Mingo County, West Virginia Biography of ALONZO C. PINSON This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: ********************************************** ***The submitter does not have a connection*** ********to the subject of this sketch.******** ********************************************** This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 587 Mingo ALONZO C. PINSON, sheriff of Mingo County, and one of the popular citizens of Williamson, the county seat, was born in Pike County, Kentucky, December 26, 1876, and is a son of Thomas B. and Louisa (Matney) Pinson, the for- mer of whom was likewise born in Pike County and the lat- ter of whom was born in Virginia, both families having been founded in America many generations ago. It is sup- posed that the lineage of the Pinson family traces back to Spanish origin and that the first representative of the line in America was a Spaniard named Pinzon, who came over with Columbus. Thomas B. Pinson long held prestige as one of the substantial farmers of hia native county. The sheriff of Mingo County profited by the advantages of the public schools of his native county, and his disci- pline included four months' attendance in high school. At the age of sixteen years he initiated his service as a teacher in the rural schools, and he continued his successful peda- gogic work four years. He then came to Mingo County, West Virginia, and became manager of the general store of Morgan & Judd at Matewan. Later he became manager of a branch office of the Yellow Poplar Lumber Company at Buckhannon, where he remained one year. In 1899 he came to Williamson, where he continued to be employed as clerk in a general store until 1905, when he resigned to give his attention to his duties as mayor of the city, to which posi- tion he had been elected by a gratifying majority. In 1903 he had served as city recorder, and he was a member of the city council in 1904, at the time of his election to the office of mayor, in which he served seven consecutive terms, or until 1915, when he was retired by the provisions of the act passed by the State Legislature that changed the mu- nicipal government of Williamson to the commission form. His long tenure of office shows alike the efficiency of his administration and the estimate placed upon him by the community. After completing his regime as mayor Mr. Pinson was here engaged in the real estate business three years, besides conducting a retail grocery business. He then became a traveling salesman for the Williamson Grocery Company, with which concern he continued hia connection until he assumed the office of county sheriff, on the 1st of January, 1921. Mr. Pinson is affiliated with O'Brien Lodge No. 101, Free and Accepted Masons, at Williamson, with the local chapter of Royal Arch Masons, with the Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charleston, and has received the eighteenth de- gree in the Scottish Rite of the time-honored fraternity. He is a popular member also of the Williamson Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. During the World war he served as a member of the draft board of Mingo County. He is a staunch democrat, and he attends and supports the Presbyterian Church, of which hia wife is an active member. On December 4, 1902, Mr. Pinson was united in marriage with Miss Belle Maynard, who was born and reared in Pike County, Kentucky, a representative of a family early founded in America. Sheriff and Mrs. Pinson have no chil- dren.