Legacy Amasa Stone

a map of allegany state park 1922, showing extent of stone estate (shaded areas, lower left).

at time of death, amasa stone regarded press richest man in cleveland, , modern historians have called him nationally prominent economic leader. known during lifetime having risen working class amass large fortune, , having built empire of railroads. fortune in 1872 estimated press $6 million ($119,950,000 in 2016 dollars).

stone supported several charitable causes in lasting ways. educated daughters @ cleveland academy, school girls founded in 1848, , in 1865 oversaw capital fundraising campaign , construction of school s first building. donated money in 1876 construct , endow home aged protestant gentlewomen @ 194 kennard road. organization later moved out of structure in 1931 property donated william g. pollock @ 975 east blvd., , known amasa stone house. later merged mcgregor foundation, , in 2014 house sold montessori development partnerships use school. donated money led construction in 1881 of addition children s aid society home youth @ 1745 detroit street in cleveland.

perhaps stone s greatest legacy gift led foundation of became known case western reserve university. city of cleveland had no major institution of higher learning in 1870s, , in 1880 community commission issued report advocating 1 founded or induced move there. in 1882, dr. hiram c. haydn, pastor @ first presbyterian (old stone) church , trustee of western reserve college in hudson, ohio, proposed college move cleveland. haydn approached amasa stone idea, expressed support. on september 20, 1880, stone donated $500,000 ($12,408,621 in 2016 dollars) western reserve college purpose of enabling relocation cleveland. attached 3 conditions gift: first, school become university, , liberal arts college named adelbert college after son; second, stone enabled name majority of western reserve college s board of trustees; , third, stone allowed supervise construction of new university s buildings. trustees agreed stipulations. college raised funds procure land near university circle in cleveland, , stone named 11 new trustees university s board. these included john hay; former president of united states rutherford b. hayes; , newly elected president of united states, james a. garfield. (garfield died assassin s bullet before school opened.) stone oversaw construction of main building (now adelbert hall) , men s dormitory. on october 26, 1882, western reserve university s new main campus dedicated, hayes main speaker @ opening. after stone s death in 1883, family donated additional $100,000 ($2,570,357 in 2016 dollars) western reserve university. all-male university experimented mixed-sex education, generated extensive opposition. determined provide women education, flora stone mather donated large sum of money establish women-only college @ western reserve. donation paid guilford hall (named teacher @ cleveland academy) , haydn hall (named pastor @ first presbyterian , western reserve s president). college woman opened in 1889, , renamed flora stone mather college in 1929 in honor. adelbert hall university s administration building today.

it not clear how large amasa stone s personal estate worth @ time of death. historian john taliaferro estimated worth between $6 million , $22 million ($154,221,429 in 2016 dollars $565,478,571 in 2016 dollars). historian gladys haddad dismisses larger estimates inflated, , suggests estate worth between $6 million , $8 million ($154,221,429 in 2016 dollars $205,628,571 in 2016 dollars). stone s sons-in-law, john hay , samuel mather, named executors. stone left wife $500,000 in securities ($12,851,786 in 2016 dollars), expected generate large amount of interest. stipulated julia should receive $25,000 ($642,589 in 2016 dollars) year income, payable in monthly installments. bequeathed $600,000 in securities ($15,422,143 in 2016 dollars) each daughter, , $100,000 ($5,654,786 in 2016 dollars) each john hay , samuel mather. other bequests , donations totalled $137,000 ($3,521,389 in 2016 dollars).

in 1921, amasa stone s former hunting estate formed nucleus of allegany state park. @ point after 1904, heirs of amasa stone sold new york estate w.j. knupp , wife, eloise. residents of red house/elko area formed committee on november 8, 1920, discuss formation of state park in cattaraugus county , push legislative authority establish park state funds purchase land. new york state legislature approved purchase of 2 tracts of land in quaker run valley on may 2, 1921. act provided $25,000 in state funds purchase of land, provided equal amount in private funds raised first. first tract, consisting of 7,020 acres (28.4 km) of land, purchased eloise knupp $31,500 on june 18, 1921. second tract consisted of 150 acres (0.61 km) of land , buildings adjacent stone estate. price property $4,300. these lands, in southwest corner of park, formally dedicated allegany state park on july 30, 1921.

in popular culture

amasa stone chapel.

stone basis major character in john hay s 1883 anti-union novel breadwinners. in response hay s novel, journalist henry francis keenan (a former colleague of hay s @ new-york tribune) published money-makers in 1885. novel attack on robber barons , industrialists, , main character idealistic journalist marries wealthy family , abandons progressive values greed, power, , materialism. john hay inspired main character, , amasa stone basis grasping, cruel industrialist aaron grimestone.

about 1884, stone family paid , dedicated amasa stone memorial window, stained glass window in sanctuary @ first presbyterian (old stone) church.

in 1905, mesaba steamship company, subsidiary of pickands mather (the company samuel mather had co-founded in 1883), launched great lakes bulk freighter named in honor of amasa stone. freighter later transferred pickands mather s interlake steamship company. amasa stone active freighter until 1960. in 1965, amasa stone scuttled along freighter charles s. hebard off charlevoix, michigan. serves breakwater st. mary s cement plant shipping terminal.

in 1910, stone s family donated money western reserve university new chapel. construction began on amasa stone chapel in 1910, , dedicated , opened on june 13, 1911.