Submitted by Walt Thacker
For Black History Month, the Hamilton County Artists’ Association (HCAA) is celebrating the life of Barney Stone, a Noblesville resident.
Stone was born into slavery in 1847 on a large farm in Kentucky. He was one of 10 children and never knew his father, who was enslaved on another farm. His slave owner would hire him out to sire enslaved women for profit.
Stone hated his childhood living on that farm and witnessing most of his siblings being sold to other slave-owning farmers. There is a story that at age 12, he witnessed his mother and younger brother being given away as a wedding gift to another farmer and new wife.
At age 16 and after a severe beating, he ran away from all this and joined the Union Army in 1863. He served with the 108th USCT.
Stone had that special quality of communication who could “break the ice” and “melt the prejudices” of the white soldiers who never knew or talked with people of color. During his time in the service, he fought and assisted in several battles.
After the war, Stone preached the gospel throughout the South while searching for his siblings. It took 27 years to find his mother. He married Kate at age 24 and they had six children. After several years, he and his family moved to Noblesville. He was an active and involved citizen of Noblesville and was a circuit court bailiff, chaplain of the Civil War Veterans Group, or GAR. He was a minister of the First Baptist Church at 195 S. 5th St., which is now home for the HCAA. For years he gave the prayer service at the Memorial Day Ceremonies at Riverside Cemetery, which sits adjacent to the church.
Barney Stone passed away on November 20, 1942, at the age of 95. He is buried at the Riverside Cemetery behind the HCAA Art Center.
Great article about an amazing human being. Love the art you created too