Representative William Bell Walton

William Bell Walton (January 23, 1871 – April 14, 1939) was an American lawyer, newspaper owner, and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New Mexico from 1917 to 1919. His congressional service occurred during a significant period in American history, as the United States entered and fought in World War I, and he participated in the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the interests of his New Mexico constituents.

Walton was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on January 23, 1871. He attended the public schools and later enrolled at the South Jersey Institute in Bridgeton, New Jersey, where he completed his formal education. In 1891 he moved to the Territory of New Mexico, a relocation that would shape the rest of his professional and political life. After arriving in New Mexico, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1893, commencing the practice of law in Deming, New Mexico.

Not long after beginning his legal career, Walton expanded his activities into journalism and local civic affairs. He became the owner of the Silver City Independent, a newspaper published in Silver City, New Mexico, and took up residence there. Through his work as a newspaper proprietor and attorney, he became a prominent figure in Grant County and territorial politics. Walton was elected to the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, serving as a member in 1901 and 1902. He then held local office as county clerk of Grant County from 1903 to 1906, further consolidating his role in regional public life.

Walton’s influence within the Democratic Party grew steadily in the years leading up to New Mexico’s transition from territory to statehood. In 1908 he was selected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, reflecting his rising standing in party councils. He went on to serve as chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Central Committee in 1910. In this capacity, he was deeply involved in organizing and directing Democratic political efforts in the territory. He subsequently traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby for New Mexico statehood and was a member of the New Mexico Constitutional Convention in 1911, helping to frame the basic law under which the new state would be governed.

Following the admission of New Mexico as a state in 1912, Walton continued his legislative career at the state level. He served in the New Mexico Senate from 1912 to 1916, participating in the early years of state governance and contributing to the establishment of New Mexico’s statutory framework. His record in territorial and state politics positioned him for national office, and in 1916 he successfully sought election to the United States House of Representatives.

Walton was elected as a Democrat at large from New Mexico to the Sixty-fifth Congress and served from March 4, 1917, to March 3, 1919. During his single term in Congress, he served as a Representative from New Mexico in the United States Congress and contributed to the legislative process at a time marked by the nation’s involvement in World War I and significant domestic policy debates. He did not seek renomination to the House in 1918, instead becoming a candidate for the United States Senate that year. His bid for a Senate seat was unsuccessful, and his service in the House concluded at the end of his term.

After leaving Congress, Walton returned to Grant County and resumed the practice of law in Silver City, New Mexico. He remained active in public affairs and the legal profession. On November 2, 1926, he was elected district attorney of New Mexico’s Sixth Judicial District. He was reelected in 1928 and served in that prosecutorial office until 1932. Alongside his legal work, he engaged in local development projects. In 1929, Walton hired El Paso architect Guy L. Fraser to design a six-unit apartment building on College Avenue in Silver City, directly across from what is now Western New Mexico University. Completed in 1931, the building, known as the Walton Apartments, was later placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Walton retired from active professional pursuits in 1934, concluding more than four decades of involvement in law, politics, and community affairs in New Mexico. He was married and had three children: Leona Walton Neblett, a talented concert violinist and violin teacher; Eda Lou Walton Mandel, a poet who served on the faculty of New York University and became head of its English Department; and William B. Walton Jr. William Bell Walton died in Silver City, New Mexico, on April 14, 1939. He was interred in the local Masonic Cemetery, leaving a legacy as a key figure in New Mexico’s transition from territory to state and as a participant in national legislative affairs during a pivotal era.