Elvira Stone

Elvira Stone (September 13, 1816 – January 9, 1900) was an American postmaster, genealogist, and teacher. She served as postmaster at North Oxford, Massachusetts from 1857 and as a member of the school board, 1870–73. Interested in genealogical researches, she traced out the descendants of Gen. Ebenezer Learned and much of that part of this work which deals with the Oxford families, was supplied by her. Stone was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts, September 13, 1816, where she always lived. She was the only daughter of the Lieutenant Joseph Stone (d. 1862). Her mother, Martha Learned (d. 1835), was a descendant of General Ebenezer Learned who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Stone's early education was in the district school in her native village. She was graduated from the Oxford Classical School. Later, she took a course of study in the academy in Leicester, Massachusetts.

Stone taught in public and private schools for nineteen years, until, on petitions of the citizens, she was appointed postmaster at North Oxford, Massachusetts. The date of her commission was April 27, 1857, under the administration of Hon. Horatio King, First Assistant Postmaster-General. That position was held for more than forty years. During all that time, the office was kept in her sitting-room. In 1892, when preparations were being made for the United States Post Office Department at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the post office authorities at Washington, D.C. sent to Stone for her photograph, informing her she was the oldest postmistress in years of service in the U.S. Her photograph was placed on exhibition, and the same year, was published in the official post office guide.