Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
H	62	Jan 13, 1885 - Jan 11, 1887	19th	Democrat	Groesbeck / Limestone	Speaker	Falls, Limestone, McLennan
H	62	Jan 9, 1883 - Jan 13, 1885	18th ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	Groesbeck / Limestone		Falls, Limestone, McLennan
H	42	Jan 11, 1881 - Jan 9, 1883	17th ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾	Democrat	Groesbeck / Limestone		Limestone

(1) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Eighteenth Legislature of Texas, 1883.
(2) "The entire democratic ticket to be elected by majorities ranging from 500 to 800 . . . L.L. Foster, editor of the Era, is elected representative," 11/17/1880. Galveston Daily News.
(3) Democrat, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
(4) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Selected Newspaper articles

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch. American Legislative Leaders, 1850-1910, 1989.
FOSTER, LAFAYETTE LUMPKIN (1851-1901). Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch, L.L. Foster, pp. 4-5. "He has the honor of being the youngest man ever elected Speaker of the House in Texas." Personnel of the Texas State Government for 1885, 19th Legislature, 1885.
Portrait and biographical sketch, L.L. Foster, Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics and History, pp. 31-33. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 20th Legislature, 1887.
Brief biographical sketch, L.L. Foster, Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics and History, p. 97. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 21st Legislature, 1889.
Portrait and biographical sketch, L.L. Foster, Railroad Commissioner, pp. 102-104. Born 11/27/1851 near Cumming, Forsyth County, Georgia. "The Twenty-second Legislature having created a commission to regulate the charges and operation of railway corporations in Texas, Mr. Foster was, May 4, 1891, appointed by Governor Hogg one of the three commissioners provided for by the act and is now filling that position." Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Representative Men of Texas, 22nd Legislature, 1892.
28th Speaker of the House of Representatives: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster. Photo and biographical sketch. Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2016, 2016.
Biographical sketch, p. 263. Texas Legislative Manual, 1882-83, 1883.
Biographical sketch, L.L. Foster, President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, pp. 31-32. The Twenty-Seventh Legislature and State Administration of Texas, 1901.
Biographical sketch, pp. 156-157. Elected by the people of the 52nd district [sic] in 1880, 1882, and 1884. Year Book for Texas, 1901, 1902.

Other Resources

Railroad Commissioners Past through Present, with dates of service. Railroad Commission of Texas.

Photographs

Photograph. L.L. Foster, 19th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. L.L. Foster, 18th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. L.L. Foster, 17th Legislature, Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Photograph. Lafayette Lumpkin Foster, Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2006

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

18th session composite photo of House members (House chamber vestibule, east wall. 2W.V1). State Preservation Board.
19th session composite photo of House members (House chamber vestibule, west wall. 2W.V1). State Preservation Board.
17th session composite photo of House members (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Committee Information top

18th R.S. - 1883 Comptroller's and Treasurer's Office, Examine Educational Affairs Finance Internal Improvements Memorial Services for Hon. W.H. Tucker of Anderson and Hon. A.J. Leo of Hidalgo Public Printing (Chair) Public Roads, Bridges and Ferries Texas Siftings Publication, Select
17th R.S. - 1881 Department of Public Education, Select Educational Affairs Enrolled Bills Finance Printing and Binding Reports of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Public Printing

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.