The Sixteenth Texas Legislature met from 14 January to 9 July 1879 in its regular session and one called session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1878 General Election.

Sessions

• 16th Regular session: 14 January–24 April 1879
• 16th First called session: 10 June–9 July 1879

Senate

Lieutenant Governor

Joseph Draper Sayers

Joseph D. Sayers

Joseph Draper Sayers was the 22nd Governor of Texas from 1899 to 1903. During Sayers's term, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 demolished that city.- Early years :...

, Democrat

President pro tempore

Edwin Hobby, Democrat, Regular session, ad interim

Leonidas Jefferson Storey, Democrat, First called session

Members

Members of the Sixteenth Texas Legislature as of the beginning of the Regular Session, 14 January 1879:

Senate

District	Senator	Party	Took office
1 Texas Senate, District 1 District 1 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Titus, Upshur and Wood counties and a portion of Smith county in the U.S. state of Texas...	Edwin Hobby	Democrat	1874
2 Texas Senate, District 2 District 2 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Delta, Fannin, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Rockwall and Van Zandt counties, and portions of Dallas and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 2 is Robert F...	Peyton Forbes Edwards		1876
3 Texas Senate, District 3 District 3 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby and Tyler counties, and portions of Montgomery and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	John W. Motley		1876
4 Texas Senate, District 4 District 4 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Liberty and Orange counties, and portions of Chambers, Harris, Jefferson and Montgomery counties in the southeastern portion of the state of Texas...	Walter Riptoe	Republican	1876
5 Texas Senate, District 5 District 5 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves Brazos, Burleson, Freestone, Grimes, Houston, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Trinity, Walker and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	William H. Tilson		1879
6 Texas Senate, District 6 District 6 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 6 is Mario Gallegos, Jr. who has served since 1995.-2004:-2002:-1998:...	William Jesse Swain		1879
7 Texas Senate, District 7 District 7 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 7 is Dan Patrick.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:-1994:...	John Martin Duncan		1879
8 Texas Senate, District 8 District 8 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Collin and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 8 is Florence Shapiro.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	John Young Gooch		1879
9 Texas Senate, District 9 District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 9 is Chris Harris.-2004:-2002:-2000:...	Charles D. Grace		1876
10 Texas Senate, District 10 District 10 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Tarrant county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 10 is Wendy Davis.-2008:-2004:-2002:-2000:...	John C. Buchanan		1879
11 Texas Senate, District 11 District 11 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 11 is Mike Jackson.-2004:-2002:-1998:...	William Blassingame William Blassingame William Blassingame was a politician serving in the Texas legislature and as a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875...		1876
12 Texas Senate, District 12 District 12 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 12 is Jane Nelson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	William D. Lair	Democrat	1879 (Prior: 1861–1863)
13 Texas Senate, District 13 District 13 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Fort Bend and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 13 is Rodney Ellis.-2006:-2002:-1998:-1994:...	Robert S. Guy		1876
14 Texas Senate, District 14 District 14 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Travis county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 14 is Kirk Watson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:-1994:...	Francis Marion Martin	Democrat	1879 (Prior: 1859–1861)
15 Texas Senate, District 15 District 15 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 15 is John Whitmire.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Thomas J. McCulloch		1876
16 Texas Senate, District 16 District 16 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 16 is John J. Carona.-2008:-2004:-2004:-2002:-1998:...	James R. Burnett		1876
17 Texas Senate, District 17 District 17 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Senator Kyle Janek announced his resignation on May 29, 2008. Governor Rick Perry called for a special...	Walter Moses Burton	Republican	1874
18 Texas Senate, District 18 District 18 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Caldwell, Calhoun, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria, Waller, Washington and Wharton counties and a western portion of Fort Bend...	Charles Stewart Charles Stewart (Texas politician) Charles Stewart was a U.S. Representative from Texas.-Biography:Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Stewart moved to Texas in 1845 with his parents, who settled in Galveston. He attended the common schools, and later studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1854 and commenced the practice of law in...		1879
19 Texas Senate, District 19 District 19 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Bandera, Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler counties, and portions...	Andrew Phelps McCormick Andrew Phelps McCormick Andrew Phelps McCormick was a United States federal judge.Born in what later became Brazoria County, Texas , McCormick received an A.B. from Centre College in 1854 and read law in 1855. He was in private practice in Brazoria, Texas from 1855 to 1861, becoming a Texas district judge in 1856...	Republican	1876
20 Texas Senate, District 20 District 20 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Brooks, Jim Wells and Nueces counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 20 is Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.-2004:...	William Kercheval Homan		1879
21 Texas Senate, District 21 District 21 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Atascosa, Bee, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, Karnes, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala counties and a portion of Bexar county in the U.S. state of Texas...	William M. Brown William M. Brown William M. Brown was a Republican Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and an electee to the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania....		1876
22 Texas Senate, District 22 District 22 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Bosque, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Hill, Hood, Johnson, McLennan, Navarro and Somervell counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	John W. Moore	Democrat	1876 (Prior: 1861–1865)
23 Texas Senate, District 23 District 23 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 23 is Royce West.-2004:-2002:-1998:-1994:-1992:...	William R. Shannon	Democrat	1879 (Prior: 1865–1867)
24 Texas Senate, District 24 District 24 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Bell, Blanco, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Gillespie, Hamilton, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Mills, San Saba and Taylor counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Jewett H. Davenport		1879 (Prior: 1874–1876)
25 Texas Senate, District 25 District 25 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties, and portions of Bexar and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Alexander Watkins Terrell	Democrat	1876
26 Texas Senate, District 26 District 26 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Bexar county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 26 is Leticia R. Van de Putte.-2004:-2002:-2000:...	William Hamilton Ledbetter		1874
27 Texas Senate, District 27 District 27 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 27 is Eddie Lucio, Jr.....	Samuel C. Patton		1879
28 Texas Senate, District 28 District 28 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Armstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Coke, Collingsworth, Concho, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hardeman, Haskell, Hockley, Irion, Jones, Kent,...	Ellsberry R. Lane		1876
29 Texas Senate, District 29 District 29 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of El Paso county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 29 is Eliot Shapleigh.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	John Salmon “Rip” Ford John Salmon Ford John Salmon Ford , better known as "Rip" Ford, was a member of the Republic of Texas Congress and later of the State Senate, and mayor of Brownsville, Texas. He was also a Texas Ranger, a Confederate colonel, and a journalist...	Democrat	1876 (Prior: 1851–1853)
30 Texas Senate, District 30 District 30 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Shackelford, Stephens, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise and Young counties, and portions of Collin and Denton counties in the U.S....	Augustus W. Houston	Democrat	1879
31 Texas Senate, District 31 District 31 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Andrews, Bailey, Cochran, Crane, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Ector, Gaines, Glasscock, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Howard, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Martin, Midland, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts,...	Leonidas Jefferson Storey	Democrat	1876

House of Representatives

• Benjamin M. Baker
• Thomas Beck
• William Bell
• Guy Morrison Bryan
• William Clemens
• John Hughes Cochran
• James N. English
• R. J. Evans
• George Finlay
• Jacob E. Freeman
• Samuel Frost
• Caleb Jackson Garrison
• Charles Reese Gibson
• Bedford G. Guy
• William Kercheval Homan
• Elias Mayes
• George Pickett
• Joseph Benjamin Polley
• Alonzo Sledge
• Ashbel Smith
  Ashbel Smith
  Ashbel Smith was a pioneer physician, diplomat and official of the Republic of Texas, Confederate officer and first President of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas.-Early life:...
  
  
• Felix Ezell Smith
• M. D. K. Taylor
  M. D. K. Taylor
  Marion DeKalb Taylor or M. D. K. Taylor was an American politician in Alabama and Texas, as well as a general in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. He was a member of the Alabama Legislature for two stints between 1842 and 1846, and served in both the Texas House of...
  
  
• Robert H. Taylor
• Benjamin Franklin Williams
• Charles Louis Wurzbach

Membership Changes

District	Outgoing Senator	Reason for Vacancy	Successor	Date of Successor's Installation
District 1 Texas Senate, District 1 District 1 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Titus, Upshur and Wood counties and a portion of Smith county in the U.S. state of Texas...	Edwin Hobby	Hobby resigned 10 July 1879.	Vacant
District 2 Texas Senate, District 2 District 2 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Delta, Fannin, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Rockwall and Van Zandt counties, and portions of Dallas and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 2 is Robert F...	Peyton Forbes Edwards	resigned 4 December 1871.	Vacant
District 15 Texas Senate, District 15 District 15 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 15 is John Whitmire.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Thomas J. McCulloch	McCulloch resigned 3 September 1879.	Vacant
District 16 Texas Senate, District 16 District 16 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 16 is John J. Carona.-2008:-2004:-2004:-2002:-1998:...	James R. Burnett	Burnett resigned 9 October 1879.	John T. Buchanan	after 17 February 1880
District 19 Texas Senate, District 19 District 19 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Bandera, Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler counties, and portions...	Andrew Phelps McCormick Andrew Phelps McCormick Andrew Phelps McCormick was a United States federal judge.Born in what later became Brazoria County, Texas , McCormick received an A.B. from Centre College in 1854 and read law in 1855. He was in private practice in Brazoria, Texas from 1855 to 1861, becoming a Texas district judge in 1856...	McCormick resigned 12 April 1879.	Robert Gould Street	10 June 1879
District 20 Texas Senate, District 20 District 20 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Brooks, Jim Wells and Nueces counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 20 is Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.-2004:...	William Kercheval Homan	Homan resigned 9 July 1879.	William Kercheval Homan	after 17 February 1880
District 29 Texas Senate, District 29 District 29 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of El Paso county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 29 is Eliot Shapleigh.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	John Salmon “Rip” Ford John Salmon Ford John Salmon Ford , better known as "Rip" Ford, was a member of the Republic of Texas Congress and later of the State Senate, and mayor of Brownsville, Texas. He was also a Texas Ranger, a Confederate colonel, and a journalist...	Ford resigned 30 August 1879.	Vacant

District 16

Texas Senate, District 16

District 16 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 16 is John J. Carona.-2008:-2004:-2004:-2002:-1998:...

: Buchanan was elected in special election 17 February 1880 District 20

Texas Senate, District 20

District 20 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Brooks, Jim Wells and Nueces counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 20 is Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.-2004:...

: Homan was reelected in special election 17 February 1880