Thomas Benton Wheeler

Thomas Benton Wheeler (born June 7, 1840 in Marshall County , Alabama , †  February 21, 1913 in San Antonio , Texas ) was an American politician . Between 1887 and 1891 he was lieutenant governor of the state of Texas.

Career

After his father's death in 1846, Thomas Wheeler moved with his mother to Hays County , Texas, in 1854 . During the civil war he served in the Confederation Army , in which he rose to captain. After a subsequent law degree and his admission as a lawyer, he began to work in Austin in this profession. In 1867, he became a district attorney in Travis County . After political disputes, he was expelled from this office by the military administration of the Union Armed Forces. Politically, he joined the Democratic Party . Between 1873 and 1877 he was mayor of the state capital Austin. In June 1876 he took part as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in St. Louis , at which Samuel J. Tilden was nominated as - subsequently unsuccessful - presidential candidate. From 1880 to 1886 he served as a judge in the 12th judicial district of his state.

In 1886 Wheeler was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas alongside Lawrence Sullivan Ross . He held this office between 1887 and 1891. He was Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Senate . He later bought land in the Aransas and Red Fish Bays area, where he was engaged in building a port. He died on February 21, 1913 while visiting San Antonio.

Web links

• Thomas Benton Wheeler in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• Thomas Benton Wheeler in the Handbook of Texas
• The Political Graveyard