Alexander Watkins Terrell

Full Name: Alexander Watkins Terrell
Date of birth: November 23, 1827
Date of death: September 9, 1912

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Counties in District
H	61	Jan 10, 1905 - Jan 8, 1907	29th	Democrat	Austin / Travis	Travis
H	61	Jan 13, 1903 - Jan 10, 1905	28th	Democrat	Austin / Travis	Travis
H	75	Jan 13, 1891 - Jun 22, 1892	22nd ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis	Travis
S	24	Jan 9, 1883 - Jan 13, 1885	18th ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis	Burnet, Travis, Williamson
S	25	Jan 14, 1879 - Jan 9, 1883	16th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ 17th ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis	Burnet, Lampasas, Travis, Williamson
S	25	Apr 18, 1876 - Jan 14, 1879	15th ⁽⁹⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis	Burnet, Lampasas, Travis, Williamson

(1) Democrat. Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas: List of Senators and Representatives.
(2) Terrell resigned 6/22/1892. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(3) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Eighteenth Legislature of Texas, 1883.
(4) 18th Legislature, Regular Session - All Senators except District 3 and 21 are listed in Roll Call as taking the oath of office, 1/9/1883, p. 2; resolution by Sen. Gooch that the Senators shall now be divided by lot into two classes, 1/10/1883, pp. 5-6; drew term of 2 years. Senate Journal. January 10, 1883 January 9, 1883
(5) Democrat, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
(6) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881.
(7) Democrat, 1/14/1879, p. 1. Galveston Daily News.
(8) 16th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of newly elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/14/1879, p. 3. Senate Journal.
(9) 15th Legislature - All Senators except District 7 listed in roll call as Senators elect, oath of office administered, 4/18/1876, p. 1; Drawing of Senatorial Terms, 4/27/1876, p. 98, drew "short term" (two years). Senate Journal. April 18, 1876 April 27, 1876

Terms of Service top

House District 61
Jan 10, 1905 - Jan 8, 1907
Legislatures: 29th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Travis

House District 61
Jan 13, 1903 - Jan 10, 1905
Legislatures: 28th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Travis

House District 75
Jan 13, 1891 - Jun 22, 1892
Legislatures: 22nd ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Travis

Senate District 24
Jan 9, 1883 - Jan 13, 1885
Legislatures: 18th ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Burnet, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 25
Jan 14, 1879 - Jan 9, 1883
Legislatures: 16th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ 17th ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Burnet, Lampasas, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 25
Apr 18, 1876 - Jan 14, 1879
Legislatures: 15th ⁽⁹⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Burnet, Lampasas, Travis, Williamson

Biographical Information top

Resolutions and Journal entries

33rd Legislature, R.S., 2/3/1913, p. 369. Resolutions - Memorial.

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, pp. 500-502. Birth date 11/3/1829. Bench and Bar of Texas, 1885.
Biographical sketch in "State Senators Elect: Personal Sketches Completed - Seventeen Lawyers, Seven Grangers, Two Doctors, One Editor and Four Colored Politicians - the Political Structure of the New Senate of Texas," 3/3/1876, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
Biographical sketch and anecdotes, Hon. Alexander W. Terrell, pp. 21, 53-54, 208-210. Governors Who Have Been, and Other Public Men of Texas, 1921.
TERRELL, ALEXANDER WATKINS (1827-1912). Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch - 28th Legislature, 1st C.S., 4/29/1903, pp. 219-226. "Presentation and acceptance of the oil portrait of Judge A. W. Terrell . . . presented to the House by Judge Yancey Lewis . . . accepted on the part of the House by Hon. W.D. Williams." House Journal.
Biographical sketch, A.W. Terrell, pp. 559-562. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas, 1890.
Portrait and biographical sketch. Birth date 11/3/1827. Lone Star Junction, 1995.
Portrait and biographical sketch, Alexander W. Terrell, pp. 313-319. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Representative Men of Texas, 22nd Legislature, 1892.
Obituary and funeral, Alexander Watkins Terrell, "A.W. Terrell's Spirit Passes into Beyond," The Austin Statesman, 9/10/1912, p. 1. "About A.W. Terrell," The Austin Statesman, 9/20/1912, p. 4. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries). 9/10/1912 9/20/1912
Biographical sketch, A.W. Terrell, pp. 41-43. Born 11/3/1828. Sketches of Legislators and State Officers, Fifteenth Legislature, 1876-1878, 1876.
Biographical sketch, Alexander Watkins Terrell, p. 247. Born 11/3/1828. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879.
Biographical sketch, pp. 244-245. Born 11/3/18289. Texas Legislative Manual, 1882-83, 1883.
Alexander Watkins Terrell. Texas State Cemetery.
Biographical sketch and overview of the Alexander Watkins Terrell papers at the Texas State Archives, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Military Service Notes

Alexander Watkins Terrell. Texas Burial Sites of Civil War Notables: A Biographical and Pictorial Field Guide, 2002.
Biographical sketch and portrait, pp. 16, 30, 33-34, 93-94, Plate No. 31. Terrell's Texas Cavalry Regiment "was sometimes referred to incorrectly as the 34th Texas Cavalry Regiment." Texas in the War, 1861-1865, 1965.
Confederate States Army, Lieutenant Colonel, 34th Texas Regiment. Joined Confederate Army as a Major, 1st Texas Cavalry Regiment, Arizona Brigade. Promoted to Brigadier General in 1865. Commander of "Terrell's Texas Cavalry Regiment." Headstone inscription, biographical sketch. Texas State Cemetery.

Other Resources

Portrait and excerpt. Alexander Watkins Terrell: Civil War Soldier, Texas Lawmaker, American Diplomat, 2004.
Mentioned in "Finance laws have long history, questionable effect," 9/26/2004. Austin American-Statesman.
Photo, "Governor Jim Hogg and the Birth of the Texas Railroad Commission," p. 72. Austin Lawyers: A Legacy of Leadership and Service, 2005.
"Terrell, that magical political name on Texas democratic ballots, causes thousands of voters to wonder who started it," 6/28/1934, p. 8. El Paso Herald Post.
Mentioned in "Under the Dome at Austin," 4/25/1947. Mexia Daily News.

Photographs

Photograph. A.W. Terrel, 29th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.W. Terrell, 28th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.W. Terrell, 22nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.W. Terrell, 18th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.W. Terrel, 17th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.W. Terrell, 15th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

15th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate Sergeant-at-arms office, west wall. 2E.10A). State Preservation Board.
17th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber vestibule, west wall. 2E.V1). State Preservation Board.
18th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber vestibule, east wall. 2E.V1). State Preservation Board.
22nd session composite photo of House members (Ground floor elevator vestibule, north wall. GW.V3). State Preservation Board.
28th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, east wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board.
29th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, east wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board.
17th session composite photo of Senate members (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Committee Information top

29th R.S. - 1905 Commerce and Manufactures Constitutional Amendments Privileges, Suffrage and Elections (Chair) Public Grounds and Buildings
28th R.S. - 1903 Constitutional Amendments Finance Judiciary No. 1 Privileges, Suffrage and Elections (Chair) Railroad Commission State Affairs
22nd R.S. - 1891 Article 5, Constitution of the State of Texas Congress of the Western and Southwestern States and Territories, Attend Constitutional Amendment to Judiciary Article Constitutional Amendments Education Finance Judiciary No. 1 Penitentiaries Privileges and Elections Public Printing Representation and Apportionment on Congressional Districts
18th R.S. - 1883 Constitutional Amendments Education Finance Governor's Mansion Internal Improvements Judiciary No. 1 (Chair) Public Buildings and Grounds Public Debt Public Health Public Lands Public Printing State Asylums Treasurer's and Comptroller's Office
17th R.S. - 1881 Congressional Districts Congressional Districts, Apportionment Constitutional Amendments Educational Affairs Finance Insurance, Statistics and History of Texas Internal Improvements Judiciary No. 1 (Chair) Memorial Resolutions Places of Business and Suitable Buildings for Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Commissioners of Appeals Public Buildings and Grounds (Chair) Public Debt Public Lands Public Printing State Asylums
16th R.S. - 1879 Agricultural Affairs Constitutional Amendments Educational Affairs Executive Mansion Finance Insurance, Statistics and History Judiciary No. 1 (Chair) New Judiciary Article to the Constitution (Co-Chair) Public Buildings and Grounds (Chair) Public Debt Public Lands Revision of Code State Affairs State Asylums
15th R.S. - 1876 Constitutional Amendments Educational Affairs (Chair) Federal Relations Finance Internal Improvements Judiciary No. 1 Privileges and Elections Public Buildings and Grounds Public Claims and Accounts Retrenchment and Reform State Asylums

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