Walter Moses Burton (August 9, 1840 – June 4, 1913) was a farmer, sheriff, and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician who served four terms in the

Texas State 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 con ...

. Born into slavery in

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 ...

in 1840, he was brought to Texas about 1850. His owner, Thomas Burke Burton, a plantation owner in

Fort Bend County Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded in 1837 and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in early days. Th ...

, taught him to read and write. After emancipation, he purchased several tracts of land from his former owner. He became active in Republican party politics and was elected as the sheriff and tax collector in

in 1869. He was the first Black elected sheriff in the United States. He was first elected to the Fourteenth Legislature in 1874 and served almost continually until 1883. After leaving office, he returned to farming, but continued to be active in the Republican party until his death in 1913. He is buried in the Morton Cemetery in

Richmond, Texas Richmond is a city in and the county seat of Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. The city is located within the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city population was 11,627. It is home to the founders of the former company O ...

.Merline Pitre
Burton, Walter Moses
Handbook of Texas Online, accessed March 24, 2022. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. See also the Jaybird-Woodpecker War.

References

External links

Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Walter BurtonHandbook of Texas Online - Walter Moses Burton
: ttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28126919 Findagrave - Walter Moses Burtonbr>Walter Moses Burton (1829?-1913)The Illuminating History of Walter Burton
Republican Party Texas state senators 1840 births 1913 deaths American freedmen 19th-century American politicians African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era African-American state legislators in Texas 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century American politicians African-American men in politics Farmers from Texas African-American sheriffs Texas sheriffs {{Texas-politician-stub