20th Texas Legislature

The 20th Texas Legislature met from January 11 to April 4, 1887, in regular session, and from April 16 to May 15, 1888, in a called session. All members of the House of Representatives and a portion of the members of the Senate were elected in the 1886 general election.

## Sessions

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* 20th Regular session: January 11, 1887 – April 4, 1887
* 20th First called session: April 16, 1888 – May 15, 1888

## Party summary

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### House of Representatives

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Affiliation  | Members  | Note

|
|

Democratic Party | 91  |
Republican Party | 2  |
People's Party | 1  |
Total | 94 |

## Officers

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### Senate

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* Lieutenant Governor: Thomas Benton Wheeler, Democrat
* President pro tempore:
* William Henry Pope, Democrat, Regular session[1]
* Caleb J. Garrison, Democrat, Regular session[2]
* John Woods, Democrat, First called session

### House of Representatives

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* Speaker of the House: George C. Pendleton, Democrat

^ Source material was unclear in which order the two Presidents pro tempore served.

## Members

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Members of the Twentieth Texas Legislature as of the beginning of the Regular Session, January 11, 1887:

### Senate

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District  | Senator  | Party  | Took office

|
|
|

1 | William L. Douglass |  | 1885
2 | Caleb Jackson Garrison | Democrat  | 1885
3 | William Henry Pope | Democrat  | 1883
4 | William Thomas Armistead | Democrat  | 1887
5 | Samuel D. Stinson |  | 1885
6 | John Lafayette Camp, Jr. |  | 1885
7 | Alexander White Gregg |  | 1887
8 | William W. Davis |  | 1887
9 | Leonard Anderson Abercrombie | Democrat  | 1887
10 | John M. Claiborne |  | 1887
11 | John Woods | Democrat  | 1885
12 | Hermann Knittel |  | 1885
13 | Jonathan Lane | Democrat  | 1887
14 | Scott Field |  | 1887
15 | Eldred James Simkins |  | 1887
16 | J. O. Terrell | Democrat  | 1885
17 | William Allen |  | 1887
18 | Elbridge G. Douglass |  | 1887
19 | Temple Lea Houston | Democrat  | 1885
20 | James Jones Jarvis | Democrat  | 1887
21 | Samuel C. Upshaw |  | 1887
22 | Richard H. Harrison |  | 1885
23 | Charles Keith Bell |  | 1885
24 | George Washington Glasscock, Jr. | Democrat  | 1885
25 | William Henry Burges | Democrat  | 1887 (Prior: 1881–1883)
26 | William H. Woodward |  | 1887
27 | Francis E. MacManus |  | 1887
28 | Robert Hance Burney |  | 1887
29 | James Henry Calhoun |  | 1885
30 | Louis N. Frank |  | 1887
31 | Henry D. McDonald |  | 1887

### House of Representatives

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District  | Representative  | City  | County  | Party  | Took Office

|
|
|
|
|

1 | Hugh Jackson | Wallisville | Jefferson | Democrat  | 1887
2 | Talvus Wilson | Dodge | San Jacinto | Democrat  | 1887
3 | Delana Tompkins | Emilee | Tyler | Democrat  | 1887
4 | J. Gilleland | Mott | Nacogdoches | Democrat  | 1887
5 | John H. Truit | Timpson | Shelby | Democrat  | 1887
6 | Robert Teague Milner | Henderson | Rusk | Democrat  | 1887
7 | J. Ras Jones | Pinehill | Panola | Democrat  | 1885
8 | George A. Newton | Mount Selman | Cherokee | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1883–1885)
9 | Bedford Parks | Kickapoo | Anderson | Democrat  | 1887
10 | William Larkin | Athens | Henderson | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1879–1881)
11 | N. M. Harrison | Gilmer | Upshur | Democrat  | 1887
12 | Horatio L. Tate | Lindale | Smith | Democrat  | 1885
13 | William Page | Crockett | Houston | Democrat  | 1885
14 | Alexander Pope | Marshall | Harrison | Democrat  | 1887
15 | Tom Davis | Center | Shelby | Democrat  | 1887
16 | Lucius Whatley | Atlanta | Cass | Democrat  | 1887
17[3] | William Hudgins | Texarkana | Bowie | Democrat  | 1887
William Skinner | Daingerfield | Morris | Democrat  | 1887
18 | James Clark | Walnut Grove | Red River | Democrat  | 1887
19 | John Stringer | Mount Vernon | Franklin | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1883–1885)
20 | James M. Biard | Biardstown | Lamar | Democrat  | 1887
21 | Andrew Nicholson | Honey Grove | Fannin | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1874–1876)
22 | James Sadler | Dodd City | Lamar | Democrat  | 1887
23 | George Patterson | Ben Franklin | Lamar | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1874–1876)
24 | John Melson | Sulphur Springs | Hopkins | Democrat  | 1887
25 | Frank P. Alexander | Greenville | Hunt | Democrat  | 1885
26 | John Currey | Canton | Van Zandt | Democrat  | 1887
27[4] | John Tolbert | Howe | Grayson | Democrat  | 1887
Free Utiger | Denison | Grayson | Democrat  | 1887
28 | James B. Wright | McKinney | Collin | Democrat  | 1887
29 | George Huling | Lebanon | Collin | Democrat  | 1887
30 | Samuel H. Hargis | Gainesville | Cooke | Democrat  | 1887
31 | Robert V. Bell | Gainesville | Grayson | Democrat  | 1887
32 | Charles C. Bell | Denton | Denton | Democrat  | 1885
33[5] | Joseph C. Rugel | Mesquite | Dallas | Democrat  | 1887
Jesse Strong | Dallas | Dallas | Democrat  | 1887
34 | Elihu Newton | Bransford | Tarrant | Democrat  | 1887
35 | Ephraim Heath | Rockwall | Rockwall | Democrat  | 1887
36 | Samuel Chapman | Stubblefield | Johnson | Democrat  | 1887
37 | William Wood | Bristol | Ellis | Democrat  | 1887
38 | Charles Christenberry | Hubbard City | Hill | Democrat  | 1887
39 | George Groce | Waxahachie | Ellis | Democrat  | 1887
40[6] | William McGaughey | Granbury | Hood | Democrat  | 1885
W. Smith | Cranfills Gap | Bosque | Democrat  | 1887
41 | Tully Fuller | Decatur | Wise | Democrat  | 1887
42 | Alexander Latimer | Mineral Wells | Palo Pinto | Democrat  | 1887
43 | James Browning | Mobeetie | Wheeler | Democrat  | 1883
44 | Felix G. Bransford | Newport | Montague | Democrat  | 1887
45 | John Humphreys | Aurora | Wise | Democrat  | 1887
46 | James Jarrott | Millsap | Parker | Democrat  | 1887
47 | Sanctus Waskom | Terrell | Kaufman | Democrat  | 1887
48 | Marlin Garner | Bremond | Robertson | Democrat  | 1887
49 | Clement M. Richardson | Leona | Leon | Democrat  | 1887
50 | Amos Buchanan | Bryan | Brazos | Democrat  | 1887
51 | William F. Sharp | Davilla | Milam | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1883–1885)
52 | Houston A.P. Bassett | Anderson | Grimes | Republican  | 1887
53 | J. Wesson Parker | Richmond | Fort Bend | Democrat  | 1887
54[7] | Gilford Clegg | Trinity | Trinity | Democrat  | 1887
John Kirlicks | Houston | Harris | Democrat  | 1887
Jesse McCaleb | Willis | Montgomery | Democrat  | 1887
55 | Jonathan Davis | Kosse | Falls | Democrat  | 1887
56 | George Cassety Pendleton | Belton | Bell | Democrat  | 1883
57 | James McKinney | Jones Prairie | Milam | Democrat  | 1885
58 | A. G. Camp, Jr. | Groesbeck | Limestone | Democrat  | 1883
59 | Robert Steele | Cotton Gin | Freestone | Democrat  | 1883
60 | Abel Gill | Purdon | Navarro | Democrat  | 1887
61 | Seth Mills | Waco | McLennan | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1879–1881)
62 | Albert Prendergast | Waco | McLennan | Democrat  | 1887
63 | Andrew Graves | Gatesville | Coryell | Democrat  | 1887
64 | Benjamin Rush Plumley | Galveston | Galveston | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1871–1873, 1881–1883)
65 | Walter Gresham | Galveston | Galveston | Democrat  | 1887
66 | Charles I. Battle | Spanish Camp | Wharton | Democrat  | 1887
67 | John Woolsey | Oakland | Colorado | Democrat  | 1887
68 | James Shelburne | Bellville | Austin | Democrat  | 1887
69 | George Humphreys | Bovine | Lavaca | Democrat  | 1887
70[8] | Wenzel Matejowsky | Nechanitz | Fayette | Republican  | 1887
James McGuire | Ledbetter | Fayette | Democrat  | 1887
71 | Robert J. Moore | Washington | Washington | People's Party  | 1883
72 | Thomas Hunt | Caldwell | Burleson | Democrat  | 1887
73 | John McClanahan | Lexington | Burleson | Democrat  | 1885
74 | Hiram Garwood | Bastrop | Bastrop | Democrat  | 1887
75[9] | E. Taylor Moore | Austin | Travis | Democrat  | 1885
Emory W. Smith | Merrilltown | Travis | Democrat  | 1887
76 | Alexander Northington | Lampasas | Lampasas | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1876–1879)
77 | John C.S. Baird | Thrifty | Brown | Democrat  | 1887
78 | James H. Faubion | Leander | Williamson | Democrat  | 1885
79 | Leonidas L. Shield | Trickham | Coleman | Democrat  | 1887
80 | George Wythe Baylor | Ysleta | El Paso | Democrat  | 1887
81 | John H. Clark | Uvalde | Uvalde | Democrat  | 1887
82 | James Cone | Union | Wilson | Democrat  | 1887
83[10] | Thomas W. Kennedy | Rio Grande City | Starr | Democrat  | 1885
Watterson Showalter | Laredo | Webb | Democrat  | 1887
84 | J. Haines | Junction City | Kimble | Democrat  | 1887
85 | Thomas A. Blair | Oakville | Live Oak | Democrat  | 1887
86[11] | John Light | Sayers | Bexar | Democrat  | 1887
David Robinson | San Antonio | Bexar | Democrat  | 1887
87[12] | Jonathan Payne | Goliad | Goliad | Democrat  | 1887 (prior: 1873–1874)
George Staples | Edna | Jackson | Democrat  | 1887
88 | Francis Latham | Brownsville | Cameron | Democrat  | 1883 (prior: 1855–1859)
89 | Carl Goeth | Cypress Mill | Blanco | Democrat  | 1887
90 | Joseph Boothe | Gonzales | Gonzales | Democrat  | 1887
91[13] | Jacob Ellison | Martindale | Caldwell | Democrat  | 1887
George McGehee | San Marcos | Hays | Democrat  | 1887
92 | Nelson Dolen | Houston | Harris | Democrat  | 1887
93 | William C. "Cone" Johnson | Tyler | Smith | Democrat  | 1887
94 | John Voorhees | Andrews | Wood | Democrat  | 1887

^ Source material was unclear in which order the representatives served or if they served concurrently.

## Membership changes

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### Senate

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District  | Outgoing
Senator  | Reason for Vacancy  | Successor  | Date of Successor's Installation

|
|
|
|

District 22 | Richard H. Harrison | Harrison resigned April 20, 1887.  | Waller Saunders Baker[14] | April 16, 1888

* ^ District 22: Baker elected in special election June 4, 1887.

### House of Representatives

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District  | Outgoing Representative  | Reason for Vacancy  | Successor  | Date of Successor's Installation

|
|
|
|

District 45 | John Humphreys | Representative Humphreys resigned after end of regular session (April 4, 1887).  | Joel W. Booth[15] | April 16, 1888
District 46 | James Jarrott | Representative Jarrott resigned between sessions.  | None  |
District 64 | Benjamin Rush Plumley | Representative Plumley died on December 9, 1887.  | Guy Morrison Bryan | May 2, 1888
District 81 | John H. Clark | Representative Clark resigned on June 4, 1888.  | None  |
District 86 | David Robinson | Representative Robinson resigned after end of First called session (May 15, 1888).  | None  |

* ^ District 45: Special election held June 4, 1887, Joel W. Booth declared winner and sworn in at beginning of First called session.

## External links

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* Texas Legislature Online
* Texas Senate
* Texas House of Representatives
* Election Results from the Office of the Secretary of State
* Legislative Reference Library

* v
* t
* e

Texas State Legislatures (and year convened)

* 1 (1846)
* 2 (1847)
* 3 (1849)
* 4 (1851)
* 5 (1853)
* 6 (1855)
* 7 (1857)
* 8 (1859)
* 9 (1861)
* 10 (1863)
* 11 (1866)†
* 12 (1870)†
* 13 (1873)†
* 14 (1874)†
* 15 (1876)†
* 16 (1879)
* 17 (1881)
* 18 (1883)
* 19 (1885)
* 20 (1887)
* 21 (1889)
* 22 (1891)
* 23 (1893)
* 24 (1895)
* 25 (1897)
* 26 (1899)
* 27 (1901)
* 28 (1903)
* 29 (1905)
* 30 (1907)
* 31 (1909)
* 32 (1911)
* 33 (1913)
* 34 (1915)
* 35 (1917)
* 36 (1919)
* 37 (1921)
* 38 (1923)
* 39 (1925)
* 40 (1927)
* 41 (1929)
* 42 (1931)
* 43 (1933)
* 44 (1935)
* 45 (1937)
* 46 (1939)
* 47 (1941)
* 48 (1943)
* 49 (1945)
* 50 (1947)
* 51 (1949)
* 52 (1951)
* 53 (1953)
* 54 (1955)
* 55 (1957)
* 56 (1959)
* 57 (1961)
* 58 (1963)
* 59 (1965)
* 60 (1967)
* 61 (1969)
* 62 (1971)
* 63 (1973)
* 64 (1975)
* 65 (1977)
* 66 (1979)
* 67 (1981)
* 68 (1983)
* 69 (1985)
* 70 (1987)
* 71 (1989)
* 72 (1991)
* 73 (1993)
* 74 (1995)
* 75 (1997)
* 76 (1999)
* 77 (2001)
* 78 (2003)
* 79 (2005)
* 80 (2007)
* 81 (2009)
* 82 (2011)
* 83 (2013)
* 84 (2015)
* 85 (2017)
* 86 (2019)
* 87 (2021)
* 88 (2023)
* 89 (2025)

†Timing of elections and sessions affected by the Civil War and Reconstruction
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