De Wayne Stebbins

De Wayne Stebbins (April 5, 1835 – June 12, 1901) was an American newspaper publisher, banker, politician, and

De Wayne Stebbins was born in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, in 1835, and came to the Wisconsin Territory with his parents in the fall of that same year, settling in what is now Racine, Wisconsin.^[1] He was educated there in the common schools and resided there until 1852, when he went east to attend the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. He left the school in 1855 without graduating and returned to Wisconsin to accept a job with the American Fur Company.^[2][3] In 1856, he moved to the town of Ahnapee in Kewaunee County, in the region that later became the city of Algoma.^[3]

In the late 1850s, he decided to go west to participate in the

One notable anecdote from the Vicksburg campaign had Stebbins as officer of the watch one night when they were approached by men in a small skiff. Stebbins initially ordered his men to fire on the skiff, believing them to be spies or saboteurs, but held off, realizing the skiff carried General Ulysses S. Grant.

Business and political career

After being discharged from the Navy, Stebbins returned to Algoma. He worked in the forwarding and commission business for nearly 15 years in partnership with C. G. Boalt, under the firm name Boalt & Stebbins.^[3]

During these years, he became active in local politics, he served 27 years on the Kewaunee County board of supervisors, and also served as town treasurer and member of the school board. He made his first attempt for state office in 1870, running as the Republican Party candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly in the Door–Kewaunee district. He was defeated in the general election by Democrat Joseph McCormick,^[4] but returned for another attempt two years later and won election to the 26th Wisconsin Legislature.^[1] He did not run for re-election in 1873. After his term in the Assembly, he became publisher of the Ahnapee Record newspaper and continued to publish the paper until his death, by which time it was known as the Algoma Record.^[3]

In 1881, he joined the Bank of Ahnapee as cashier, and would remain involved with the bank until his death.^[3]

He returned to the Legislature in 1895, winning election to the

He was a candidate for Governor of Wisconsin at the Republican state convention in 1900, but stepped aside in favor of Robert M. La Follette.^[3]

While serving in the State Senate, he was a member of the Wisconsin battleship commission and traveled to

De Wayne Stebbins was one of at least seven children born to Amaziah Stebbins and his wife Amanda (née Anderson).

Stebbins married the widow Frances Newell (née Elliott) at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1862. They had no children.^[3]

Hotelier Frank Slaby of Algoma in 1905 changed the name of his establishment to Hotel Stebbins, honoring his late friend. Hotel Stebbins is still operating today as a hotel and event space.^[8]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1870)

Wisconsin Assembly (1872)

Wisconsin Senate (1894, 1898)

References