Amasa Stone Jr.

Born: April 27, 1818 in Charlton, MA

Died: May 11, 1883 (Suicide by Gunshot) Cleveland, OH

 

About:

Amasa Stone was an American industrialist who built railroads, railroad bridges and invested in a number of mills, mines and industries in Ohio. He became one of Americas prominent bridge builders. He was the ninth of ten children born into a Massachusetts farmer family. His parents were Amasa Stone Sr. and Esther (Boyden) Stone. He was a major benefactor of Western Reserve College, which became part of Case Western Reserve University in 1967. Amasa Stone Chapel was built after his death in his memory. The building named after his son, Adelbert Hall, is still the home of the university administration.

Stone committed suicide by gunshot following financial setbacks in 1883. Stone's suicide may also have been due in part to his role in the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster. He was the designersof the faulty bridge and was found to be partly at fault for the bridge's collapse.

 

PDF of Amasa Stone's obituary published in the New York Times, May 12, 1883