Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
H	15	Jan 14, 1873 - Jan 13, 1874	13th (1) (2) (3)	Republican	Huntsville / Walker		Grimes, Madison, Walker
H	15	Feb 8, 1870 - Jan 14, 1873	12th (4) (5) (6) (7)	Radical Republican	Huntsville / Walker		Grimes, Madison, Walker

(1) Republican. Directory of the Members of the Thirteenth Legislature of the State of Texas, 1873.
(2) Richard Williams absent for oath of office on first day, 1/14/1873; listed in floor votes 1/15/1873, 1/22/1873 forward; appointed on committees, 1/16/1873, p. 16; granted leave of absence for 3 days, 2/1/1873, p. 135. House Journal. February 1, 1873 January 14, 1873 January 15, 1873 January 16, 1873 January 22, 1873
(3) Richard Williams and James Washington won seats in contested election and did not take seats until February 1873 (along with Henry Phelps, late because of illness), p. 41. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
(4) Term and oath information, p. 56, and footnote 28, p. 76. "Richard Williams and David Medlock are generally omitted from published lists, but both were elected and seated, although Medlock appears not to have served his full term." Black Leaders: Texans for Their Times, 1981.
(5) 12th Legislature, Provisional Session - Qualified and took the oath of office on 2/8/1870. House Journal.
(6) Party affiliation, Radical. Texas Almanac for . . . and Emigrant's Guide to Texas.
(7) Radical Republican Association, established 6/4/1870, p. 26. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Resolutions and Journal entries

• 79th Legislature, R.S., HR 589, paying tribute to African American legislators and constitutional convention delegates of 1868-1900. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
• 81st Legislature, R.S., HCR 81, paying tribute to African American legislators and constitutional convention delegates. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
• 85th Legislature, R.S., HR 452, celebrating Black History Month and honoring the leadership and vision of African American lawmakers. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
• 88th Legislature, R.S., SCR 13, Recognizing the Texas Black Reconstruction Legislators Recognition Act. SB 667, Texas Black Reconstruction Legislators Recognition Act. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary. SB 667 SCR 13
• 88th Legislature, R.S., SCR 13, Recognizing the Texas Black Reconstruction Legislators Recognition Act. SB 667, Texas Black Reconstruction Legislators Recognition Act. Resolutions - Legislative Policy. SB 667 SCR 13

Biographical Sketches

• Biographical information in Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas," Volume 32, Number 4, December 1986, pp. 340-352. Civil War History.
• Portrait and biographical sketch. Forever Free: Nineteenth Century African-American Legislators and Constitutional Convention Delegates of Texas, 2002.
• WILLIAMS, RICHARD (ca. 1822-?). Handbook of Texas Online.
• Biographical sketch, p. 22. Birth year 1823, Appendix D. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.

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.
• Mentioned pp. 147-154. From Slave to Statesman, 1993.
• Portrait, biographical information, and discussion of the Republican legislative agenda, pp. 134-137. From Slave to Statesman, 1993.

Photographs

• Photograph. Richard Williams, 13th Legislature, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Collection.
• Photograph. Richard Williams, 13th Legislature, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Richard Williams, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

• 13th session composite photo of Senate and House members (Ground floor elevator vestibule, east wall. GW.V3). State Preservation Board.
• 13th session composite photo of Senate and House members (Ground floor elevator vestibule, east wall. GW.V3). State Preservation Board.
• Pictorial Monogram of the State Government of Texas 1873 (DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Collection). DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Collection..

Committee Information top

13th R.S. - 1873 Indian Affairs   Public Lands and Land Office   Redistricting

12th Adjourned - 1871 Private Land Claims

12th R.S. - 1871 Counties and County Boundaries   Private Land Claims   Public Lands and Land Office

12th 1st C.S. - 1870 Commerce and Manufactures   Division of the State, Select