A Short History of the Position
BEXAR COUNTY DISTRICT CLERK
This is an ongoing historical research project. We are attempting to obtain accurate dates and other historical details. We welcome contributions from everyone.
For Bexar County Courthouse history please visit The Hidalgo Foundation
and the Bexar County Historical Commission
Clerks of the District Courts have been elected since the beginning of the Republic. The Constitution of 1836 Article IV, Section 6 states, "The Clerks of the District Courts shall be elected by the qualified voters in the counties where the courts are established and shall hold their offices for four years, subject to removal by presentment of a grand jury, and conviction of a petit jury."
The Constitution of 1845, 1866 and 1868 changed the District Clerk´s term to 2 years. This was the law until the amendment in 1956 changing the term of office to 4 years. In 1837 there were 2 cases filed with the District Clerk while in 1970 there were 17,262 cases filed, and currently there are over 50,000 lawsuits filed each year.
| District Clerk Name | Date Took Office |
|---|---|
| Manuel Perez | May 1, 1837 |
| John R. Block | February 1, 1841 |
| James L. Truehart1 | March 4, 1841 |
| Rafael C. Garza | February 3, 1845 |
| John M. Carolan2 | July 17, 1846 |
| Nat Mitchell3 | August 4, 1862 |
| John A. Forbes4 | Fall 1865 |
| Conrad Seabough5 | August 12, 1865 |
| W. H. Jackson6 | June 26,1866 |
| Mortimer Slocum7 | November 5, 1867 |
| Samuel S. Smith | December 2, 1872 |
| George R. Dashiell | February 15, 1876 |
| Theordore Boldus | November 7, 1882 |
| George R. Dashiell | November 4, 1884 |
| Henry Umcheid | November. 4, 1892 |
| Nat Lewis | November 4, 1894 |
| George Surkey8 | November 4, 1900 |
| C. L. Nevil9 | November 3, 1904 |
| Andres Coy, Jr. | November 4, 1906 |
| Osceola Archer10 | January 1, 1917 |
| Howard Archer11 | 1925 |
| Hart McCormick | January 1, 1927 |
| Elton R. Cude | January 1, 1967 |
| Tom Rickhoff | January 1, 1980 |
| Herb Schaefer | 1981 |
| David J. Garcia | January 1, 1983 |
| Leticia Gonzalez | Pro Tempore December 1, 1997 |
| Mary L White | January 6, 1998 |
| Reagan Greer | January 1, 1999 |
| Margaret G. Montemayor | January 1, 2003 |
| Donna Kay McKinney | January 1, 2011 |
| 1 John James - Pro-Tem while Truehart was a prisoner of General Adrian Woll and incarcerated in Perote Prison in Mexico | |
| 2 Killed in Civil War | |
| 3 Appointed to fill seat, elected in 1862. Resigned Jan. 21, 1865) | |
| 4 Appointed by John H. Duncan, Judge, 4th Administrative District | |
| 5 Appointed by Provisional Governor A. J. Hamilton | |
| 6 Brigade General in Confederacy - elected | |
| 7 Appointed by General J. J. Reynolds | |
| 8 Appointed June 14, 1906. See "S. A. Light Thru the Years" 1976 for 1906 During this term Minutes of the Courts were in longhand and then typewriters were used. |
|
| 9 Died in office and succeeded by daughter, Alice Nevil, to finish term | |
| 10 Died in office in 1925 | |
| 11 Appointed to complete wife, Osceola´s, term | |