Woman of the Century/Martha Elvira Stone

STONE, Miss Martha Elvira, postmaster, born in North Oxford, Mass., 13th September, 1816. where she has always lived. She is the only daughter of the late Lieutenant Joseph Stone. Her early education was in the district school in her native village. MARTHA ELVIRA STONE. She was graduated from the Oxford Classical School. Later she took a course of study in the academy in Leicester, Mass. She was in August, 1835. bereft of her mother. To secure for herself an independence, she taught for several years near her home, in both public and private schools, until, on petitions of the citizens, she was appointed postmaster at North Oxford. The date of her commission was 27th April, 1857. under the administration of Hon. Horatio King, First Assistant Postmaster-General. That office she has held thirty-six years. During all that time the office has been kept in her sitting-room. In February, 1862, her father died. In October, 1864, her brother died, leaving a family of young children, the oldest of whom, Byron Stone, M. D., she educated. By vote of the town of Oxford she was elected a member of the examining school board in the spring of 1870, which office she held until 1873. Her time and talent outside of her public duties have been given to literary pursuits. She was for eight years a co-laborer with Senator George L. Davis, of North Andover, Mass., in his compilation of the "Davis Genealogy." She was at the same time associated with Supreme Court Judge William L. Learned, of Albany, N. Y., in his compilation of the "Learned Genealogy." The Learned and Davis families were intimately connected by frequent intermarriages. From the former Miss Stone traces her descent. She is the great-granddaughter of Colonel Ebenezer Learned, one of the first permanent settlers of Oxford, in 1713. During the Civil War she entered into it with zeal and personal aid to the extent of her ability, in all that contributed to the comfort and welfare of the soldiers. Her room was the depot for army and hospital supplies.