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Zinn, William Davidson (1857-1938)
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The History of Barbour County, West Virginia, 
From its Earliest Exploration and Settlement to the Present Time
by Hu Maxwell
The Acme Publishing Company, Morgantown, W.Va., 1899

Pages 516-517

William Davidson Zinn, born at the old Zinn homestead west of
Philippi, in 1857, son of Alpheus and Lucinda (Gawthrop) Zinn, was
married at Grafton, West Virginia, October 23, 1879, to Florence,
daughter of Festus Swearengen. Children, Dorrance Dana and Gay. He
is a member of the Baptist Church and contributed largely to the
construction of the house of worship at Mt. Olive in 1884. He is a
Democrat and a farmer and stockdealer, residing on Shook's Run,
where he owns 164 acres of highly improved land. He has also
valuable land interests in Randolph, on which he grazes 100 cattle
and 150 sheep. In his farming operations he has steadily improved
on the methods formerly employed, and has become what may be called
a man who farms with his head as well as with his hands. He was
formerly an active worker along educational lines, and was twice
elected Superintendent of the schools of Barbour County and left
the imprint of his labor upon them. He was, in the earlier part of
his life, a teacher, who completed nineteen successful terms in
Barbour and adjoining counties. In 1880 he conducted a summer
normal at St. George, Tucker County; and later taught at Newburg,
Preston County. He received his education in the public schools, in
the West Virginia College at Flemington, and in the Fairmont Normal
School. Mrs. Zinn, born in 1857, was formerly also a successful
teacher in fifteen different schools. She was educated at the
Presbyterian Institute at Charleston, West Virginia, and at
Fairmont. Mrs. Lucinda Ann Zinn, mother of the subject of this
sketch, was born near Pruntytown, Taylor County, in 1825, the
daughter of James and Hulda (Waldo) Gawthrop. On January 4, 1854,
she married, in Taylor County, Alpheus, son of Peter and Catherine
(Chriss) Zinn. Their children were, William Davidson, Sylvanus
Waldo, Luella and Claudius A. By a former marriage with a daughter
of John H. Woodford, Alpheus Zinn had three children, Virginia C,
Nancy E. and Rezin C. Mrs. Zinn belongs to the Baptist Church, and
her father was one of the pioneers in that church in this State,
preaching in Harrison, Preston, Randolph, Marion, Taylor, Ritchie
and Wood counties. His great, great grandfather was Thomas
Gawthrop, an Englishman who came to America and founded the family
in this country.

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From Death Certificate, Barbour County, WV #7518
FULL-NAME: William Davidson Zinn
BIRTH-DATE: May 16, 1857
BIRTH-PLACE: W.Va.
DEATH-DATE: May 22, 1938
DEATH-PLACE: at home in Philippi, Barbour County, WV
MARITAL-STATUS: Married (Effie C. Gall)
OCCUPATION: Agriculturist
FATHER: Alpheus Zinn (born in W.Va.)
MOTHER: Lucinda W. Gathrop (born in W.Va.)
CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Coronary Thrombosis
INFORMANT: Mrs. W. D. Zinn (of Philippi, W.Va.)
BURIAL: Mt. Olive Cemetery

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