Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Counties in District
H	6	Jan 14, 1873 - Jan 13, 1874	13th	Democrat	Tyler / Smith	Smith, Upshur
H	17	Aug 6, 1866 - Feb 7, 1870	11th ⁽¹⁾		Tyler / Smith	Smith
H	20	Nov 2, 1857 - Nov 7, 1859	7th ⁽²⁾		Palestine / Anderson	Anderson
H	20	Nov 7, 1853 - Nov 5, 1855	5th		Plentitude / Anderson	Anderson

(1) R.R. Gaston, District 17, Smith. Roster of 11th Legislature, House of Representatives, "Texas Legislative Proceedings," 8/11/1866, p. 1. Galveston Daily News.
(2) Democrat. 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).

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Resolutions and Journal entries

5th Legislature - Roll of Members, Robert K. Gaston, age 41, native state Tennessee, emigrated from Mississippi in 1849, farmer, postoffice Plenitude, Anderson County. House Journal.

Biographical Sketches

Col. Robert Kirkpatrick Gaston and Leticia Southerd. "Col Gaston moved to Anderson Co, Texas, in 1849, and to Mt. Sylvan, Smith County, in 1860. He served several terms in the Legislature from Anderson County before the war, and later several terms from Smith County." Smith County, TXGenWeb Project.

Other Resources

Census of 1850 - Robert Gaston, Anderson County, age 38, born circa 1812 in Tennessee, farmer.
Census of 1860 - R.K. Gaston, Anderson County, age 48, born circa 1812 in Tennessee, farmer. FamilySearch. 1850 1860
R.K. Gaston, birth date 7/23/1812, death date 4/6/1881, burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Tyler, Smith County. Includes biographical sketch, portrait of Col. Robert Kirkpatrick Gaston in The Gaston Howard & Wilkinson Families in the Black Belt of Alabama by Kathleen Wilkenson Wood, 1976. Find a Grave.
Listed in "Smith County and Seventh Senatorial District Legislators, 1st—16th Regular Sessions, 1846-1879," The Tyler Journal, 5/29/1936, p. 67, crediting Smith County Historical Society. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Photographs

Photograph. R.K. Gaston, 13th Legislature, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Collection.
Photograph. R.K. Gaston, 13th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. R.K. Gaston, 11th Legislature, State Preservation Board

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.
11th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor elevator vestibule, south wall. GW.V3). State Preservation Board.
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 Claims and Accounts (Chair) Finance Internal Improvements Towns and City Corporations
11th R.S. - 1866 Engrossed Bills Internal Improvement
7th R.S. - 1857 Claims and Accounts Private Land Claims Roads, Bridges and Ferries
5th R.S. - 1853 County Boundaries Judicial Districts Roads, Bridges and Ferries

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