Elisha Everett Lott (February 24, 1820 – January 17, 1864) was an American politician who served as a member of the

Texas Senate The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives functioning as the lower house. Together, they form the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the state of Texas. The Senate ...

from 1853 to 1861. He is remembered primarily for his vigorous opposition to the Cherokee Land Bill of 1844.

Early years

Lott was born in

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

on February 24, 1820, the son of John Lott.

Career

In 1842, Lott was elected as a representative in the Eighth Texas Congress, replacing

Isaac Van Zandt Isaac Van Zandt (July 10, 1813 – October 11, 1847) was a political leader in the Republic of Texas. Van Zandt County, Texas, was named in his honor. Early life Van Zandt was born on July 10, 1813, in Franklin County, Tennessee, to Jacob and ...

. In addition to his opposition to the Cherokee Land Bill of 1844, Lott is known for serving on the official 1846 commission that laid out the boundaries of

Smith County, Texas Smith County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,479. Its county seat is Tyler. Smith County is named for James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution. Smith County is part of the Tyl ...

, and selected the city of Tyler as the county seat. For this reason, he is sometimes called the founder of Smith County. He represented Smith County in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

from 1847 until 1853 and in the

from 1857 until 1861. His constituents asked that he run for

governor of Texas The governor of Texas is the head of state of the U.S. state of Texas. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the government of Texas and is the commander-in-chief of the Texas Military Forces. Established in the Constit ...

in 1857, but he declined. Lott was also Tyler's first postmaster, a position he held from 1847 until 1850. He served as a delegate to the national Democratic convention at

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

in 1852. Lott resigned from the Legislature in 1861 to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

Personal life

At the age of 20, he married Mary E. Lott and the couple moved to

Harrison County, Texas Harrison County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 68,839. The county seat is Marshall. The county was created in 1839 and organized in 1842. It is named for J ...

. After the death of his first wife, he married Anna Cook in 1856. His health failed due to overexertion on the battlefront, and he died on January 17, 1864, at his home in Starrville, north of Tyler, and was buried there. His wife Anna and their five children survived him. He was a Mason and a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

Sources

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East Texas Genealogical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lott, Elisha Everett 1820 births 1864 deaths Texas state senators Members of the Texas House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Texas Legislature