Joseph Waylon Stebbins Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 843

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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JOSEPH WAYLON STEBBINS. All new movements require leaders. The west was 
settled first by those who had the spirit and courage to break away 
from certain modes of living and from friends, and venture into an 
unsettled country, many miles from neighbors, and a long distance from 
markets, and begin farming on an unbroken and unimproved tract of land. 
Among those who first came to South Dakota and tried to develop wheat 
farms, as the majority of the early settlers in this section did, when 
the drouth destroyed the crop year after year, many left, but the more 
confident ones began to raise stock and to devote their time to general 
farming. After this began to show signs of success, a few began to urge 
the building of creameries and the raising of dairy stock, and did so 
with a zeal that must at least result in a trial of the proposed 
schemes. The present prosperous condition of South Dakota's farmers and 
business enterprises is very largely due to the efforts of these 
enthusiastic, inspiring old settlers who have not only been the 
instigators but the promoters of every project that tends to improve 
the status of the community ever since the earliest history of the 
state. One of these men is the gentleman whose name introduces this 
sketch, who settled in Dakota in the year 1878, and who has ever since 
made his home on the northeast quarter of section 31, Jasper township, 
Hanson county, and is the proprietor of a fine farm of three hundred 
and twenty acres. 

Joseph Waylon Stebbins, the subject of our sketch, and his younger 
sister were the only children of William and Sabrina (Beech) Stebbins. 
He was born in Columbia county, Wisconsin, February 12, 1855, and 
worked with his father until he attained his majority, and then for 
about two years he handled music and musical instruments. As previously 
stated in this article, he came to Dakota in the year 1878 and at once 
settled down to farming. At present, though doing well, he is making 
plans for going further west where he intends to engage wholly in 
stock-raising, which has always been his desire. Politically our 
subject is a Republican, voices prohibition, but opposes equal 
suffrage. Socially he affiliates with the Masonic fraternity and also 
the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 

Mr. Stebbins was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Beyer, of New 
York, in the year 1878, and their home is now blessed by the presence 
of a family of five children, whose names in the order of their birth 
are as follows: Chester W., Emmons, Bessie E., Clara and Mabel. The 
last named died in infancy.