William B. Zinn | |
State Delegate: | Virginia |
District: | Preston County, Virginia |
Term Start: | December 1, 1823 |
Term End: | November 28, 1824 |
Preceded: | John Fairfax |
Alongside: | William Sigler |
Succeeded: | Benjamin Jeffries, Sr. |
State Delegate2: | Virginia |
District2: | Preston County, Virginia |
Term Start2: | December 4, 1826 |
Term End2: | December 6, 1829 |
Preceded2: | Benjamin Jeffries, Sr. |
Alongside2: | William Carroll Benjamin Shaw Guy R.C. Allen |
Succeeded2: | Benjamin Shaw |
State Delegate3: | Virginia |
District3: | Preston County, Virginia |
Term Start3: | December 6, 1830 |
Term End3: | December 2, 1832 |
Preceded3: | Guy R.C. Allen |
Succeeded3: | William Gay Brown, Sr. |
State Delegate4: | Virginia |
District4: | Preston County, Virginia |
Term Start4: | January 12, 1852 |
Term End4: | December 3, 1855 |
Alongside4: | John Scott John A.F. Martin |
Preceded4: | Buckner Fairfax |
Succeeded4: | E.T. Brandon |
State Delegate5: | Virginia |
District5: | Preston County, Virginia |
Term Start5: | 1863 |
Term End5: | 1865 |
Alongside5: | Charles Hooten |
Preceded5: | n/a |
Succeeded5: | n/a |
State Delegate6: | West Virginia |
District6: | Preston County |
Term Start6: | January 16, 1866 |
Term End6: | January 14, 1867 |
Preceded6: | William H. King |
Succeeded6: | Joseph H. Gibson |
State Senate7: | West Virginia |
District7: | 3rd |
Term Start7: | January 15, 1867 |
Term End7: | January 18, 1869 |
Preceded7: | John S. Burdett |
Succeeded7: | Jesse H. Cather |
Birth Date: | December 6, 1795 |
Birth Place: | Gladeville, Preston County, Virginia, U.S. |
Death Date: | February 20, 1875 |
Death Place: | Kingwood, West Virginia, U.S. |
Occupation: | farmer, miller, soldier, politician |
Allegiance: | United States |
Rank: | Major |
Branch: | Virginia Militia |
William B. Zinn (December 6, 1795 - February 20, 1875) was a nineteenth-century farmer, mill-owner, militia leader and politician, who ultimately freed his slaves and became one of the founders of the State of West Virginia.
Born on December 6, 1795, in what was then called Gladeville, in Preston County, Virginia (but which became Kingwood, West Virginia, during his lifetime), William Zinn was born to Jacob Zinn (1773–1857) whose father had emigrated from Germany, and his second wife, Sarah "Sallie" (Byrne) Bland, the widow of Thomas Bland. He had three older half-brothers, and two younger brothers: Charles B. Zinn (1797–1863) and Peyton Zinn (1807–1860) and sisters Clara and Permelia Zinn Brown (1804–1886). He married at least twice. From his first wife ___Franklin, he inherited slaves and about $8000 in gold and other property when her parents died.[1] His second wife was Juliet Caroline Franklin Zinn.
Zinn farmed and operated a mill in Preston County, which the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached in the mid-1950s. In the 1850 census Zinn owned 22 slaves.[2] At some time he may have freed most, for in the 1860 census he only owned three slaves, compared to the seven slaves owned by his fellow Unionist, William Gay Brown, Sr. (who had succeeded him in the House of Delegates in 1832).[3] [4] Preston County voters elected Zinn to represent them, part-time, in the Virginia House of Delegates eight times.[5] He also led the local militia, with the rank of Major.
After the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 voted to secede from the Union over the vehement opposition of Preston County's delegates, Brown and James C. McGrew, Zinn became one of the Preston County leaders who attended the first Wheeling Convention in May 1861. Zinn served as the Convention's chairman beginning on May 13.[6] [7] The Secession Convention expelled Brown and McGrew on June 29, and five Preston County men voting in a Confederate camp on October 24, 1861, elected others to replace them. By contrast, Major Zinn also served as one of Preston County's representatives to the Restored Government at Wheeling, alongside Charles Hooten.[8]
After the war he served in the West Virginia House of Delegates for a term beginning in 1866 and then was elected to the state Senate and served until 1869.[9] In 1870, Zinn and his wife Julie lived in Rowlesburg, a lumber and mill town that was the second largest in the county, along with two young men who worked on his farm.
Zinn died in Preston County on February 20, 1875, and is buried in the family cemetery in Arthurdale, West Virginia.