W.H. Westfall

William Harrison Westfall

Full Name: William Harrison Westfall
Date of birth: December 16, 1822
Date of death: Deceased, date unknown

Terms of Service top

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 28 Jan 13, 1874 - Apr 18, 1876 14th (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)   Democrat Liberty Hill / Williamson   Blanco, Burnet, Concho, Lampasas, Llano, McCulloch, San Saba, Travis, Williamson
H 28 Jan 14, 1873 - Jan 13, 1874 13th   Democrat Liberty Hill / Williamson   Bell, Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, Hamilton, Hays, Lampasas, McCulloch, San Saba, Travis, Williamson

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Ordinance adopted by Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas, 1875. Remained in effect from its passage until first reapportionment after 1880 Census. University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(2) Postoffice: Liberty Hill, Williamson County. Directory of the Members and Officers of the Fourteenth Legislature of the State of Texas . . ., 1874.
(3) Burnet, Burnet County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(4) 14th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of Senators elect, oath of office administered, 1/13/1874, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(5) "Because of the adoption of the new constitution [of 1876], any member of the 14th Legislature who wished to continue to serve had to run for reelection," p. 220. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 28
Jan 13, 1874 - Apr 18, 1876
Legislatures: 14th (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Liberty Hill / Williamson
Counties in district: Blanco, Burnet, Concho, Lampasas, Llano, McCulloch, San Saba, Travis, Williamson
House District 28
Jan 14, 1873 - Jan 13, 1874
Legislatures: 13th  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Liberty Hill / Williamson
Counties in district: Bell, Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, Hamilton, Hays, Lampasas, McCulloch, San Saba, Travis, Williamson

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Ordinance adopted by Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas, 1875. Remained in effect from its passage until first reapportionment after 1880 Census. University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(2) Postoffice: Liberty Hill, Williamson County. Directory of the Members and Officers of the Fourteenth Legislature of the State of Texas . . ., 1874.
(3) Burnet, Burnet County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(4) 14th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of Senators elect, oath of office administered, 1/13/1874, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(5) "Because of the adoption of the new constitution [of 1876], any member of the 14th Legislature who wished to continue to serve had to run for reelection," p. 220. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

  • Portrait and biographical sketch, William Harrison Westfall, M.D., Burnet, pp. 196-199. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas, 1890.
  • Biographical sketch, William Harrison Westfall, p. 197. Born 12/16/1822. Lived in Williamson County at time of election to Texas House in 1872; in Senate of 14th Legislature, physician William Henry Westfall "of Burnet." Moved back to Austin in 1876 and Burnet in 1879. "Opened quarry at Granite Mountain which provided the stone for the new [State] Capitol." The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Other Resources

  • House Concurrent Resolution No. 4, 21st Legislature, Regular Session, General Laws, 2/25/1889, acknowledging donation by W.H. Westfall, G.W. Lacy, and N.L. Norton of granite for new State Capitol. Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen. The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, Volume 9, p. 1201. General Laws of the State of Texas.
  • Mentioned in GRANITE MOUNTAIN AND MARBLE FALLS CITY RAIL ROAD. Handbook of Texas Online.
  • Death notice, "Mrs. M.E. Westfall," The Austin Statesman, 6/11/1912, p. 5. "Mrs. M.E. Westfall, wife of Dr. W.H. Westfall of San Diego County, California . . . The Westfalls were residents of this city about twenty years ago, and are well known throughout the county." Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
  • Mentioned in "Through the Years - San Saba Representatives in Legislative History," 4/1/1948, p. 9. San Saba News.

Photographs

  • Photograph. W.H. Westfall, 14th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. W.H. Westfall, 13th Legislature, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs
  • Photograph. W.H. Westfall, 13th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

Committee Information top

14th R.S. - 1874
Asylums  
Contingent Expenses  
Education (Chair) 
Enrolled Bills  
Indian Affairs and Frontier Protection  
Internal Improvements  
Lighting the State House with Gas (Co-Chair) 
Lunatic Asylum  
Sanitary Legislation  
State Affairs  
Travis County Jail, Select  
13th R.S. - 1873
Agriculture and Stock Raising  
Apportionment  
Education  
Immigration  
Immigration Laws and Bureau of Immigration  
Indian Affairs  
Lampasas County Disturbance  
Redistricting  
Towns and City Corporations  

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