Alexander Stewart

Alexander Stewart (September 12, 1829 – May 24, 1912) was a Scottish American immigrant, lumberman, Republican politician, and pioneer settler of Wausau, Wisconsin. He served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 9th congressional district from 1895 to 1901. From humble beginnings chopping lumber, he built a lumber empire with interests in nine states and Canada. Stewart Avenue, one of the main roads in Wausau, is named in his honor. His former home in is now the Embassy of Luxembourg. He had no grandchildren, so the bulk of his estate went to the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust, which has provided more than $125 million in grants for research on cancer and pediatric diseases.

His elder brother and business partner, John Stewart, also became a millionaire through their work and served in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Early life Alexander Stewart was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in Canada. At the time of his birth, Canada was still a colony of the United Kingdom. He was raised on his father's farm in York County, New Brunswick, and received a common school education. The area was heavily forested, and Stewart learned about logging and rafting timber in his teenage years. Hearing of logging prospects in Wisconsin, the two of them hiked north. They walked from Milwaukee to Stevens Point, then from Stevens Point north to what is now Wausau, Wisconsin, arriving on May 4, 1849. According to his obituary, Stewart personally cut down the pine trees in the area that is now the Wausau downtown square. but by May he let it become known that he would seek to challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. representative Thomas Lynch in Wisconsin's 9th congressional district. In those days, the 9th congressional district comprised about half of northern Wisconsin. Stewart faced a difficult challenge for the nomination, opposed by former lieutenant governor Sam Fifield and former state senator Merritt C. Ring. Stewart was active in stumping for delegates at the various county-level conventions and he was nominated by the district convention on the first ballot.

Stewart was a staunch supporter of tariffs, which had been lowered under the previous Congress. In the general election, he easily defeated the Democratic incumbent, winning 56% of the vote. He won re-election with large majorities in 1896 and 1898. In the Spring of 1900, Stewart announced that he would not run for a fourth term, saying that he wanted to return his attention to his business interests. He generally voted with his party in Congress, supporting the declaration of war against Spain, the Dingley tariffs, the Bankruptcy Act of 1898, and the Gold Standard Act. His chief legislative accomplishment for his district was a new federal building in Wausau. The Alexander Stewart House in Washington, D.C., now serves as the Embassy of Luxembourg. On May 23, 1858, Alexander Stewart married Margaret Gray in Chicago. Margaret was also a Scottish Canadian immigrant from New Brunswick. They had four children together, though one died in infancy. Their youngest daughter, Helen, married United States Army general Daniel Bradford Devore.

During his second term in Congress, Stewart moved his family to Washington, D.C. After leaving office, he continued to reside in Washington during the winter months, returning to Wausau during the summer.

He was initially buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau. After his death, however, his wife paid for the construction of a massive mausoleum in 's Oak Hill Cemetery, and his body was re-interred there after his wife's death in 1931. At the time of his death, his estate was estimated to be worth about $3,000,000 (nearly $100,000,000 adjusted for inflation to 2024).

After the death of his wife and his eldest daughter, his remaining daughters agreed to form the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust. Stewart had no grandchildren, so the bulk of his fortune went to the Trust, which focuses on cancer research and pediatric diseases, with a geographic focus on Washington, D.C. The Trust has given out more than $125 million in grants.

In 1941, Stewart's former mansion at , Washington, D.C., was sold by his daughter to Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, who was then in exile due to the Nazi occupation of Luxembourg. The government of Luxembourg bought the home in 1962, and has since operated it as their Embassy in Washington.

Electoral history U.S. House (1894, 1896, 1898) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 1894 General Republican 22,741 55.98% Dem. 14,910 36.70% 40,623 7,831 Peo. 2,187 5.38% Proh. 785 1.93% 1896 General Republican 30,438 63.22% Dem. 17,705 36.78% 48,143 12,733 1898 General Republican 20,825 58.07% Dem. 14,373 40.08% 35,861 6,452 Proh. 663 1.85%