Texas Legislators: Past & Present

James Eldrage Dillard

Full Name: James Eldrage Dillard
Birth date: September 26, 1830
Death date: December 8, 1913

Terms of Service

House, 21st ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ Legislature
1/8/1889 - 1/13/1891
Democrat
Senate, 14th ⁽²⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾ Legislature
1/13/1874 - 4/18/1876
Democrat
Senate President Pro Tempore, elected in the absence of the President 2/3/1874 and 2/4/1874, Regular Session.
Senate, 13th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽¹²⁾ Legislature
1/14/1873 - 1/13/1874
Democrat
Senate, 12th ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾ Legislature
1/10/1871 - 1/14/1873

(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) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Ordinance adopted by Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas, 1875. Remained in effect from its passage until first reapportionment after 1880 Census. University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950 1950.
(3) James Dillard ran second to Priest in District 3 election for Provisional Session and was putative successor to Priest when the latter was declared ineligible by the military government 2/17/1870, but the resolution granting the seat to Dillard was tabled 2/22. Priest, qualified and sworn in Called Session, resigned 8/15, succeeded in special election 11/28 to 12/1 by Dillard, sworn 1/10/1871, but declared ineligible and the seat declared vacant 4/10. In special election 10/3 through 10/6, Dillard won again and was sworn 10/31. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004 2005.
(4) Democrat. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 21st Legislature 1889.
(5) Roster of Representatives of the 21st Legislature, "Twenty-First Legislature: Members of the House, Address, Occupation and Politics," Galveston Daily News, 1/5/1889, p. 2, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) .
(6) 12th Legislature, Provisional Session - M. Priest declined qualifying, 2/8/1870, p. 4. Communication from General J.J. Reynolds declaring the Hon. M. Priest ineligible to serve in the Senate under the reconstruction laws, 2/12/1870, p. 12. J.E. Dillard entitled to seat in Senate; M. Priest disqualified, 2/22/1870, p. 36. Copy of resolution transmitted to J. Dillard with request that he appear and qualify at the opening of the next regular session. Senate Journal . February 8, 1870
February 12, 1870
February 22, 1870
(7) 12th Legislature, Regular Session - Dillard and Tendick qualified and took their seats, 1/10/1871, p. 3. Senate Journal .
(8) 14th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of Senators elect, oath of office administered, 1/13/1874, p. 1. Senate Journal .
(9) 13th Legislature - Senators elect qualified and took their seats, 1/14/1873, p. 1. Senate Journal .
(10) 12th Legislature, 1st C.S. - Drawing for Terms of Office, 5/2/1870, pp. 51-52. Dillard filled unexpired 2-year term of Mijamin Priest. Senate Journal .
(11) "Because of the adoption of the new constitution [of 1876], any member of the 14th Legislature who wished to continue to serve had to run for reelection," p. 220. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.
(12) 13th Legislature - Included in list of 15 Senate members that were conservative Democrats, p. 145. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.

Biographical Notes and Resources

Photographs

Photograph. J.E. Dillard, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs
Photograph. J.E. Dillard, State Preservation Board
Photograph. J.E. Dillard, State Preservation Board
Photograph. J.E. Dillard, State Preservation Board

Other Resources

Biographical sketch, Judge James E. Dillard, p. 251. "From 1870 to 1876 he served as State senator, which time embraced three terms of office. In 1876 he moved to Kaufman county...in 1888 he was elected State representative of Kaufman county." Biographical Souvenir of the State of Texas, Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and Many Early Settled Families 1889.
Confederate States Army, Lieutenant, Company C, 3rd Texas Cavalry. Military grave marker, Lieut. James E. Dillard (1832-1913). James E. Dillard (1833-1913), color photo, obituaries from the Dallas Morning News and Terrell Tribune, burial in Kaufman Cemetery, Kaufman, Kaufman County, with spouse Rosa F. Dillard. Find a Grave .
DILLARD, JAMES ELDRAGE (1830-1913). Handbook of Texas Online .
Confederate States Army, Private, Company K, 3rd Texas Cavalry; then 4th Texas Cavalry under Col. Walter P. Lane. Handbook of Texas Online .
Biographical sketch, James E. Dillard, pp. 353-354. Born 9/26/1830 in Houston County, Georgia, married Rosa Lee Prather in 1873 in Cherokee County. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 21st Legislature 1889.