Gaskill Brothers' Stone Store

Campo Stone Store, also called Gaskill's Brothers Stone Store  is a historical building in Campo, California built in 1868 as a general store. The Campo Stone Store is a California Historical Landmark No. 411, listed on November 15, 1948. The Campo Stone Store was built by Gaskill brothers. All goods were stocked in bulk and sold by weight as the customer wanted, except prepackaged Arbuckle Coffee and Lion Coffee.

Silas E Gaskill was born in New York on February 16, 1829. Luman H. Gaskill, the younger brother was born in Steuben County, Indiana on July 17, 1843. Their parents were Courtland Gaskill and Theresa Brink Gaskill. As part of the California Gold Rush in 1850, the 21 year old Silas travelled to California in a wagon train. In 1857 Luman and their parents followed Silas, but came by sail ship to San Francisco. Like many 49ers, the family tried mining for gold and also worked at the Buffalo Gold and Silver Mining Company in Petaluma, California. Silas and Luman departed mining and hunted bears. In 1868 they departed the gold country and arrived in the Milquatay Valley east of San Diego just a mile from the Mexican border. Silas and Luman opened not just the store, but a blacksmith shop, and a gristmill in town. To add to the company they also ran a bee farm and a small cattle ranch. Being a small town Luman was also the town dentist, doctor, and Justice of the Peace. In 1868 Luman married Eliza J. Benson, they had seven children. In 1870 Silas married Kate, but they divorced 1873. In 1881 Silas married Catherine Scott, she died on December 26, 1914. Gaskill brothers sold all their properties in 1901 and retired to San Diego. On May 3, 1914, Luman died in Whittier California.

On December 4, 1875, the Campo Stone Store was raided by Cruz Lopez and his border bandits. In the shoot out eight were killed and two wounded after a gunfight between the citizens of Campo and the group of Mexican bandits. Luman was shot in the lung and Silas was wounded in the shoulder. The Mexican bandits had earlier killed the former Governor of Baja California Antonio Sosa.

The store was sold to E. T. Aiken in 1896. Sold in 1889 to Klauber Wangenheim and was as the Mountain Commercial Company operated by Henry Marcus Johnson unit 1925. The old store was run down when sold to E. M. Statle in 1938. The old store was donated to the City of San Diego. For 1943 to 1948 the old store was restored. In 1948 it opened as a museum.

The Gaskill Brothers' Stone Store Museum is run by the Mountain Empire Historical Society, with artifacts of Native American, pioneer and military history. The walls four feet thick at the ground level, and two feet at the second story level. The north wall of the store was built against a hill, and on the hill is an opening to a cave carved into the hillside.

The Campo Stone Store is located at 31130 California State Route 94 in Campo. A historical marker was placed at the store in 1986 by California State Parks and Recreation working with the Department of Parks and Recreation and Squibob Chapter, E Clampus Vitus.