Eloi Augustus Adams (1894-1969)

From "Madbury: Its People and Places", 1968.

  Two-term New Hampshire state representative Eloi Augustus Adams is unique as he shares an unusual first name with a fictional race of subhumans (the Eloi) featured in H.G. Wells' novel "The Time Machine", published in 1895. In addition to being a longtime farmer in Madbury, New Hampshire, Adams served as Strafford County agricultural agent for three decades and was a leading historian of his area, publishing a history of the town of Madbury in the year prior to his death. Born in Marlboro, Massachusetts on March 27, 1894, Eloi Augustus "Dan" Adams was the son of Joseph and Effie (Williams) Adams.

  A graduate of the Weston High School in Massachusetts,  Adams later studied at the New Hampshire College in Durham and in 1918 received his bachelor of science degree in agriculture. Prior to graduating Adams married in July 1917 to Lena B. Jones (1889-1980) to who he was wed for over fifty years. The couple would be childless. Following his marriage, he and his wife removed to Madbury, New Hampshire, where, after purchasing an 18th farm, they resided for the remainder of their lives.  

  In the years after his resettlement in Madbury Eloi Adams became a leader in Strafford County agricultural circles, and from 1928-1959 served as Strafford County agricultural agent. A past president of the New Hampshire Board of County Agricultural Agents, Adams attained further distinction through his work in developing the Strafford County Soil Conservation District, of which he would serve as secretary. He would serve a term as president of the Northeast Chapter of the Soil Conservation Movement in 1954 and attained prominent rank in several other agricultural and forestry-related posts, including:

• Director of the New Hampshire Poultry Growers Association.
• Director of the New Hampshire-Vermont Breeding Association.
• Strafford County vice president for the Society of the Preservation of New Hampshire Forests.
• Was the president of the New Hampshire Fair Association.
• Was an agricultural advisor to the Selective Service System during WWII.
• Was a past master of the Scammell Grange and the Eastern New Hampshire Pomona Grange.

   Active in the political life of Madbury, Adams held a seat on the board of selectmen from 1921-1948 and was a member of the local school board for nearly a decade. In 1960 Adams was elected, unopposed, to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, polling 182 votes on election day. During the 1961-63 session, he chaired the committee on agriculture and in 1962 was appointed as Strafford County's representative on the State Agricultural Advisory Board, where he served until 1966. In November 1962 Adams would win a second term in the legislature and from 1963-65 again chaired the committee on agriculture.

   Following his service in state government, Eloi A. Adams continued to serve Madbury through civic service, serving as chairman of the town zoning board of adjustment until his death in early 1969. A year prior to his death Adams' history of Madbury (entitled Madbury: Its People and Places) saw publication and was sponsored by Madbury's bicentennial committee, organized to celebrate the town's 200th anniversary in 1968. On March 28, 1969, one day following his 75th birthday, Eloi Adams died at a Dover, New Hampshire hospital. He was survived by his wife Lena, who following her death in 1980, was interred alongside him at the Pine Hill Cemetery in Dover.

Elzear Oliver Mitiguy (1874-1934)

From the Burlington Free Press, September 9, 1931.

  Burlington, Vermont business figure Elzear Oliver Mitiguy was a leading name in that city's civic life in the first half of the 20th century, being the longtime president of the Burlington Drug Company and president of the city chamber of commerce. A former member of the Burlington Board of Aldermen and water commission board, Mitiguy reached his highest degree of political prominence in 1932 when he became the Democratic nominee for Vermont state auditor. The son of Quebec natives Andrew and Elodie (Reeves) Mitiguy, Elzear Oliver Miiguy was born in Enosburg, Vermont on October 17, 1874. 

  A student in schools local to the Enosburg area, Mitiguy graduated from the local high school in 1893 and soon after took employment as a bookkeeper and clerk at a general store in Enosburg. After nine years in that position, Mitiguy relocated to Burlington in 1902, and in that year married to Anna Foran (1880-1951). The couple were wed until Mitiguy's death in 1934 and had three children, Arthur (1905-1974), John Foran (1908-1970) and Mary (died in infancy in 1917).

   In the same year as his marriage, Elzear Mitiguy joined the Hobart J. Shanley and Co., a Burlington bookbinder and seller, in an executive  capacity. He remained with that company for nearly a decade, and in 1910 took work with the Burlington Drug Company as its accountant. He quickly advanced through that company's hierarchy and two years after joining it had assumed the post of secretary. In 1923 he was made president, continuing in that role from 1923-26, and again from 1928 until his death. Mitiguy's previous business dealings and stewardship of the Burlington Drug Company were later lauded in the September 9, 1931 edition of the Burlington Free Press, which noted that:

"His climb to success, while not spectacular, has been steady and his career has been enhanced through his constant work for his community and his fellowmen. For thirty-six years Mr. Mitiguy has been engaged in commerce in Vermont. His efforts have contributed to the continued growth and progress of his firm, his achievements bearing staunch testimony to his faith and belief in Vermont."

  In addition to his business successes, Mitiguy also made headway into the civic, political and religious life of Burlington. A devout Catholic, Mitiguy attended the local Catholic church, was a past Grand Knight of the local Knights of Columbus Chapter, and was a member of the Burlington Country Club. A director of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce beginning in 1922, Mitiguy began his political career at the local level, being a member of the city board of water commissioners and for two years sat on the city board of aldermen.

From the Burlington Free Press, January 31, 1934.

  In 1932 Elzear Mitiguy announced his candidacy for Vermont state auditor of accounts and in that year's Democratic primary won the nomination, polling 3,556 votes. In the general election that November Mitiguy would face Republican nominee Benjamin Gates, who would emerge victorious at the ballot box, polling 79,679 votes to Mitiguy's 42, 935. Following his defeat, Mitiguy continued with his business interests in Burlington and continued to serve on the board of water commissioners until his death at a local hospital on January 30, 1934, aged 59. He was survived by his wife and children and was interred at the St. Joseph Cemetery in Burlington.

From the Burlington Free Press.

Maturin Edson Wilcox (1850-1929)

From Vermont, Its Government, 1904-05 (author's collection.)

  Another in a line of oddly named Vermont state representatives profiled recently, Maturin Edson Wilcox was a lifelong resident of Benson in Rutland County who in 1903 was elected to one term in the state legislature. Despite the dearth of sources mentioning Wilcox, a copy of "Vermont, Its Government, 1904-05" in this author's possession fielded not only a small amount of biographical information on him but also the rare portrait above. Born in Benson on October 19, 1850, Maturin Edson Wilcox was the son of Jabez and Jane (Gibbs) Wilcox. 

  A student in the common schools of his native county, Wilcox married on Christmas Day 1872 to Isaviah Maria Sherman (1850-1934). The couple was wed for one day shy of fifty-seven years, and this lengthy union produced the following children: Guy Sherman (1876-1954), Claude (died in infancy in 1885), Clyde (1885-1965), Lau Retta (1887-1966), and Rival Jones (1891-1954).

  Maturin E. Wilcox was a farmer for all his life and prior to his legislative win held local political office, serving as a school director and a justice of the peace in Benson. In 1903 he was elected as an independent to the Vermont house of representatives and his one term (1904-1906) saw him sit on the committee on Town Lines. Following his term Wilcox again served as a justice of the peace, continuing in office until at least 1915.

  Little else could be located on Wilcox's life, excepting notice of his death at age 79 on December 24, 1929, one day before his fifty-seventh wedding anniversary. His wife Isaviah survived him by four years, and following her death in June 1934 was interred alongside him at the Fairview Cemetery in Benson.

Jamin Hannibal Hamilton (1836-1909)

Portrait from the Physicians and Surgeons of America, 1896.

   For many years a leading physician in Franklin County, Vermont, Jamin Hannibal Hamilton achieved further distinction through government service, being a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1870, a one-term state representative, and secretary of the State Board of Health. A lifelong Vermont resident, Jamin Hannibal Hamilton was born in Berkshire on February 29, 1836, the son of Hannibal and Julia (Thompson) Hamilton. 

  A student at the Franklin and Derby academies, Hamilton began the study of medicine in Enosburg in the mid-1850s and later undertook two medical lectures at the Vermont Academy of Medicine. Hamilton graduated from that institution in the class of 1859 and shortly thereafter began his medical practice in the town of Richford. Jamin H. Hamilton married in Richford on his 24th birthday to Ellen M. Goff, to who he was wed until her death in 1876. This union produced one son, James, who followed his father into medicine. Several months following his wife's death Hamilton remarried to Mary Smalley, who survived him upon his death in 1909. The couple would have four children, Jamin Hannibal Jr. (1881-1958), Estelle, Fannie, and Francis J.

  The succeeding years saw Hamilton have a "wide practice in his section and over the line in Canada". A member of the Franklin County and Vermont State Medical Societies, Hamilton served as vice-president of the latter organization and during the 1885 smallpox epidemic was designated a sanitary inspector for the U.S. Marine Hospital Service. Hamilton would undertake further medical study at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1872 and was later honored with honorary membership in the District of Bedford (Quebec) Medical Society. 

   A local political office holder in Franklin County, Hamilton served nineteen years as Richford's school director and in June 1870 was a delegate from Franklin County to the state constitutional convention held in Montpelier. In 1886 he was appointed to the Vermont State Board of Health, where he served until at least 1900, and for several years served as secretary of that board. During his tenure, Hamilton would have a two-year stint as a professor of Sanitary Science and Hygiene in the medical department of the University of Vermont and was a consulting physician at the St. Albans Hospital.

  In 1895 Jamin H. Hamilton was elected as one of Franklin County's representatives to the Vermont state legislature and during his term (1896-1898) was a member of the committees on Education, and Highways, Ferries, and Bridges. After leaving the legislature Hamilton continued service on the state board of health until at least 1900, and in 1903 was appointed as acting assistant surgeon at duty for Richford. In 1908 he retired from the Richford school board after three decades of service and shortly before his death suffered a fall at his home. Hamilton died one week later from "internal injuries" on March 14, 1909, at age 73. A burial location for both Hamilton and his wife remains unknown at this time and is presumed to be somewhere in the Richford vicinity.

From the Barre Daily Times, March 15, 1909.

Gila Hebb Carpenter (1891-1969)

From the Burlington Free Press, February 27, 1937.

   We continue our stay in Vermont to profile one term state representative Gila Hebb Carpenter, an all-to-rare example of an oddly named female politician being highlighted here. A teacher in Elmore for two decades, Carpenter also served as a ballot clerk in that town on several occasions. Born on July 11, 1891, in Cambridge, Vermont, the former Gila Lucia Hebb was the daughter of Henry and Flora (Horner) Hebb. 

  A student in schools local to the Cambridge area, Gila Hebb Carpenter undertook further study at the Johnson Normal School and the University of Vermont. She married in 1918 to William Silloway Carpenter (1890-1968), to whom she was wed for fifty years. The union would be childless. Prior to her marriage Carpenter began a teaching career at age seventeen. She would teach at the East Elmore School between 1910-1928, continuing until the school's closure in the last-named year. She and her husband would reside on a farm in Elmore (located in Lamoille County) and in addition to teaching held the post of ballot clerk for town elections at various times.

  In 1936 Carpenter won election to the Vermont House of Representatives from Elmore and during the 1937-39 session was a member of the committee on State Institutions. Her service on this committee also saw her undertake fact-finding visits to the Women's Reformatory at Rutland and the State Industrial School in Vergennes. Interviewed by the Burlington Free Press shortly after taking her seat, Carpenter described herself as living "the life of an average Vermont housewife" and that she:

"Is interested in all constructive legislation, particularly that pertaining to educational matters and social welfare."

  Carpenter's term in the legislature concluded in 1939 and she was succeeded by Phillip Shonio, who sat in the legislature until 1943. She and her husband continued residence in Elmore and for an indeterminate period, Gila Carpenter held the office of constable in Elmore, being acknowledged as the first woman to occupy that post in Lamoille County history. Carpenter suffered the death of her husband William on June 29, 1968, and survived him by a less than a year, dying aged 77 on June 14, 1969, in Elmore. Both were interred at the Lake Elmore Cemetery.

From the Burlington Free Press, February 27, 1937.

Sullings Fox Hodgdon (1908-1988)

From the Burlington Free Press, February 5, 1969.

 Hardworking Granby, Vermont resident Sullings Fox Hodgdon could claim several titles during his life, including farmer, poultryman, logger, school director, and two-time state legislator. One of thirteen children born to Albert Cole (1883-1970) and Cecile (DePoutee) Hodgdon (1887-1966), Sullings Fox Hodgdon was born in Victory, Essex County, Vermont on January 6, 1908.

  Referred to by most sources as "S. Fox" or "Fox" Hodgdon, Hodgdon's early schooling took place in his native town of Victory, and, after removing with his family to Granby, Vermont in 1918, continued schooling in that town. He would marry in Granby in December 1929 to Jennie Edna Wilson (1911-1991). The couple's near six-decade marriage saw the births of five children, who are listed as follows in order of birth: Murray Calvin (1931-2009), Vivian May (1932-2008), Frederick William (1933-2017), Barbara Louise (1936-2018), Donald Fox (1947-1991). 

  The majority of Hodgdon's life was spent quietly in Granby, where he earned a reputation as a thrifty citizen, helpful neighbor, and avid outdoorsman. A longtime farmer in his area, Hodgdon plowed snow for his fellow Granby citizens during the 1930s, "trapped fur-bearing animals", and further supplemented his income by logging. Acknowledged as the "poultry king of the Northeast Kingdom", Hodgdon gained local distinction as a chicken breeder, having "nearly 1,000 hens" on his property, and with that number, a substantial egg production. 

From the Burlington Free Press, February 5, 1969.

   A holder of several political offices in Granby, S. Fox Hodgdon was elected as a town school director in 1947 and was later a town lister and road commissioner, serving in the latter post in the early 1960s. In 1960 he was elected to his first term in the Vermont house of representatives from Essex County and during the 1961-63 session was a member of the Municipal Corporations Committee. Hodgdon wasn't a candidate for reelection to the house for the 1963-65 term but won election to a second term in 1964. His second house stint proved to be brief, and in 1965 saw his state undergo an extensive redistricting plan, which would lower the state house of representatives membership from 246 to 150.

  With Granby on the chopping block due to redistricting, Hodgdon was forced into a special election for his seat, a contest that saw him pitted against his nephew, Amos Clark Colby (born 1937). On election day 1965 Colby won out over Hodgdon, and would serve as representative until 1974. Following his loss, Hodgdon was interviewed by the Burlington Free Press in February 1969 in regards to Vermont's extensive redistricting. Lamenting on his defeat and the loss of representation for many Vermont small towns, Hodgdon remarked:

"I don't think the representatives we've got now know what the small towns need. But I know one thing that nobody needs, and that's higher property taxes...Something has got to produce revenue to pay for education, roads and all the things they want. The money has got to come from somewhere and there are few places left."

  Sullings Fox Hodgdon resided in Granby until his death at age 80 on October 17, 1988. He was survived by his wife and children and was interred at the Appleton Cemetery in that town.

Goin Bailey Evans (1842-1922)

Portrait from the Montpelier Evening Argus, October 21, 1908.

  There were few individuals more popular in 19th century Waterbury, Vermont than Goin Bailey Evans, a farmer and Civil War veteran who served four non-consecutive terms in his state's legislature. In addition to his multiple terms as a state representative, Evans attained further distinction as a Democratic presidential elector for Vermont, sheriff of Washington County, deputy inspector of customs, U.S. Postmaster at Waterbury, and in 1908 served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Vermont. The son of Osgood and Mary (Bailey) Evans, Goin Bailey Evans was born in Moretown, Vermont on December 4, 1842.

  Bestowed the curious name Goin upon his birth, Evans' early education was obtained at the Newbury, Vermont seminary and later attended the Bryant and Stratton Business College in New York. Employed as a drover during young adulthood, Evans signed on for service in Co. G, 6th Regiment Vermont Volunteers in 1862 and his Civil War service extended until April 1863, when he was discharged due to disability. 

  Following his return from service Goin Evans married in 1864 to Abbie M. Goodrich (1846-1905), to who he was wed until her death in 1905. After her passing Evans remarried to Margaret Thompson (birth-date unknown) who survived him upon his death in 1922. Both unions were childless. 

   Evans resided in Moretown following his marriage, where he was a farmer and produce dealer. In 1873 he was elected to his first term in the Vermont House of Representatives. During the 1874-75 session Evans held no committee assignments, and, following his reelection to a second term, again held no committee duties through the 1876-77 session. In 1881 Evans won a third term in the legislature, and during the 1882-83 term held a seat on the committee on the Reform School. Evans's fourth and final house term began in 1884, and in addition to service in that session was also a Democratic presidential elector for Vermont, seeing Grover Cleveland win the presidency that year. 

  In the wake of Cleveland's presidential win (the first Democratic presidential victory since 1856), Goin B. Evans was appointed as deputy inspector and collector of customs in 1885, serving through the first Cleveland administration. Two years after Cleveland's reelection as president in 1892, Evans was named as U.S. Postmaster for Waterbury, Vermont, serving from 1894 until stepping down in 1898.

  Evans continued in local political office during the early 20th century when he won election as sheriff of Washington County, Vermont in 1901. His term in that post extended from 1902-04, and in July 1908 served as part of the Vermont delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, where William Jennings Bryan was nominated as the party standard-bearer for the third time. 

From the Waterbury Record, March 16, 1909.

  Three months after his time at the Democratic Nation Convention Goin B. Evans made headlines of a different sort when he was brutally attacked at his home during an attempted robbery. On October 19, 1908, Evans was visited at his home by Fred Strong, who, under the premise of being a book agent, asked Evans to change a $20 bill that Strong had in his possession. After agreeing to do so, Evans produced a large roll of bills, whereupon Strong proceeded to strike Evans with a rock contained in a stocking. Despite being beaten severely, the 66-year-old Evans managed to hang on to his assailant, and, after receiving aid from a servant, subdued Strong until police arrived. After his arrest, Strong (a "confirmed drug fiend") was held at the Vermont State Hospital until his trial, and in April 1909 was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Following the verdict, Strong was remanded to the state prison for "safe keeping until further order from the court."

  Goin Bailey Evans survived the attack at his home but in the last years of his life was afflicted by blindness. Through the efforts of his second wife Margaret, Evans was afforded some measure of independence from his affliction, being able to visit with friends at both his home and elsewhere. Evans took ill in the months prior to his death and one week before his passing was confined to his bed. He died aged 79 on August 24, 1922, at his home, and was later interred at the Hope Cemetery in Waterbury.

From the Montpelier Evening Argus, August 24, 1922.

Going Hathorn (1806-1875)

From "Pittsfield on the Sebasticook", 1966.

  A standout figure in 19th century Pittsfield, Maine, Going Hathorn had a hand in several of that town's business enterprises, being a lumber merchant, brickyard owner, and a founder of the town's first woolen mill. A central figure in the establishment of the Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield in 1866, Hathorn was also politically active, being a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention and in 1864 was a Republican presidential elector for Maine. Born in Sagadahoc County, Maine on March 28, 1805, Going Hathorn was the son of Daniel and Hannah (Gould) Hathorn.

   No information could be located on Hathorn's early life or education in the county of his birth, and by 1832 had resettled in Pittsfield, Somerset County, Maine. Soon after his arrival, Hathorn purchased a saw and grist mill from merchant Jesse Connor and through the succeeding years built up a lucrative business, sawing lumber and milling grain for the local citizenry. Hathorn would also operate a store in town, dealt in real estate, and was a pioneer in the local wool industry when in the late 1860s he erected the Pioneer Woolen Mill, the first of its kind in the town. Completed in 1869 and located on the Sebasticook River, Hathorn was affiliated with this mill's operation for only two years, selling off his interest to Robert Dobson. 

  Going Hathorn married at an unknown date to Mary W. Haskill (1812-1887), who survived him upon his death in 1875. The couple would have at least one son, William LaForest Hathorn (1844-1873), who went on to win a term in the Maine state house of representatives in 1870.

   An early figure in the Republican party in his state, Hathorn served as part of the Maine delegation to the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago that saw Abraham Lincoln nominated for the presidency. Four years later Hathorn was elected as one of seven Republican presidential electors for Maine, again casting his ballot for Lincoln. Two years following his service as an elector, Going Hathorn became a charter member of the board of trustees of the Maine Central Institute, completed in 1866 and located in Pittsfield. A financial backer of the school in addition to his service as a trustee, Hathorn also donated the land on which the institute's Founders Hall was built, and developed a brickyard to aid in the construction of the campus's buildings.

  The latter portion of Going Hathorn's life saw him engaged in the manufacture of orange and lemon boxes near Bangor, Maine. A month prior to his death in 1875, Hathorn was afflicted by "nervous prostration", necessitating a stay at Maine General Hospital. One week after leaving the hospital, Hathorn died in Pittsfield on August 11, 1875, aged 69. He was preceded in death by his son William and was survived by his wife Mary. Following her death in 1887, Mary Hathorn was interred alongside her husband at the Pittsfield Village Cemetery. One should note that Hathorn's Portland Daily Express death notice (shown below) mistakenly records him as having served in the Maine legislature, obviously confusing him with his son, who did serve as a representative.

From the Portland Daily Press, August 12, 1875.

Marlboro Packard Woodcock (1823-1911)

Portrait from the Boston Globe, June 30, 1907.

  Lifelong Maine native Marlboro Packard Woodcock could count success in multiple fields during a life that extended nearly ninety years. A shipbuilder, bookseller, collector of customs, school agent, and town overseer of the poor, Woodcock was elected to one term as mayor of Belfast, Maine, an office that rightly earns him a place here. One of several children born to Theodore and Rebecca (Packard) Woodcock, Marlboro Packard Woodcock was born in Searsmont on September 11, 1823.

  Woodcock's early life in Searsmont saw him as a student in the public schools, as well as at the Kent's Hill Seminary. He would reside and work upon his family's farm until his early twenties, and also taught school during the winter months in the towns of Washington, Union, and Belfast. By the late 1840s, Woodcock had joined his brother Hartwell in learning the trade of ship-carpentry, work that would take him to Coventry, Kentucky, as well as the Maine towns of Brewer, Thomaston, and Waldoboro. 

  In 1851 Woodcock married Searsmont native Lucy A. Howard (1828-1907), to whom he was wed for over five decades. The couple would have at least three children, Hartwell Leon (1852-1929), Frank Ross, and Gertrude M. (1870-1882). Of these children, Hartwell Leon Woodcock is of particular note, as he would gain distinction as an artist that specialized in landscapes and seascapes.

  Following his marriage, Woodcock resided in Belfast where he continued in shipbuilding, being remarked as having "made the moulds for the greater part of the vessels he built." He would become active in city politics and would hold several local offices, including overseer of the poor, town school agent, and from 1867-71 was deputy collector of customs for Belfast. In the 1870s Woodcock served three years on the Belfast board of aldermen, and in 1881 was elected as mayor of Belfast for a one year term. Woodcock's term saw "printed reports of the condition of the municipal affairs" of Belfast published for the first time in local papers, and in 1882 he declined renomination, citing his wanting to return to "private business".

 A decade prior to his election as mayor, Woodcock had purchased the H.G.O. Washburne bookstore in Belfast, a business that also sold wallpaper, stationery, and newspapers. This business later underwent a name change to M.P. Woodcock & Son, with Woodcock being joined by his son, Frank Ross. Marlboro P. Woodcock continued with his business operations until his death at age 87 on February 1, 1911, having been ill at his home for several weeks prior. Widowed in 1907, Woodcock was interred alongside his wife Lucy at the Grove Cemetery in Belfast. 

From the Rockland Courier-Gazette, February 7, 1911.

Admiral Paschal Stone (1820-1902)

From "Our County and Its People: A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts", 1905.

   Sporting one of those misnomer "title as a first name" names, longtime Springfield, Massachusetts educator Admiral Paschal Stone never served in a naval capacity but still managed to land Admiral as his first name! A former superintendent of schools in Springfield, Stone occupied a seat on the Massachusetts State Board of Education for several years, and while this office places him squarely in the gray area of "sort of political figure", Stone's name can be found in several 19th century editions of the Massachusetts state manual with other members of the state government. Born in Piermont, New Hampshire on August 14, 1820, Admiral Paschal Stone was the son of Simon and Mary Blynn Stone.

  A student at schools local to Piermont and Royalton, New Hampshire, Stone also studied at the Newbury Academy in Vermont and in Fryeburg, Maine. After a brief period of study at Dartmouth College, Stone embarked on a career in education that would extend nearly six decades. Through the succeeding years, Stone held the post of principal in schools located in Southbridge, Millbury, and Plymouth, Massachusetts, and in November 1864 removed to Maine to accept the superintendency of the Portland city schools.

  Stone's residency in Maine saw him turn down the appointments of state superintendent of schools and principal of the Maine State Normal School, and his work in that state was later lauded by Bowdoin College and Colby University with honorary degrees. In 1873 Stone accepted the appointment of Superintendent of Schools in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he would have considerable impact. His fifteen-year tenure in that post saw him guide the school system through a period of financial instability, and "by his ability in organization did much to bring the schools uninjured through this trying experience." Amongst the improvements made during his service, a public Manual Training School was established in the city, as well as a city normal school.

  Stepping down from the superintendency in 1888, Admiral P. Stone was named to the Massachusetts State Board of Education, where he served for an indeterminate period. Although his full dates of service remain a mystery, he is recorded as a member of that body from 1889-1895, and at various times was designated a member of the examining boards of both Harvard University and Bowdoin College. Stone would also hold the vice presidency of the National Association of School Superintendents and for over a decade was an editor for both the Maine Journal of Education and the Massachusetts Teacher. 

   In addition to his prominence in state educational circles, Stone was an author, seeing his "History of England" first published in 1882. Widowed in 1899, Admiral P. Stone died in Springfield on September 4, 1902, a few weeks following his 82nd birthday. He was subsequently interred alongside his wife Elizabeth at the Riverside Cemetery in Grafton, Massachusetts.