De Wayne Stebbins (April 5, 1835June 12, 1901) was an American newspaper publisher, banker, politician, and
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
pioneer. He was a member of the
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after ...
for the last seven years of his life, representing the northeast corner of the state. He also served one term in the
State Assembly
State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government.
Channel Islands
States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Baili ...
. During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
, he served as a
Union Navy
The Union Navy was the United States Navy (USN) during the American Civil War, when it fought the Confederate States Navy (CSN). The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were und ...
officer.
Biography
De Wayne Stebbins was born in
Clinton, Oneida County, New York, in 1835, and came to the
Wisconsin Territory
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...
with his parents in the fall of that same year, settling in what is now
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...
.
He was educated there in the common schools and resided there until 1852, when he went east to attend the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...
at
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
. He left the school in 1855 without graduating and returned to Wisconsin to accept a job with the
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British c ...
.
In 1856, he moved to the town of
Ahnapee in
Kewaunee County, in the region that later became the city of
Algoma.
In the late 1850s, he decided to go west to participate in the
California Gold Rush, but returned in March 1861 with little to show for it.
Civil War service
After the outbreak of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
, he applied for service with the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. After a few months, he became impatient waiting for a naval appointment, and volunteered for service in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
. He was enrolled as a corporal in Company K of the
21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. They were assigned for their entire war service to XIV Corps, operating in the western theater of the war. ...
, but before the regiment could be fully organized, he received his naval appointment as an acting
master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master. Master's mates evolved into the modern rank of Sub-Lieutenant in ...
.
He was initially assigned to the
USS ''Clara Dolsen'', but after two months transferred to the
USS ''Cincinnati'' and was promoted to acting
ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...
. After two more months, he was transferred to the
USS ''Mound City''.
He served aboard the ''Mound City'' during the
Vicksburg campaign
The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi R ...
and participated in the battles of
Chickasaw Bayou,
Grand Gulf, and
Arkansas Post, was part of the naval squadron at the
Siege of Vicksburg
The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mi ...
, and then served in various posts on the
Union blockade
The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading.
The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...
of the south. He was acting executive officer for the
USS ''Kickapoo'' from July through December 1864. He was then promoted to acting
master and served two months aboard the
USS ''Fearnot'', and then transferred to
USS ''Portsmouth'' through the end of the war. At the close of the war, he was transferred to the
USS ''Michigan'' in the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five la ...
and was honorably discharged in November 1865.
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.
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
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms ...
in the
Door
A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security b ...
–
Kewaunee
Kewaunee is a city in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,837 at the 2020 census. Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the city is the county seat of Kewaunee County. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', ...
district. He was defeated in the general election by Democrat Joseph McCormick,
but returned for another attempt two years later and won election to the
26th Wisconsin Legislature
The Twenty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to ...
.
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''.
In 1881, he joined the Bank of Ahnapee as
cashier, and would remain involved with the bank until his death.
He returned to the Legislature in 1895, winning election to the
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after ...
in the
1st State Senate district. At the time, his district comprised all of Door, Kewaunee, and Marinette counties.
He was re-elected in 1898.
Stebbins was well liked by his fellow legislators, and treated as an elder statesman. At the close of the
1901 session of the Legislature, his colleagues presented him with a gold-headed ebony cane.
He was a candidate for
Governor of Wisconsin
The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscon ...
at the Republican state convention in 1900, but stepped aside in favor of
Robert M. La Follette.
While serving in the State Senate, he was a member of the Wisconsin battleship commission and traveled to
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for "Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, for the launch of the
USS ''Wisconsin''. He was severely fatigued after his trip, and died a few months later at his home in Algoma.
Personal life and legacy
De Wayne Stebbins was one of at least seven children born to Amaziah Stebbins and his wife Amanda (' Anderson).
Stebbins married the widow Frances Newell (' Elliott) at
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh.
History
Oshkosh was ...
, in 1862. They had no children.
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.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (1870)
, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 1870
Wisconsin Assembly (1872)
, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 5, 1872
Wisconsin Senate (1894, 1898)
, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 1894
, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 1898
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stebbins, De Wayne
1835 births
1901 deaths
People from Clinton, Oneida County, New York
People from Racine, Wisconsin
People from Algoma, Wisconsin
United States Naval Academy alumni
People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War
Union Navy officers
Businesspeople from Wisconsin
Editors of Wisconsin newspapers
School board members in Wisconsin
County supervisors in Wisconsin
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
19th-century American legislators
19th-century American businesspeople
19th-century Wisconsin politicians