Albert Jennings Fountain

Full Name: Albert Jennings Fountain
Other surnames: Jennings
Date of birth: October 23, 1838
Date of death: February 1, 1896

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	30	Feb 8, 1870 - Jan 13, 1874	12th ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ 13th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	Radical Republican	El Paso / El Paso	Senate President Pro Tempore (12th)	Atascosa, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, El Paso, Frio, Hidalgo, Karnes, Kinney, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Maverick, Medina, Nueces, Presidio, Starr, Uvalde, Webb, Zapata, Zavala, Encinal

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Apr. 24, 1873 [presented to Governor May 1, 1873 and became law without his signature], 13th Legislature, R.S., ch. 35, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(2) Republican. Directory of the Members of the Thirteenth Legislature of the State of Texas, 1873.
(3) "Returning radicals [to the 13th Legislature] were Thomas H. Baker, Webster Flanagan, S.W. Ford, Albert J. Fountain, Matthew Gaines, Phidello W. Hall, Henry Rawson, George T. Ruby, William A. Saylor, and Robert P. Tendick," p. 145. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
(4) 12th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Adjourned Session (Webster Flanagan and Albert J. Fountain). Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(5) 12th Legislature, 1st C.S. - Drawing for Terms of Office, 5/2/1870, pp. 51-52. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(6) 12th Legislature, Regular Session - Senate President Pro Tempore, elected 3/30/1871, Regular Session, due to the vacancy in the office of Lieutenant Governor and the absence of the President Pro Tem. Senate Journal.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 30
Feb 8, 1870 - Jan 13, 1874
Legislatures: 12th ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ 13th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (12th)
(12th)
Party: Radical Republican
Home City/County: El Paso / El Paso
Counties in district: Atascosa, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, El Paso, Frio, Hidalgo, Karnes, Kinney, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Maverick, Medina, Nueces, Presidio, Starr, Uvalde, Webb, Zapata, Zavala, Encinal

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

Photo and biographical sketch, "Lawyer of Billy the Kid." Billy the Kid: Outlaw Legend.
FOUNTAIN, ALBERT JENNINGS (1838-1896). "Fountain advocated 'militant Republicanism' during the Reconstruction of Texas." Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch, member of the legislature, pp. 98-99, became unpopular and accused of fraud, impact on El Paso, pp. 100-110. The Legal Heritage of El Paso, 1963.
Biography in LRL collection, 328.764 F825G 1965. The Life and Death of Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain, 1965.
Biographical sketch, pp. 100-102, includes an account of a former political ally's attempt to murder Fountain. Notes "he [Fountain] served as president pro tempore for a time during the spring of 1871 while acting president Campbell was ill." The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Military Service Notes

Union, 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Regiment, California Infantry, Company G, E. Albert J. Fountain. Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System.
Lieutenant, Company G, 1st California Infantry. Military grave marker, Lieutenant A.J. Fountain, death date 2/1/1896, burial in the Masonic Cemetery, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Marker in memory of Albert J. Fountain, photos, biographical sketch, and resources. Find a Grave.

Other Resources

Account of the disappearance of A.J. Fountain and his son Henry, "Murders Most Foul" by Jay W. Sharp. A prominent attorney, Fountain became known for his defense of Billy the Kid. Desert USA, 1996.
Mentioned in HOWARD, CHARLES H. (1842-1877). In El Paso, Howard allied himself with Louis Cardis and Father Antonio Borrajo against the Radical Republicans and the "Anti-Salt Ring" led by Albert Jennings Fountain. Handbook of Texas Online.

Photographs

Photograph. A.J. Fountain, 13th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.J. Fountain, 13th Legislature, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs

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.
Pictorial Monogram of the State Government of Texas 1873 (DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Collection). DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs.

Committee Information top

13th R.S. - 1873 Comptroller of Public Accounts and State Treasurer, Examine Constitutional Amendments Contingent Expenses, Select Counties and County Boundaries Financial Condition of the State Impeachment of John G. Scott, Judge of the Tenth Judicial District, Select Indian Affairs and Frontier Protection Judiciary No. 1 Late Honorable Louis Frankee, Assassination Printing Public Lands Rules, Select (Chair) State Indebtness State Lunatic Asylum
12th Adjourned - 1871 Indian Affairs and Frontier Protection (Chair) Nominations by the Governor Printing (Chair) Public Buildings Public Lands
12th R.S. - 1871 Indian Affairs and Frontier Protection (Chair) Nominations by the Governor Printing (Chair) Public Buildings Public Lands
12th 1st C.S. - 1870 Arrested Senators, Select Indian Affairs and Frontier Protection (Chair) Mileage Schedule Nominations by the Governor Printing (Chair) Public Buildings Public Lands Rules for Impeachment Proceeding, Select
12th Provisional - 1870 Printing (Chair)

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.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

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.