I shall begin our documented Stone Family History with James Stone who was born in South Carolina in 1790. He was the son of William Stone and a "Miss McClure." We have based his birthdate on the 1850 Census of Rusk Co. TX, and his son's autobiography. There is no further information on his parents. There was a William Stone on the 1820 Census of Warren Co. TN, but we cannot connect him to James. Although there is a land record whereby James and William Stone purchased tracts of land on Stones River in Warren County in 1819,  I am not certain they are our James and William. There was a Stone family who lived in Warren County for many years. I've corresponded with descendants of this family, and were unable to make any genealogical connection with our family. There are records in the Pendleton District, and Greenville, Co. SC for a Stone family with the given names of William and Jonathan. A connection with this family remains to be proven.

James Stone married Elizabeth Guest, daughter of William Guest in Warren Co.., Tennessee in about 1816. Elizabeth was born in c1802 in Tennessee, probably in Hawkins or Greene Counties. Her birthdate was given as 1802 in the 1850 Rusk Co. TX census and her birthplace as South Carolina, however, her enumeration on the 1860 Census of Erath Co. TX her birthdate was 1800, and her birthplace was Tennessee. We know that William Guest, as well as his brothers were living in East Tennessee in 1800 until 1807.

Martin Stone, first child of James and Elizabeth Stone was born in Warren County in 1817, as was their second son, William M. "Early Bill" Stone (of the biographical sketch) on 1 June 1819. The Stones moved to Alabama sometime between 1819 and 1822. James Stone is not found on the 1820 census of Warren County. A search of the county tax rolls may reveal when they moved to Alabama. Their third son, James Stone Jr. was born in 1822 in Alabama. Three more children were also born in Alabama; Mary Ann (Polly) in 1824, Margaret in 1826, and Sarah (Sallie) in 1829.

I have not found James Stone on any records in Alabama. Isaac, Martin and John Guest were in Cotaco (now Morgan) and Lawrence Counties, Alabama in the 1820s, hopefully, the Stones were with them. An intensive research will be necessary to document the Stones in Alabama.

I found it significant that McClure Stone and James Stone were on the 1830 Tax List for Johnson County, AR. Again, with reference to Early Bill's autobiography, he said his grandfather's name as William Stone and his grandmother, a "Miss McClure." Finding James living, or at least on the tax list next to McClure Stone, leads me to believe they were brothers, and supports Early Bill's genealogy.

James and McClure Stone were again listed on the 1835 Sheriff's Census in Johnson Co. AR. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Green Berry, born 18 March 1831, Redmond born 19 March 1832, and Matilda born 27 November 1835 were all born in Johnson County, AR. However, Martin Stone married Nancy Burcham in Pope Co. AR in 1835. The Rhoads/Rhodes, Stinnetts and Burchams were in Pope Co. AR, Martin Guest in Pulaski Co. AR, and Joseph Guest in Independence Co. AR.

The Stones didn't live very long in Arkansas. James, Martin and William Stone were in Barry  Co. MO when the 1840 census was taken. They had arrived there as early as 18 July, 1839 when John Lock was born, and as late as 22 Dec. 1841 when James and Elizabeth's last child, Andrew Larkin was born. William M. "Early Bill" married Elizabeth Stinnett on 28 September 1837 and Margaret Stone married John Welch in Barry Co. MO, 18 May 1841. Mary Ann (Polly) married Fields Pruitt, and Sarah (Sallie) married Henry Bowlin Carruthers; however, we have no records of their marriages..

Ever restless, the family moved to Rusk Co. TX about 1843, where they lived until James died in August or September, 1850. Stone family historians will be eternally grateful to James for the detailed will he left us. He named each of his children, and three of his daughters' spouses. Elizabeth filed a quick claim on James' land and moved with her sons to Dallas and Tarrant Counties. Greenberry and Redmond were charter members of a Masonic lodge in the Crowley community south of Fort Worth in 1855.

John Lock and Greenberry married the daughters of Jesse and Jane Russell. John married Sarah Jane Russell in about 1855 or 1856 in Tarrant County, Texas, and Greenberry married Sylvestra Frances Russell on 21 Jan. 1858 in Dallas County. Redmond married Mariah McEntire (daughter of William McEntire?), about 1853, and after her death, he married Harriette Schrilda Sanders, daughter of Archibald Sanders. Matilda married first Jonathan Willis Rhodes, and second Henry Hill, in Rusk or Hunt Counties, TX.

The 1860 census enumerators found the Stones living in Erath and Comanche Counties, TX. Elizabeth Guest Stone was living with John Lock and his wife Sarah Jane (Russell) Stone near Stephenville, where she died about 1863. Andrew Larkin married Elby Jones, 15 Nov. 1865 in Comanche Co. TX.

The older Stone sons, William and Green Berry served in the Texas Frontier regiments during the Civil War protecting the frontier settlers from the Comanches. Redmond and John Lock volunteered in 1862, and served until the close of the War when their unit surrendered in Missouri. John Lock applied for a Confederate pension in June, 1899, but died only days after it was approved. Sarah Jane Russell, John Lock's wife died 12 Jan.. 1867 at Comanche, Texas. John then married Pherbe Lee, a daughter of Peter Lee, on 28 Nov.1868 at Comanche, TX.

We do not know the burial places of James and Elizabeth (Guest) Stone. Martin died in about 1896, perhaps in Comanche County. William M. "Early Bill" died 11 Nov. 1900;  Redman died 15 Nov. 1885; Green Berry died 31 Dec. 1878, and Matilda died 21 Apr. 1883. They all died in Comanche County and are buried in the Stone Cemetery at Proctor, Comanche Co. TX. John Lock, who died 22 Aug. 1899, is buried at Zypher Cemetery, Brown Co. TX, and Andrew Larkin, died at age 33 on 3 Feb. 1874, and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Comanche, TX. Margaret, wife of John Welch died 24 Sep. 1876, and is buried at Union Cemetery in Freestone Co. TX. Her sisters, Sarah Stone Carruthers, and possibly Mary (Polly) Stone Pruitt, were probably also buried in Freestone Co. TX.

For such a large and mobile family we have been able to document their lives with some success due to the combined efforts of many Stone family researchers. This short family history was compiled from the research records of Peggy Stone Wilkey, A. L. and Pauline Stone, and Sherlene Rogers Baab, descendants of John Lock Stone and his first wife, Sarah Jane Russell, and Betty Rhodes Gerth, descendant of Matilda (Stone) (Rhodes) Hill, and her first husband, Willis Rhodes.

It has been an adventure to follow the migration trails of the Stones. At times there seemed to be no "rhyme or reason" for their moves, but they were following the frontier. As each section of the frontier was ceded by the Indians, they picked up and moved to the new and fertile land. James was probably of Scots-Irish heritage, and had an innate restlessness that didn't allow him to linger long in one area. Perhaps Elizabeth's Cherokee ancestry made her yearn for the solitude of frontier living. More likely they were chasing the American dream that promised riches just over the next hill.

Peggy Wilkey has always said the Stones kept their wagon packed and when any traveler came down the pike, they ask where he was going, and no matter what he answered, they'd call, "Wait just a minute, we'll go with you." My theory is that the Stones would have pushed the frontier to the Pacific Ocean if they had come up against a race of people tougher and meaner than they were. The Comanches of West Texas. Even then, where did they chose to finally settle? Right on the Comanche Trail through Erath and Comanche Counties. Betty Gerth found an Old West magazine that told of Martin Stone's battle with a band of Comanches near Stephenville, and of Redmond and his family fighting off another band earlier that day at their home place.

The Stones were "stockmen," or in plain English, cowboys. Edgar Brownlee, husband of Minnie Myrtle Stone, said the Stone men were among the first cowboys to make the historic cattle drives to Kansas. Even unto the present generations there are Stone men working and living on the large cattle ranches of West Texas.

It wasn't only the Stone men who were tough. Imagine Elizabeth Guest Stone giving birth to eleven children in four states between 1817 and 1841. No wonder she was a midwife. John Lock's wife, Sarah Jane and Redmond's wife Mariah were left alone to fend for themselves on the Texas frontier while their men were away at war. Mariah died in 1863, and Sarah Jane in 1867. Josie Sanders Stone gave birth to Oma Dove in the Indian Territory in 1896 while on a wagon trip to Searcy County, AR to visit her ailing father.

Our Stone family wasn't rich or powerful, but they were strong, hearty people who saw the American frontier as just another river to cross, or hill to climb, and a greener pasture just over the next fence. Perhaps they were searching for their home, and they finally found it on the Texas frontier. We've inherited our Texas spirit from them, as well as our sense of family. They loved and rejoiced in kith, kin and clan. Our grandfathers and grandmothers loved nothing better than getting together, renewing acquaintances, singing, playing music, swapping stories and participating in a little "Indian rasslin'" before one of the elders decided they needed a prayer service to soothe their souls along their next and final journey.

Our genealogical research is a tribute to our Stone ancestors, and their strong and enduring wives. God Bless Them.