Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	City/County	Counties in District
S	4	Aug 6, 1866 - Feb 8, 1870	11th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾	White Cottage / Shelby	Panola, Sabine, Shelby
S	14	Nov 5, 1855 - Nov 7, 1859	6th ⁽¹⁰⁾ 7th ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾	Truit's Store / Shelby	Panola, Shelby
S	12	Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853	4th ⁽¹¹⁾ ⁽¹²⁾	Unknown / Shelby	Panola, Shelby
H	Shelby	Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849	2nd ⁽¹³⁾	Unknown / Shelby	Shelby
H	Shelby	Feb 16, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847	1st ⁽¹⁴⁾	Unknown / Shelby	Shelby

(1) White Cottage, Shelby County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(2) 11th Legislature - All 33 Senate districts listed in roll call presenting credentials, oath of office administered, 8/6/1866, pp. 2, 4-5. Senate Journal.
(3) Constitution of 1866, Article III, §§ 29, 30, retained the apportionment of 1860 for Senatorial districts. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin), 2009.
(4) Entire Senate went up for reelection - Constitution of 1869, Article III, § 39. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin), 2009.
(5) Lists town of White Cottage (no longer exists), Shelby County. Texas Towns Database (Texas Almanac).
(6) Truit's Store, Shelby County. No address or home county listed for 6th Legislature. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(7) Listed in "Senators holding over: Opposition." Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 9/8/1857, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(8) 7th Legislature - Roll of Senators (holdover Senator), 11/2/1857, pp. 1, 4. Senate Journal.
(9) 7th Legislature - Listed in "large cadre of returning senators," p. 276. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
(10) 6th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators elected since the last adjournment presented their credentials, and being qualified, took their seats, 11/5/1855, p. 2. Senate Journal.
(11) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Feb. 2, 1853, 4th Legislature, 1st C.S., ch. 4, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(12) 4th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators elect presented their credentials, qualified, and took their seats, 11/3/1851, pp. 3-4. Senate Journal.
(13) Roster of members of the 2nd Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 12/15/1847, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(14) Democrat. Table of members of the 1st Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 5/20/1846, p. 3, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Resolutions and Journal entries

James Truit (4th and 6th Legislatures), James Truitt (7th Legislature), J. Truitt (11th Legislature). Senate Journal. 11th R.S. Roster 4th R.S. 6th R.S. 7th R.S. Roster

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, James Truit, p. 182. "His postoffice address in 1866 was White's Cottage, Shelby County . . . " Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832-1845, 1942.
TRUITT, JAMES (1795-1870) - James Truitt (Truit). Handbook of Texas Online.
TRUITT, JAMES W. (1845-1922). Relatives: John H. Truitt and James W. Truitt - brothers. John H. Truitt and James W. Truitt - grandsons, James Alfred Truitt (1795-1870) - grandfather. Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch, John H. Truitt, pp. 188-189. Born 2/21/1848 in Shelby County, lawyer and farmer. Relatives: John H. Truitt, grandson of Honorable James [Alfred] Truitt, member of Texas Congress during the Republic, and member of Texas House of Representatives and Senate from Shelby County until 1866. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 20th Legislature, 1887.
Biographical sketch of John Hall Stephens of Montague, p. 390. Birth date 12/22/1847; "died in 1927." Relatives: John Hall Stephens - grandson; James Truit - grandfather. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
Biographical sketch, James Alfred Truit, 11th Legislature, pp. 63-64. Relatives: James Alfred Truit, father; Alfred M. Truit, son. "[James Alfred] Truit and his family settled in Shelby County in 1840 . . ." The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Other Resources

Census of 1860 - James Truit, Truit's Store post office, Beat No. 10, Shelby County, age 64, born circa 1796 in North Carolina, farmer, living in household with Mary Truit (age 54), Jams W., and Emaline. FamilySearch.
James A. Truit. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
James Truitt, pp. 259, 276. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.

Photographs

Photograph. J. Truitt, 11th Legislature, By the Austin Photograph Co., Prints and Photographs Collection, [identifier number: di_03923, di_03924], The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

11th session composite photo of Senate members (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History). By the Austin Photograph Co., Prints and Photographs Collection, [identifier number: di_03923, di_03924], The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Committee Information top

11th R.S. - 1866 Private Land Claims (Chair) Privileges and Elections
7th R.S. - 1857 Counties and County Boundaries Land Office Private Land Claims Roads, Bridges and Ferries
6th R.S. - 1855 Counties and County Boundaries Private Land Claims Privileges and Elections Roads, Bridges and Ferries
4th R.S. - 1851 Penitentiary Printing and Contingent Expenses Roads, Bridges and Ferries (Chair)
2nd R.S. - 1847 Land Office Military Affairs Republic of Texas Treasury Notes and Other Liabilities
1st R.S. - 1846 Claims and Accounts Internal Improvements Privileges and Elections

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.