriage Notes for JOHN STONE and SUSAN WHITELY:

Stone, John H.

Marriage: John Stone married Susan Whitley on Aug 16, 1882 in Umatilla County, OR.

Gender: Male

Source Location: Record of this marriage may be found at the Family History Library under microfiche reference number(s) 6088045.

More About JOHN STONE and SUSAN WHITELY:

Marriage: 16 Aug 1882, Umatilla Co., OR⁴⁹

Children of JOHN STONE and SUSAN WHITELY are: