Walter Moses Burton
Walter Moses Burton | |
|---|---|
 Walter Moses Burton, Texas state senator, 1874–1883 | |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 17th district | |
| In office April 18, 1876 – January 9, 1883 | |
| Preceded by | Jewett H. Davenport |
| Succeeded by | John Johnson |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 13th district | |
| In office February 20, 1874 – April 18, 1876 | |
| Preceded by | Francis J. Franks |
| Succeeded by | Robert S. Guy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 9, 1840 North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 1913 Richmond, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Morton Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence(s) | Fort Bend County, Texas |
| Occupation | Farmer |
Walter Moses Burton (August 9, 1840 – June 4, 1913) was a farmer, sheriff, and Republican politician who served four terms in the Texas State Senate. Born into slavery in North Carolina in 1840, Burton was brought to Texas about 1850. His owner, Thomas Burke Burton, a plantation owner in Fort Bend County, taught him to read and write. After emancipation, he purchased several tracts of land from his former owner. He became active in Republican politics and was elected as the sheriff and tax collector in Fort Bend County in 1869. He was the first Black elected sheriff in the United States. He was first elected to the Fourteenth Legislature in 1874 and served almost continually until 1883. After leaving office, he returned to farming, but continued to be active in the Republican party until his death in 1913. He is buried in the Morton Cemetery in Richmond, Texas.[1] During this time in the State Senate, his districts encompassed Fort Bend, Waller, Wharton, and Austin counties.[1]
See also
[edit]- Jaybird-Woodpecker War
- African American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until before 1900
References
[edit]- ^ a b Association, Texas State Historical. "Burton, Walter Moses". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
External links
[edit]- Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Walter Burton
- Handbook of Texas Online - Walter Moses Burton
- Forever Free: Nineteenth Century African-American Legislators and Constitutional Convention Delegates of Texas
- Findagrave - Walter Moses Burton
- Walter Moses Burton (1829?-1913)
- The Illuminating History of Walter Burton
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- 1840 births
- 1913 deaths
- Republican Party Texas state senators
- American freedmen
- African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era
- African-American state legislators in Texas
- 20th-century African-American people
- African-American men in politics
- Farmers from Texas
- African-American sheriffs
- Law enforcement officials from Texas
- Texas sheriffs
- People enslaved in Texas
- 19th-century members of the Texas Legislature
- Texas politician stubs