John Wesley Stewart (June 1, 1822 – September 7, 1899) was an American lawyer, banker, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer.

Due to his father's ministry, he traveled frequently during his childhood around southern Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.

He arrived on March 4, 1841, to booming fanfare, due to the coincidence of William Henry Harrison's inauguration as president that day.

With the assistance of Barber and Dewey, he was appointed deputy clerk of the United States district court.

[2] In 1846, then only 24 years old, he was elected to the 5th Wisconsin Territorial Assembly running on the Whig Party ticket.

[2] He employed as editor John Walworth, who was later an important figure in the founding of the Republican Party.

[3] He largely abandoned his legal career in the 1850s, instead becoming a real estate speculator, buying land from the federal government and selling to settlers.

He defeated Democrat Henry Adams in the general election[1] and represented all of Green County in the 1860 and 1861 legislative sessions.

He was the author of the measures to abolish and re-organize the board of public works and the city health department.

Their only known surviving son, John F. Stewart, followed his father to Chicago and also worked extensively in city government.