William Egbert Wheeler (November 21, 1843 – April 28, 1911) was an American businessman and politician from New York.

Life

Wheeler was born on November 21, 1843, in Mayville, New York. Mayville later became part of Portville. He was the son of

William F. Wheeler William Fletcher Wheeler (July 6, 1824 – June 24, 1894) was the third U.S. Marshal for the Montana Territory. Wheeler was born in Warwick (town), New York, Warwick, New York, the son of a Methodist minister who moved frequently. At the age of ...

and Flora Atkins. His brother was Nelson Platt Wheeler. Wheeler graduated with honors from the Cortland Academy in

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

in 1863. He then entered Hamilton College, but after a year transferred to

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. He was a member of the Yale Varsity team and in 1866 participated in the

Harvard–Yale Regatta The Harvard–Yale Regatta or Yale-Harvard Boat Race (often abbreviated The Race) is an annual rowing race between the men's heavyweight rowing crews of Harvard University and Yale University. First contested in 1852, it has been held annually s ...

. He was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

and Sigma Phi. He graduated from Yale with a B.A. in 1866 and an M.A. in 1869. After graduating from Yale, he worked with his father and brother in the lumber business. In 1870 he helped establish the Portville Tanning Company, serving as its manager. He was also a stockholder and president of the Chicago Lumbering Company and was a director of several other companies in Manistique, Michigan. After a visit to the Pacific Coast in 1900, he invested heavily in timber in the region, and served as president of the Lagoon Lumber Company, the Rogue River Timber Company, the Wheeler Timber Company, and the Manistique Lumber Company. He was also vice-president of the First National Bank of Olean, an incorporator and director of the Commonwealth Trust Company of Buffalo, and president of the Acme Milling Company of Olean. Wheeler was elected

town supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...

for six terms, and was a member of the school board. In 1891, he was elected to the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

as a Republican, representing the

Cattaraugus County Cattaraugus County (locally known as Catt County) is a county in Western New York, with one side bordering Pennsylvania. As of the United States 2020 census, the population was 77,042. The county seat is Little Valley. The county was created ...

1st District. He served in the Assembly in

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

, and

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

. In 1874, Wheeler married Allie E. Mersereau. Their children were William M., John Egbert, Eleanor Knox, and Laurence Raymond. He was an elder of the Portville

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

church, and served as trustee and president of the Western New York Society for the Protection of Homeless and Dependent Children. Wheeler died at home on April 28, 1911, from heart disease. He was buried in Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

References

External links

*
The Political Graveyard
'
William E. Wheeler
at ''

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'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, William E. 1843 births 1911 deaths People from Cattaraugus County, New York Yale University alumni Businesspeople from New York (state) 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople American company founders American corporate directors American bankers Town supervisors in New York (state) School board members in New York (state) Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly 19th-century American legislators Presbyterians from New York (state) Burials in New York (state)