Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	11	Apr 18, 1876 - Jan 11, 1881	15th (2)   16th (1)	Democrat	Sandusky / Grayson		Cooke, Grayson

(1) Democrat, 1/14/1879, p. 1. Galveston Daily News.
(2) 15th Legislature - All Senators except District 7 listed in roll call as Senators elect, oath of office administered, 4/18/1876, p. 1; Drawing of Senatorial Terms, 4/27/1876, p. 98, drew "long term" (four years). Senate Journal. April 14, 1876 April 27, 1876

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Biographical Sketches

• Biographical sketch, pp. 21-22. Sketches of Legislators and State Officers, Fifteenth Legislature, 1876-1878, 1876.
• Biographical sketch, p. 242. Born 1/13/1836 in Greenville, South Carolina. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879.
• Biographical sketch, p. 221. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

Military Service Notes

• Confederate States Army, Private, entered in May 1861. Assistant surgeon in General McCulloch's Missouri campaign; at the re-organization, transferred to the Indian Department; served as assistant surgeon until the surrender. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879.

Other Resources

• William Blassingame, birth date 1/13/1836 in Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina, died 1912 in Grayson County, Texas. Spouse Etta S. Armstrong, married 1865 in Grayson County. Residence in Grayson County (1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910). Grimes-Cross-Jones Family Tree. Ancestry.com.
• Census of 1880 - William Blasingame, Grayson County, age 44, born circa 1836 in South Carolina, laborer, wife Etta S.
  Census of 1900 - W. Blasengame, Grayson County, age 64, born January 1836 in South Carolina, doctor, wife Ella S.
  Census of 1910 - William Blassingame, Grayson County, age 74, born circa 1836 in South Carolina, farmer, wife Etta S. FamilySearch. 1880 1900 1910
• Delegate to Constitutional Convention, 1875. Included in Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas: Begun and Held at the City of Austin Texas. Constitutional Convention (1875). Galveston : Printed for the Convention at the "News" Office, 1875, pp. 3-4. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin), 2009.

Photographs

• Photograph. W. Blassingame, 15th Legislature, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. W. Blassingame, Constitutional Convention of 1875 Composite Photo. From the collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commisison.

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

• 15th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate Sergeant-at-arms office, west wall. 2E.10A). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

16th R.S. - 1879 Educational Affairs   Federal Relations   Governor's Mansion   Indian Affairs and Frontier Protection   Penitentiaries, Subcommittee on   Penitentiary   Public Lands   Public Roads, Bridges and Ferries (Chair)  Retrenchment and Reform   State Asylums   Statistics of Industry, Public Health and History of Texas   Stock and Stock Raising

15th R.S. - 1876 Agricultural Affairs   Contingent Expenses   Indian Affairs and Frontier Protection   Public Buildings and Grounds   Public Roads, Bridges and Ferries (Chair)  State Affairs   State Asylums   Statistics of Industry, Public Health and History of Texas   Stock and Stock Raising