Walter Moses Burton

(August 9, 1840 - June 4, 1913) Born a slave in North Carolina, Walter Moses Burton was brought to Texas about 1860. At the end of the Civil War, he purchased land from his former owner, Thomas B. Burton, from whom he had also learned to read and write. Walter Burton became a successful farmer and in 1869 was elected sheriff of Fort Bend County. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 1873 and served four terms, representing Fort Bend, Wharton, Waller, and Austin counties. Retiring from the Senate in 1882, he returned to farming and remained active in local politics until his death. (1992)