Howell Washington Runnels, Sr.

Howell Washington Runnels Sr. (1823–1895) was a Texan politician who served as the 6th and 7th representative for Texas House of Representatives, District 1.

Life Runnels was born in Mississippi on March 31, 1823 to Patsy Darden and Hardin D. Runnels. In 1842, his family immigrated to Texas, including Howell's 3 brothers, Hardin, Edmond, and Hiram. They all assumed leading positions in the Texas state government. Runnels eventually married someone Martha Caroline Adams on October 1, 1859, in Harrison, Texas.

In the 1870 census, Runnels was listed as a store clerk in Boston, Texas. He was also listed with his wife and 5 children. Sometime in 1876, Runnels moved to Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, in Texarkana, Texas.

Politics He served as the representative for District 1 of the Texas House of Representatives from November 21, 1855 - November 7, 1859.