J. W. (Joseph Washington) Stow (1828-1874) was born in Middlebury, Vermont, and died in San Francisco, California. He moved from New York to California in 1862 and for ten years worked as the manager of Russell, Irwin & Co., a large hardware importing and manufacturing establishment. He was elected president of the Chamber of Commerce and was treasurer of the San Francisco Benevolent Society. Stow was president of the Pacific Pneumatic and Metropolitan Gas Company, as well as the Gilroy Consolidated Tobacco company. He was the second husband of Marietta L. B. Stow, a politician, philanthropist, and women's rights activist. There were issues with the probate of his estate after he signed a will on his deathbed in the absence of his wife. The executors of the will, who shared interests in Stow's businesses, put the estate into insolvency and Marietta lost an inheritance of $200,000.

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