Leonidas Jefferson Storey (October 6, 1834 – March 28, 1909) was an American politician and military officer who served as the 13th
lieutenant governor of Texas
The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...
from 1881 to 1883. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, he served in both houses of the
Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ar ...
from 1873 to 1881.
Biography
Leonidas Jefferson Storey was born on October 6, 1834, to John Thompson and Lucy (née McLester) Storey in Chattooga County, Georgia near Summerville. Margaret (née Thompson) and Edward Storey, both of old families of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, were his paternal grandparents. His mother's parents, John and Araminta McLester, were of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. John T. and Edward Storey both fought in the War of 1812–1815, serving in the same regiment when the former was seventeen years of age. His father later moved from North Carolina to
Jackson County, Georgia
Jackson County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,485. The county seat is Jefferson.
Jackson County comprises the Jefferson, GA Micropolitan Statistical A ...
Georgia Legislature
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directl ...
and was a member of the Whig party. In 1845, the family moved to Gonzales, and two years later, to
Lockhart Lockhart may refer to:
*Lockhart (surname)
Places
Australia
*Lockhart, New South Wales
*Lockhart River, Queensland
*Lockhart River, Western Australia
United States
*Lockhart, Alabama
*Lockhart, Florida
*Lockhart, Minnesota
*Lockhart, Sout ...
. Storey attended
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Sherman, Texas.Daniel Baker for one term, which he passed. He returned home due to sickness, and later began to read law in Lockhart in 1858, under Rogan and Whitis. He married Lucinda J. Ellison a year later and had ten children with her.
Before the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Storey earnestly opposed and canvassed against
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
first lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
of B Company.
From January 14, 1873, to April 18, 1876, Storey represented the 27th district, which included the county of Caldwell, in the
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
. After his tenure in the house, he was a member of the
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per co ...
from 1876 to 1881, representing
District 31
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
.
In 1880, Storey was elected as the 13th lieutenant governor of Texas. He served in the office from January 18, 1881, to January 16, 1883, before leaving after a single term. Governor Jim Hogg appointed Storey to the
Railroad Commission of Texas
The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC; also sometimes called the Texas Railroad Commission, TRC) is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surf ...
in 1892, eventually becoming chairman on January 20, 1903. He held the position until his death on March 28, 1909, at the age of 74.