Sutter
County
Biographies
FRANK L. STONE
A skillful and capable agriculturist, living four and one-half miles west of Yuba City, Frank L. Stone is industriously engaged in the prosecution of a calling upon which the nation’s prosperity is from year to year becoming more dependent, and in his undertakings is meeting with due success. Of good old New England ancestry on both sides of the house, he was born, June 9, 1843, in Cornish, York county, Me., a son of Phineas Stone. His grandfather, Levi Stone, was a farmer by occupation and spent his entire life in Maine.
Born and bred on a farm, Phineas Stone was identified with the agricultural prosperity of his native state during his life of fifty-eight years, being owner and manager of a good farm. He married Eliza Estes, who was also a life-long resident of Maine, as were her parents. She survived her husband, attaining the ripe old age of eighty-six years. Of the fourteen children she bore her husband, twelve grew to years of maturity.
Brought up on the home farm, Frank L. Stone obtained a practical education in the district school, and while yet a boy became familiar with the various branches of agriculture. In 1863, before attaining his majority, he made a bold venture, coming by way of the Isthmus of Panama to California, then the mecca of every ambitious youth. After a short stay in Marysville, he came over to Sutter county, and the following six years worked as a farm hand. Starting then in business for himself, he engaged in stock-raising near Dobbins road, Yuba county, buying one hundred and twenty acres of land, and having a good outside range. Stock was high when he bought, but during the three years that he remained there the price steadily declined, and he sold out at a loss. The country roundabout him was in its primitive condition, no improvements worth mentioning having been made, and there were neither schools nor churches near. Coming down into the valley, Mr. Stone located twelve miles southwest of Yuba City, and for three years raised grain, renting first one hundred and sixty acres of land, later carrying on a whole section. Three years later he purchased one hundred and sixty acres, and at the end of another three years disposed of that and purchased his present ranch, lying west of Yuba City. From the original purchase he has sold off about seventy-five acres, and has now two hundred and twenty-six acres of land all in one body. He has made improvements of an excellent character, having a good set of farm buildings, and is principally engaged in grain raising. He has a good vineyard, containing ten acres, and has a young thriving almond orchard of twenty acres.
November 23, 1873, Mr. Stone married Ella A. Kimball, a daughter of John H. Kimball, a pioneer settler of Sutter county. She died August 5, 1894, leaving three daughters, namely: Ida K., wife of Dr. Squired, o Napa, Cal.; Minnie, at home, and Maude, deceased, a twin sister of Minnie.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "History of the State of California and
Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, Cal.," J. M.
Guinn, Pages 632-635. The Chapman
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1906.
© 2017 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Sutter County Biographies