Benjamin O. Watrous
Texas politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benjamin O. Watrous(1819-?) was a wheelwright, minister, constitutional convention delegate, and state legislator in Texas. He was African American. He was known as Ben Carter when he was young. He was a Republican. He campaigned for a state senate seat in 1869 but lost to Matthew Gaines.[1]
He was born in McMinn County, Tennessee. He was enslaved.[2]
Carrie Watrous was his wife.[3] He was a member of the Union Loyal League and Texas House of Councils.[4]
He lost the vote to become speaker of the Texas House of Representatives by three votes.[4] He was one of 52 African-American men who were in the Texas legislature or were delegates to the 1868-1869 Texas Constitutional Convention.[5]
