Byron Kilbourn (September 8, 1801 – December 16, 1870) was an American surveyor, railroad executive, and politician who was an important figure in the founding of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

He first visited Wisconsin in 1834, landing at Green Bay, and worked as a government surveyor in the area.

[3][4] When working as a highway commissioner for the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature, Kilbourn founded what was to become the City of West Bend in 1845.

[7] The La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad Company failed in the aftermath of the scandal and subsequent investigations.

[1] In 1868, a decade after the railroad scandals, Kilbourn moved to Jacksonville, Florida to relieve arthritis symptoms.