Walter Gresham, biography c. 1912
[from Notables of the Southwest]
 
 
 
 
  Source: Press Reference Library (Southwest ed.). Notables of the Southwest, Being the Portraits and Biographies of Progressive Men of the Southwest. Los Angeles, Cal: Los Angeles Examiner, 1912.
 
     
     
 

GRESHAM, WALTER, Attorney-at-law, Galveston, Texas, was born July 22, 1841, in King and Queen County, Virginia, the son of Edward Gresham and lsabella (Mann) Gresham. He married Josephine C. Mann at Galveston, October 28, 1868. There were born nine children, Edward (deceased), Estha, Walter (deceased), William (deceased), Josephine C., T. Dew, Frank S., Beulah and Philip. Prior to 1857, he attended the Stevensville Academy in his native county, then entered Edgehill Academy, remaining until early in 1861, when he enlisted in the Confederate Army. He quit the army and entered the University of Virginia, but re-enlisted the following spring. After a year he returned to the University and stayed there until he received his degree of B.L., June, 1863. A third time he joined the Confederate forces and remained until the surrender at Appomatox in 1865, serving in the 9th and 24th Virginia Cavalry.

The year following the war's close he went to Galveston and began law practice, taking an active part in politics. He served in the 20th, 21st and 22d Legislatures of Texas and the 53d Congress, securing the Congressional appropriation which made Galveston a deep water port. He was on the committee which formulated the commission form of government for Galveston and obtained from the Legislature the tax donation, which provided that city's protective works against floods. He was President Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress and Vice President National Rivers and Harbors Congress. Mr. Gresham was in various partnerships, the last being with his son Walter, who died in 1905. ln addition to his legal practice, he is president of the Galveston and Western Railway, and formerly second vice president and director of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway and director of the Galveston, La Porte and Houston Railway.

 
     
     
     
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Text and images were digitized and proofread from the original source documents by Murry Hammond. Contact Murry for all corrections and contributions of new material.