Texas Legislators: Past & Present

William Harrison Westfall

Full Name: William Harrison Westfall
Birth date: December 16, 1822
Death date: Deceased, date unknown

Terms of Service

Senate, 14th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ Legislature
1/13/1874 - 4/18/1876
Democrat
House, 13th Legislature
1/14/1873 - 1/13/1874
Democrat

(1) 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.
(2) Postoffice: Liberty Hill, Williamson County. Directory of the Members and Officers of the Fourteenth Legislature of the State of Texas . . . 1874.
(3) Burnet, Burnet County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004 2005.
(4) 14th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of Senators elect, oath of office administered, 1/13/1874, p. 1. Senate Journal .
(5) "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.

Biographical Notes and Resources

Photographs

Photograph. W.H. Westfall, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs
Photograph. W.H. Westfall, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.H. Westfall, State Preservation Board

Other Resources

House Concurrent Resolution No. 4, 21st Legislature, Regular Session, General Laws, 2/25/1889, acknowledging donation by W.H. Westfall, G.W. Lacy, and N.L. Norton of granite for new State Capitol. Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen. The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, Volume 9, p. 1201. General Laws of the State of Texas .
Mentioned in GRANITE MOUNTAIN AND MARBLE FALLS CITY RAIL ROAD. Handbook of Texas Online .
Portrait and biographical sketch, William Harrison Westfall, M.D., Burnet, pp. 196-199. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas 1890.
Death notice, "Mrs. M.E. Westfall," The Austin Statesman, 6/11/1912, p. 5. "Mrs. M.E. Westfall, wife of Dr. W.H. Westfall of San Diego County, California . . . The Westfalls were residents of this city about twenty years ago, and are well known throughout the county." Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) .
Mentioned in "Through the Years - San Saba Representatives in Legislative History," 4/1/1948, p. 9. San Saba News .
Biographical sketch, William Harrison Westfall, p. 197. Born 12/16/1822. Lived in Williamson County at time of election to Texas House in 1872; in Senate of 14th Legislature, physician William Henry Westfall "of Burnet." Moved back to Austin in 1876 and Burnet in 1879. "Opened quarry at Granite Mountain which provided the stone for the new [State] Capitol." The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.