Texas Legislators: Past & Present

Olinthus Ellis

Full Name: Olinthus Ellis
Birth date: May 5, 1840
Death date: May 11, 1905

Terms of Service

Senate, 14th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ Legislature
1/13/1874 - 4/18/1876
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) 14th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of Senators elect, oath of office administered, 1/13/1874, p. 1. Senate Journal .
(3) "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. Olinthus Ellis, State Preservation Board

Other Resources

Obituary, "Judge O. [Olinthus] Ellis Dead: A Prominent Lawyer of Uvalde Passed Into Great Beyond on May 11; Was a Civil War Veteran; Was Sergeant Major of Eighth Texas Infantry - His Career as a Lawyer," 5/15/1905, p. 3. "He as a member of the State Senate during the eventful period of Governor Coke's first administration. . .He was a staunch Democrat, and in the councils of his party he was regarded as one of its ablest and wisest leaders." Galveston Daily News .
Mentioned on p. 51 of The Poll Tax, Suffrage, and the Making of the Texas Constitution of 1876, by John Walker Maurer, B.A., Thesis in History, December 1973. [Note: 9 MB file] Texas Tech University Libraries .
Biographical sketch, p. 189. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.