| Walter Moses Burton | |
| Office: | Texas State Senator from District 17 (Fort Bend, Waller, and Wharton Counties) |
| Term Start: | April 18, 1876 |
| Term End: | January 9, 1883 |
| Office2: | Texas State Senator from District 13 (Austin, Fort Bend, and Wharton Counties) |
| Term Start2: | February 20, 1874 |
| Term End2: | April 18, 1876 |
| Party: | Republican |
| Birth Date: | August 9, 1840 |
| Death Date: | June 4, 1913 |
| Death Place: | Richmond, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting Place: | Morton Cemetery |
| Birth Place: | North Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Residence: | Fort Bend County, Texas |
Walter Moses Burton (August 9, 1840 – June 4, 1913) was a farmer, sheriff, and Republican politician who served four terms in the Texas State Senate. Born into slavery in North Carolina in 1840, he was brought to Texas about 1850. His owner, Thomas Burke Burton, a plantation owner in Fort Bend County, taught him to read and write. After emancipation, he purchased several tracts of land from his former owner. He became active in Republican party politics and was elected as the sheriff and tax collector in Fort Bend County in 1869. He was the first Black elected sheriff in the United States. He was first elected to the Fourteenth Legislature in 1874 and served almost continually until 1883. After leaving office, he returned to farming, but continued to be active in the Republican party until his death in 1913. He is buried in the Morton Cemetery in Richmond, Texas.[1]
Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Walter Burton
Handbook of Texas Online - Walter Moses Burton
Findagrave - Walter Moses Burton
Walter Moses Burton (1829?-1913)
The Illuminating History of Walter Burton