Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	19	Feb 16, 1870 - Jan 13, 1874	12th (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)   13th (1) (2) (3)	Radical Republican	Waco / McLennan		Falls, Limestone, McLennan

(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) S.W. Ford, sworn 2/16/1870, succeeded Andrew J. Evans, sworn 2/10/1870, unseated in election contest. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(5) "In each house the radicals had a slight majority over both Democrats and conservative Republicans. . .These made short work of the [election] contests; the radical contestants were seated in nearly every instance. Several of those who lost their seats were leading Hamilton Republicans, as A.J. Evans in the senate and M.L. Armstrong in the house. . .fn3, One case that seems particularly flagrant was the unseating of Nelson Plato (Dem.) of the Brownsville district," p. 289. Reconstruction in Texas, 1910.
(6) "In each house the radicals had a slight majority over both Democrats and conservative Republicans. . .These made short work of the [election] contests; the radical contestants were seated in nearly every instance." p. 289 Reconstruction in Texas, 1910.
(7) 12th Legislature, 1st C.S. - Drawing for Terms of Office, 5/2/1870, pp. 51-52. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(8) 12th Legislature, Provisional Session - Report of the Committee on Contested Elections concludes the election of A.J. Evans was procured through intimidation of black voter in Falls County and recommends that S.W. Ford be seated, 2/16/1870, p. 26-27. Senate Journal.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Biographical Sketches

• Biographical sketch, p. 100, Radical Republican, mechanic. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Photographs

• Photograph. S.W. Ford, 13th Legislature, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. S.W. Ford, 13th Legislature, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Collection.

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 Collection..

Committee Information top

13th R.S. - 1873 Comptroller's and Treasurer's Accounts   Penitentiary   Public Debt   Stock and Stock Raising

12th Adjourned - 1871 Federal Relations   Finance   Land Office (Chair)  Penitentiary   Private Land Claims

12th R.S. - 1871 Federal Relations   Finance   Land Office (Chair)  Penitentiary   Private Land Claims

12th 1st C.S. - 1870 Federal Relations   Finance   Land Office (Chair)  Loss of Evidence in Contested Election, Select   Penitentiary   Private Land Claims