Isaac Stephenson (June 18, 1829March 15, 1918) was an
American politician of the
Republican Party who represented
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 ...
as both a
United States representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...
and a
United States senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and p ...
.
He was born in the community of
Yorkton
Yorkton is a city located in south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is about 450 kilometres north-west of Winnipeg and 300 kilometres south-east of Saskatoon and is the sixth largest city in the province.
As of 2017 the census population of the ...
, near
Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
in the
colony of New Brunswick (now in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
, but a
British colony
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former ...
at the time). His parents were Isaac Stephenson (1791–1874), a lumberman and farmer born in Ireland of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and Elizabeth (Watson) Stephenson (1793–1838), who was born in London.
Lumberman
Stephenson worked in lumbering activities in the eastern U.S. for several years, principally in
Maine
Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
, close to Canada. In 1845 he moved to Wisconsin, where for a time he managed absentee timber properties, but soon entered the lumber business for himself.
In 1858 he settled permanently in
Marinette, where he steadily expanded his lumbering operations, especially during the Civil War. Although Stephenson suffered heavy losses in the
Peshtigo Fire of 1871, he recouped. He was one of the wealthiest lumbermen in the Great Lakes area, with real-estate holdings in Marinette,
Green Bay,
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
, and the booming town of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, and throughout 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 ...
. He also owned vast acreages of pine lands in northern Wisconsin and
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
which were yet to be harvested.
Political career

Stephenson joined the Republican Party, which was popular among his class in the northern tier of states. His wealth and economic power made him a powerful figure in local and state politics. He was elected to several offices, including town supervisor, county board chairman, and justice of the peace.
Next Stephenson was elected as a member of the
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 ...
(1866, 1868). In 1882, he was elected to the
Forty-Eighth Congress
The 48th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883, ...
, and then reelected to the
Forty-Ninth and
Fiftieth Congresses (serving March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1889). He represented Wisconsin's newly created
9th congressional district. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1888. In 1899 he was unsuccessful in his bid to win election through the state legislature as a
United States senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and p ...
from Wisconsin (as was the process at the time).
Early Progressive leader
In 1900 he threw his support and substantial financial backing behind
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th Governor of Wisconsin. A Republican Party (United Sta ...
, in his successful campaign for the Wisconsin governorship, and for a number of years was a prominent adviser to the
Progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy pa ...
faction of the Republican party, and a liberal contributor to its campaign funds. In the 1904 progressive-stalwart split, Stephenson was chosen by the "gymnasium convention" as one of the progressive delegates to the Republican national convention along with La Follette and
William D. Connor. Although the national convention refused to accept the credentials of the Progressive delegation, the La Follette forces were recognized as the legal Republican ticket by the
Wisconsin Supreme Court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin.
Location
The Wi ...
(1904).
In 1901 Stephenson established the ''
Milwaukee Free Press
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
'', providing Progressive-Republicans with a metropolitan newspaper, and competition for the Stalwart-controlled ''
Milwaukee Sentinel
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currentl ...
''. In 1907 Stephenson sought the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by the resignation of
John C. Spooner and, after a brief deadlock, was elected by the Progressive-controlled state legislature. In 1908 he ran for renomination in the Republican primary, was opposed by La Follette, but despite this opposition won the nomination through the aid of the state chairman of the Republican party
William D. Connor and lavish use of his personal wealth, and was re-elected by the legislature in 1909. Although his election was twice blocked by fraud investigations in both the state legislature and the U.S. Senate, Stephenson was eventually vindicated and resumed his seat in the Senate, serving from May 1907, to March 1915.
[Stephenson, Isaac 1829-1918](_blank)
Wisconsin Historical Society.
Stephenson holds the distinction of being the oldest elected freshman United States Senator; he was 77 when he took office.
Stephenson is the last senator from Wisconsin's Class 3 senate seat to have retired from the senate. Paul Husting, Stephenson's successor, died in office and every senator after Husting was defeated for reelection, either through defeat for renomination or in the general election.
Presidential cow
In 1909 Stephenson purchased a prized
Holstein cow
Holstein Friesians (often shortened to Holsteins in North America, while the term Friesians is often used in the UK and Ireland) are a breed of dairy cattle that originated in the Dutch provinces of North Holland and Friesland, and Schleswig- ...
as a gift for the 27th
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
,
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
. The cow was named
Pauline Wayne and she became the last presidential pet cow. Pauline Wayne lived and grazed on the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...
lawn.
Retirement
He published his memoir in 1915 titled ''Recollections of a Long Life''. After returning from Washington in 1915, Stephenson retired to his home in Marinette, where he remained until his death on March 15, 1918.
[ ] Noted for his local philanthropies in Marinette, a park, street, and memorial library are named in his honor.
His younger brother,
Samuel Merritt Stephenson, served as a U.S. Representative from
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
.
See also
*
List of United States senators born outside the United States
This is a list of United States senators born outside the United States. It includes senators born in foreign countries (whether to American or foreign parents). The list also includes senators born in territories outside the United States that wer ...
References
*Dictionary of American Biography
*Wisconsin Blue Book (1911)
Further reading
* Maxwell, Robert S. ''La Follette and the Rise of the Progressives in Wisconsin''. Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1956.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Isaac
1829 births
1918 deaths
Businesspeople in timber
Pre-Confederation Canadian emigrants to the United States
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin state court judges
People from Marinette, Wisconsin
People from York County, New Brunswick
Republican Party United States senators from Wisconsin
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin
Businesspeople from Wisconsin
19th-century American politicians
20th-century American politicians
19th-century American businesspeople
19th-century American judges