Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-06
ANCESTRY OF
GOV. TRINKLE
Forbears of Governor Were
Early Citizens OF Old
Dominion
Great Love For Soil and Deeply
Rooted Religious Tendencies
Are Main Characteristics
CBy DIR. KATE WALLER RARRETIo
State Regent ID. 4. X.

SIuIC Regent a. ~
As I sat in the Capitol on February
and witnessed the very dignifed
and impressive ceremony of induct-
ing into Office Governor E. Lee Trim
kle, my mind went back in retrospect
co Governor Trinkle's birthplace, the
beautiful town of Wytheville, where
the heights of the AIieghanles stand
sentinel, and below stretches the
quiet beauty of Happy Valley. Few
Towns of its size have played a more
important part than Wythevllle IN
the development of the country.
from Colonial days it was the stop
ping place for the earliest settlers
as they passed on into Tennessee. 1t
was then known as "Evansham," for
1t was not until 1888 that it's name
was changed to Wytheville, in honor
OF that great constructive mind,
george Wythe.
Long before either Evansham or
Wytheville were dreamed Of, for
bears Of Gov. Trinkle had already
arrived and taken root in the fertile
soil Of Southwestern Virginia and
were counted among its most represen-
tativc and public spirited citizens. In
ueed, they were the soul and directing
spirit Of its being, and if it had not
been for their interest in civic matters
there would never have been WITH
vile, and Virginia might have been
robbed of the many lliustrlous men
and women who have claimed Wythe-
VILE as their birthplace.
Early in 1772, there came to the
vicinity of what is now Wytheville,
family by the name Of Zimmerman.
Like all the forbears of Governor
Irinkle the Zimmerman's had great
land hunger and purchased large
tracts. but theirs was no selfish
thought of personal aggrandizements
alone From the first, the thought of
development was foremost, III their
minds. Christopher Zimmerman, the
great grandfather of Governor Trim
k!e on his mothers side, in 1890, donat-
ed ninety acres Of land for court
house and town site for Wythe Coun-
ty. The sessions of the court were
held in the Big Room" Of the Zim-
norman house until the courthouse
could be built. Only the kitchen and
barn were reserved tor family use. The
| plot was laid off into town lots by
young Welsh surveyor, John Evans,
! tor whom the town was named. Evan
/ sham. From this courthouse the move
ment was Launched for revision of
! the Code to extend the right Of suf-
I frage to land owners. Thus the prog
/ ressivc spirit displayed by Cover
nor Trinkie in his inaugural address
I found it's foundation head in the ideals
and accomplishments of his ancestors.
But Governor Trinkle's ancestors
on the Trinkie side are of even more
4 ancient origin than the Zimmermans.
+ They came % this country in 1873 on
the Charming Nancy" settling first
in Lancaster County, Pa, and, later
moving to Pulaski County, they i'm
mediately associated themselves with
! forward movements, founding the
Presbyterian Church at New Dublin,
many years before the Revolution.
These families, who all came from the
Palatine in common with many of the
German and Swiss families of those
days, removed South and settled IN
s., Virginia.
Governor Trinkle's family on the
maternal side goes back even further.
/ In American history the Sections were
/ loyal supporters of the crown in the
time of Henry VIII, and were given,
by him, large estate in Limerick,
Ireland. Several of the family served
as Mayors of Limerick. George Sex
ton, the Governors maternal ancestor,
came to America in 1862, and settled
I in Connecticut. His eldest son,
Charles, purchased a farm of $50
acres on Long Island, and his sen,
Joseph, moved to Virginia and became
the ancestor of Governor Trinkle.
Two characteristics stand out con-
spicuously in the ancestors of Vlr-
ginia's Governor; love of the soil
and deep religious tendency Wher
ever one of the name appears you al
ways read of their religious beliefs
and their efforts to further the in
terests of the church, Their land
hunger is also as characteristic, 1t be-
ing tradition that one of them added
farm year to his holdings. We, in
Virginia, are found Of family history,
and when we are so fortunate as to
have as Governor Trinkle, one who
represents in himself the traits and
. characteristics that we love to honor,
it is of no small moment to be able
to trace these characteristics back to
an ancestry which justifies its frui-
ton in man who is so outstanding
example Of the best of the present
generation. For $50 years and more,
Governor Trinkle's forbears have
helped to develop the civilization which
we today inherit, and is it too much
for US to hope that the lengthening
shadow of his administration as Gov
ernor OF the whole Commonwealth,
will reach to unborn generations 2oO
years hence?
Man is roadhouse at which the
spirits Of his ancestors stop to rest
while on their way to being his
descendants. No truer definition OF
heredity than this could be given.
Methink the old Sections, thinner
mans, Trollingers and Trinkles will
be strengthened and encouraged to
2 So