Gysbert Van Steenwyk, Sr.

Gysbert Van Steenwyk (January 30, 1814 – April 13, 1902) was an American banker and Republican politician from La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Background
Born Gijsbert van Steenwijk as the son of Arnoud van Steenwijk and Neeltje van Vliet in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Van Steenwyk received an academic education. He served as a volunteer in the Royal Netherlands Army in 1830-31, and as a commissioned officer of the National Guards from 1833 to 1849. Van Steenwyk graduated from the University of Utrecht, graduating with a degree in philosophy and classical literature in 1836.

In the United States
He came to the United States in May 1849, and settled in Milwaukee until 1851, when he moved to Newport, Sauk County, where he resided until 1858; then removed to Kilbourn City in Columbia County.

Public office
Van Steenwyk was appointed consul of the Netherlands for Wisconsin in 1849, and additionally for Michigan and Minnesota in 1850 (he would resign as consul in 1859). He was appointed Commissioner of Immigration for Wisconsin in New York City by Governor of Wisconsin Leonard J. Farwell from 1852 to 1853. He was appointed as a Brigadier General of the Wisconsin State Militia in 1857.

Van Steenwyk, at that time working as a land and insurance agent and living in Kilbourn City (now called Wisconsin Dells) was elected as a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1858 for the 1st Columbia County Assembly district (the Towns of Dekorah, West Point, Newport, Lewiston, Portage, Caledonia, Lodi and Pacific) succeeding Democrat Alvin Alden. He was appointed to the standing committees on education and school and university lands; and on railroads., then was elected state Bank Comptroller for 1860-61, unseating incumbent Democrat Joel Squires. He was succeeded in the Assembly by Democrat Henry Munn. He was succeeded as Comptroller by Democrat William H. Ramsey.

After serving as Comptroller
In January 1862 he moved to La Crosse, where he worked as a banker. From 1873 to 1874, Van Steenwyk served as Mayor of La Crosse. He was elected senator from the Wisconsin Senate, District 31 (La Crosse County) for 1879-80, receiving 1,849 votes to 747 for Greenback Edward Cronan and 729 for Democrat W. A. Anderson (Republican incumbent Merrick Wing was not a candidate for re-election). He was assigned to the committees on insurance, banks and banking; and on enrolled bills, chairing the latter. He was not a candidate for re-election and was succeeded by Merrick Wing.