Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	8	Jan 11, 1887 - Jan 13, 1891	20th ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ 21st ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾	Democrat	Augusta / Houston		Angelina, Grimes, Houston, Leon, Madison
H	3	Jan 12, 1875 - Apr 18, 1876	14th ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁾	Democrat	Augusta / Houston		Angelina, Cherokee, Houston, Trinity

(1) Democrat. Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas: List of Senators and Representatives.
(2) List of Senators of the 21st Legislature, "The State Senate: Members-Elect in the Different Districts - Austin Local Notes," Galveston Daily News, 11/20/1888, p. 6, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. "There are two independents in the list. The rest are democratic nominees." Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(3) Roster of senators and representatives of the 20th Legislature with their postoffice address, Austin Weekly Statesman, "Governmental," 12/30/1886, p. 6. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(4) 20th Legislature - Roll call of new members, oath of office administered, 1/11/1887, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(5) "From Crockett," 4/16/1874, p. 1. Proceedings of "the Democratic convention, to select candidates to fill the vacancies occasioned in the Legislature by the death of the Hon. J.L. [J.T.] Smith, and the resignation of Dr. Frank Rainey from the Third Senatorial District . . . Dr. J.H. Stuart and W.W. Davis, both of Houston county, were chosen . . . the men selected are tried and true Democrats." Galveston Daily News.
(6) Houston County. "At the end of the war Davis returned to Houston County where he assumed a prominent role in state and local politics. On January 12, 1875, he succeeded the deceased J. T. Smith as representative for District Three—comprised of Cherokee, Houston, Trinity, and Angelina counties—to the Fourteenth Texas Legislature. Following this turn at state office Davis relocated to Crockett in Houston County and continued his mercantile pursuits." Handbook of Texas Online.
(7) Col. W.W. Davis, pp. 146-147. "He spent his entire life in Houston County, where he was born." The History of Houston County, Texas, 1943.
(8) 14th Legislature, 2nd C.S. - W.W. Davis and J.N./J.H. Stuart of Houston County, members elect from the 3rd Senatorial District, oath of office and added to committees, 1/12/1875, pp. 4, 9. House Journal.
(9) Rusk, Cherokee County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(10) William W. Davis, in special election 11/3/1874, sworn 1/12/1875, succeeded Frank Rainey, resigned 4/15/1874. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Biographical Sketches

DAVIS, WILLIAM WALLACE (1831-1910). Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch, pp. 146-147. Died 6/22/1910. The History of Houston County, Texas, 1943.
Biographical sketch, William Wallace Davis, pp. 72-73. Born in Houston County 3/15/1831. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 20th Legislature, 1887.
Biographical sketch, William Wallace Davis, pp. 194-195. Born in Houston County in 1832, married Lucy Penick in Houston County, 1850. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 21st Legislature, 1889.
Biographical sketch, p. 362. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Military Service Notes

Confederate States Army, 2nd Lieutenant, 7th Texas Cavalry. Military grave marker, W.W. Davis, birth date 3/15/1831 [death date obscured], obituary, burial in Glenwood Cemetery, Crockett, Houston County. Find a Grave.

Other Resources

Listed in "Men who have represented Grimes County in the House of Representatives/State Senate, 1846-1931," pp. 205-209. Includes Date, Legislatures, District, and Source of Data. Early History of Grimes County, 1930. Early History of Grimes County
Census of 1870 - W.W. Davis, postoffice Augusta, Houston County, age 38, born circa 1832 in Texas, living in household with L.M. Davis (age 36).
Census of 1880 - W.W. Davis, Augusta, Houston County, age 49, born circa 1831 in Texas, merchant, wife Lucy Davis.
Census of 1900 - William W. Davis, Crockett, Houston County, age 68, born March 1832 in Texas, widowed, general merchant. FamilySearch. 1870 1880 1900
W.W. Davis, birth date 3/15/1831, death date 7/22/1910, burial in Glenwood Cemetery, Crockett, Houston County. 2nd LT 7th TEX CAV CSA. Houston County, TXGenWeb Project.

Photographs

Photograph. W.W. Davis, 21st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.W. Davis, 20th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

20th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber vestibule, west wall. 2E.V1). State Preservation Board.
21st session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber gallery, west wall. 3E.5). State Preservation Board.
14th session composite photo of Senate and House members (Ground floor elevator vestibule, east wall. GW.V3). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

21st R.S. - 1889 Agricultural Affairs Counties and County Boundaries Employees of the Senate Enrolled Bills (Chair) Frontier Protection Internal Improvements Penitentiaries (Chair) Penitentiaries Private Land Claims (Chair) Public Health Retrenchment and Reform Roads and Bridges State Affairs Stock and Stockraising (Chair)
20th R.S. - 1887 Agricultural Affairs Claims and Accounts Deficiency in Public School Fund and Delay in Payments of Interest on Land Notes Education Frontier Protection New Capitol Construction, Examine Penitentiaries Public Health Retrenchment and Reform (Chair) State Affairs Stock and Stock Raising
14th R.S. - 1874 Counties and County Boundaries Education Private Land Claims Public Debt State Affairs

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