Hamilton Hobart Stow (June 25, 1837 – November 21, 1905) was an American oil well operator.

Biography

Stow was born on June 25, 1837, in

Olean, New York Olean ( ) is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County and serves as its financial, business, transportation and entertainment center. It is one of the principal cities of the Southern ...

. His parents, Hamilton and Sally Stow, were of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

descent. He received his early education at Newtown, Pennsylvania, and

Tionesta, Pennsylvania Tionesta is a borough in Forest County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 475 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Forest County. The name is a Native American word meaning "the home of the wolves." Visitors and residents ...

, and attended

Allegheny College he, תגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת , mottoeng = "Add to your faith, virtue and to your faith, knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5)"The desert shall rejoice and the blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1) , faculty = 193 ...

in Meadville for one year. Stow married Amanda P. Scott, of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, in 1859. They had three children together. In 1862, Stow helped form the firm of Van Vleck & Stow, which later operated over 200 active oil wells. Van Vleck & Stow was described as "one of the largest in this part of the country." He was later a member of the Western Oil Men's Association, the Oil Exchange of Toledo, and the Toledo Yachting Association. Stow was engaged in lumber business with his father from 1864 to 1872 in Tionesta, later moving to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

where they operated extensive lumber yards. In 1876, Stow became the superintendent of the Setron Coal Mining Company located at

Hartford City, West Virginia Hartford City, also known as Hartford, is a town in Mason County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 509 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Point Pleasant, WV– OH Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Hartford is loc ...

. In 1879, Stow purchased oil lands at

Bedford, Pennsylvania Bedford is a borough and spa town in and the county seat of Bedford County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located west of Harrisburg, the state capital, and east of Pittsburgh. Bedford's population was 2,861 at the 2020 census. His ...

, and in 1889 he purchased oil fields near

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, where he was one of the firm at Van Vleck & Stow. Stow died on November 21, 1905, at the age of 68. He had been in ill health for the prior four years. An obituary in '' The Forest Republican'' wrote:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stow, Hamilton Hobart 1837 births 1905 deaths American businesspeople in the oil industry People from Olean, New York Allegheny College alumni