JOHN STONE. Among the prominent farmers and stockraisers of Sugar Loaf Township, Boone County, Arkansas, stands the name of John Stone, whose fine farm and surroundings show what perseverance and industry will accomplish. Mr. Stone was born in Lauderdale County, Ala., in the year 1829, to the marriage of Noble and Mary (Simmons) Stone, natives of the Palmetto State. When both father and mother were children they went with their par-ents to Alabama, grew to mature years in that State, married, and when our subject was about six months old they removed to Marion County, Tennessee There the mother died in 1850. She was a worthy member of the Methodist Church. Mr. Stone selected Miss Nancy Crow as his second wife, and about 1861 they came to what is now Boone County, Arkansas, where the father passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1863, when over sixty years of age. Farming had been his life’s occupation. In religion he was a Baptist. His father, Solomon Stone, was a Revolutionary soldier. The latter was of Irish origin and probably a native of South Carolina. He moved from that State to Alabama, thence to Tennessee, where he followed farming until his death in 1839, when quite aged. He was a wealthy slave owner and an influential citizen. Our subject’s maternal grandfather was also a native of South Carolina and moved from that State to Alabama and from there to Tennessee, where he died. The following children were born to the parents of our subject: Berry died in Newton County, Arkansas, during the war; Ashley Greene died in infancy; Abra-ham, a Confederate soldier, died in Tennessee the latter part of the war; Solomon died in Texas in 1893 (he was in the Confederate Army, was all through the war, and was captured and held a prisoner at Fort Delaware for some time; John, subject; William, of Missouri, was a Federal soldier, and although captured several times, managed to make his escape, once by swim-ming the Tennessee River after night; Ruth, wife of Obcdiah Havner, died in Tennessee; Irene, wife of Solomon Gross, died in Tennessee; Elizabeth, wife of John Blizzard, died in Tennessee; Jane is the wife of George Tedford, of Montgomery County, Arkansas; and Lucy is the wife of Timothy M. Turner, of Missouri.
During his youth our subject received but little schooling and in the winter of 1852-53 he arrived with an ox team in what is now Boone County, Arkansas He made the trip with another family and was about six weeks on the road. For about three years after reaching this State he worked as a farm hand, and in 1856 was married to Miss Elizabeth McCord, a native of Indiana, born in 1832, and the daughter of John and Ann McCord, who went from Ohio to Indiana, and from there to north Arkansas about 1837. They passed the remainder of their days in what is now Boone County, the father dying a few months after coming to this State, and the mother in 1863. She was a native of Pennsylvania. To Mr. and Mrs. Stone were born seven children: Mary Ann, widow of Mordaci Lovelady; James W., of Texas; Martha Jane died in childhood; John died young; Jennie P. died young; Richard Lee and Ida, who died in infancy.
Since his marriage Mr. Stone has lived in this neighborhood and since 1881 on his present farm, one mile west of Lead Hill, where he has 140 acres of productive land, 100 acres cleared. Like his father and grandfather agricultural pursuits have been his principal occupation in life, and he has handled and fed a great deal of stock. For two years he was in the Confederate Army, enlisting early in 1862, and operated principally in Arkansas in the Ordnance Department, driving teams with ammunition, etc. In January, 1864, while the army was on the way to Little Rock, he was taken sick below Clarksville and came home. He did not return to the army, but in the fall went to northwest Missouri, where he remained until the war was over. Mr. Stone is a charter member of Polar Star Lodge No. 224, at Lead Hill, and he and wife are consistent members of the Christian Church. He was a Whig in politics at one time, voting for Gen. Scott in 1852, but he is now a Democrat.