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A. M. Winn | |
---|---|
2nd President of the Sacramento City Council | |
In office August 25, 1849 – April 1, 1850 | |
Preceded by | William Stout |
Succeeded by | Hardin Bigelow (as Mayor of Sacramento) |
Personal details | |
Born | Albert Maver Winn April 27, 1810 Loudoun County, Virginia, U.S. |
Died | August 26, 1883 Sonoma, California, U.S. | (aged 73)
Resting place | Sacramento Historic City Cemetery |
Political party | Democratic |
Other political affiliations | Know Nothing |
Spouse(s) |
Catherine Gaffney
(m. 1829; died 1862)Charlotte Libbey (m. 1865) |
Children |
|
Occupation | Carpenter, military officer, politician, labor leader |
Known for | Founder of the Native Sons of the Golden West |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army California State Militia |
Rank | Major General |
Unit | 1st Mississippi Rifles |
Battles/wars | Mexican–American War |
Major General Albert Maver Winn (April 27, 1810 – August 26, 1883) was an American carpenter, military officer, politician, labor leader, Odd Fellow, Freemason and founder of the Native Sons of the Golden West.[1]
Winn was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, came to California on May 28, 1849, and settled in Sacramento on June 25 of that year. He immediately became active in civic affairs and in the fall of 1849 was elected to Sacramento's first City Council in and selected as its President, he was ex-officio the first mayor of Sacramento. But unlike his successor, Hardin Bigelow, he was not elected directly to the office.[2] He went on to be appointed the State Adjutant General and an early proponent of the small business community and labor reform movement. He remained in the state until his death and is remembered as one of the State's Founding Fathers.
General Winn not only made his contributions to the civil and military beginnings of Sacramento, he was a prime mover in the fraternal and religious life of his community as well. He founded the Sons of the Revolutionary Sires, later the Sons of the American Revolution, and was its first President. In 1851 he organized the Sacramento Odd Fellows General Relief Committee and he was elected its first president. He also was instrumental in the establishment of Grace Church (later St. Paul's), the first Episcopal church in Sacramento, of which he was both an officer and communicant. Winn was also a Mason. Indeed, his granddaughter wrote, "We are told that the general belonged to every fraternal society in Sacramento in the early days and it is quite probable that this is true."[3] He founded the Native Sons of the Golden West (NSGW). General Winn died at Sonoma on August 26, 1883, and was buried in Sacramento.