Horace Rublee
| Horace Rublee | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
August 19, 1829 Berkshire, Vermont |
| Died | October 19, 1896 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Occupation | Journalist, Editor, Republican party leader, Ambassador to Switzerland |
Horace Rublee (1829–1896) was a Wisconsin journalist and newspaper editor, Republican party leader, and ambassador to Switzerland.
Rublee was born August 19, 1829, son of Alvah and Martha (Kent) Rublee, in Berkshire, Vermont, a community situated tight against the Canada–US border. In 1839, his father moved to what was then the pioneer western town of Sheboygan, Wisconsin Territory, where he had an interest at a saw mill, and in June 1840 the rest of the family joined him, traveling via steamship to Milwaukee and by sloop from Milwaukee to Sheboygan.
The Rublee family was among the earliest of young families from New York and New England who settled in Sheboygan County. This new community was intellectually vibrant. Influential were, for example, Horace Greeley and the New York Tribune, which was subscribed to by many in the area, and Combe on the Constitution of Man. There was a debating society well attended by these pioneers in nearby Sheboygan Falls, and among the philosophical trends was Fourierism. In 1843 a school opened, and Rublee was one of the first two students. The teacher frequented the debating societies in Sheboygan Falls, and "he loaned me Scott's 'Lady of the Lake,' 'Nicholas Nickleby,' 'Oliver Twist' and several of Bulwer's novels, which helped to pass the school hours, and wonderfully shortened the long winter evenings." Rublee was academically stimulated, with many influences of high literature.
He taught school briefly at age 17. Starting in 1849 he spent a year at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, then returned to Sheboygan County to teach for two more years.
Rublee began his political and journalism career in 1852, when he moved back to Madison. He was legislative reporter for the Madison Argus and Democrat in 1852-53. In 1853 he started work at the Wisconsin State Journal, and in 1854 purchased a part interest in the paper. He was secretary of the state mass meeting held at Madison on July 13, 1854 which formed the state chapter of the Republican party. The party had been started in embryonic form in March in Ripon, but this mass meeting was the first serious establishment of the party as a lasting organized political force. He was Republican party chair 1859-1869, and in 1868 a delegate to the national Republican convention. From 1856-58 he was Wisconsin State Librarian. From 1857-1871 he was a Curator of State Historical Society of Wisconsin, serving with such notable nineteenth century Wisconsin figures as James Duane Doty, Cyrus Woodman and Lyman Draper.
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