Zina Roscoe Carter[a] (1846–1922) was an American businessman and politician who served as the president of the Sanitary District of Chicago Board of Trustees as well as a Chicago alderman. He was the unsuccessful Republican Party nominee for mayor of Chicago in 1899. He also served as president of the Chicago Board of Trade for the year 1898.

Zina R. Carter
Carter circa 1900
President of the Sanitary District of Chicago Board of Trustees
In office
1903–1905
Preceded byThomas A. Smyth[1]
Succeeded byCharles H. Sergel[1]
Trustee of the Sanitary District of Chicago
In office
1896–1905
Chicago Alderman from the 10th Ward
In office
1895–1896
Serving with Fred C. Engel
Preceded byJohn F. Dorman
Succeeded byAugust W. Miller
Personal details
Born(1846-10-23)October 23, 1846
Jefferson County, New York
DiedApril 19, 1922(1922-04-19) (aged 75)
Chicago, Illinois
Resting placeRosehill Cemetery
Political partyRepublican
RelativesOrrin N. Carter (brother)
OccupationBusinessman, politician
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Early life and family

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Carter was born on a farm in Jefferson County, New York, on October 23, 1846.[3][4] When he was 16, he moved with his family to DuPage County, Illinois.[2][4]

Carter had four siblings – Orrin, Alpheus, Benajah, and Armada.[2]

Business career

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Carter moved to Chicago in 1871. There, he founded the Z. R. Carter and Bro. feed and flour business.[5]

Carter was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade for nearly four decades.[5] He served as its president in 1898.[4][6]

Political career

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Chicago alderman

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In 1895, Carter was elected a member of the Chicago City Council from the tenth ward.[5][7]

Sanitary District of Chicago board of trustees

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Having been elected to the Sanitary District of Chicago board of trustees in the November 5, 1895 election,[1] Carter resigned from the Chicago City Council in January 1896 to assume his new office.[8] He was reelected to the board of trustees on November 5, 1900.[1]

In 1899, Carter was the Republican Party's nominee for mayor of Chicago. He lost the election to Carter Harrison Jr.[9]

In November 1903, an agreement was reached that the board would elect Carter would be voted by the Sanity District's board as its president on December 8, 1903.[1][10] He served in this position until December 4, 1905, when his tenure on the board of trustees altogether ended.[1][5]

Later career

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Carter was appointed by Mayor Fred A. Busse in May 1907 to the Chicago Civil Service Commission.[11]

Death

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After a brief illness, Carter died at the age of 75 on April 19, 1922, at Chicago's Columbus Hospital. He was buried at Rosehill Cemetery.[5]

Notes

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  1. ^ Growing up, his family pronounced his name "Zeena", but as an adult he preferred "ZINE-ah".[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Complete List of Board of Commissioners from Date of Organization" (PDF). mwrd.org. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "This is Zina Carter". The Sunday Inter Ocean. Chicago. March 12, 1899. p. 37. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Raum, Green B. (1900). History of Illinois Republicanism. Chicago: Rollins Publishing Company. p. 714. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ a b c Waterman, Arba Nelson (1908). Historical Review of Chicago and Cook County and Selected Biography. Vol. I. The Lewis Publishing Company. p. 250. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Zina R. Carter, Once Candidate for Mayor, Dead". Chicago Tribune. April 20, 1922. p. 18. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Revenue Law to Stand as It Is". Chicago Tribune. December 14, 1898. p. 5. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office". Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "All Fond of the Council". The Chicago Chronicle. January 27, 1896. p. 2. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ The Chicago Daily News Almanac and Year Book for 1912. Chicago Daily News, Incorporated. 1911. p. 464. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  10. ^ "Prevents Work on the Calumet". Chicago Tribune. November 19, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "The Grand Jury of Cook County Returned True Bills". The Broad Ax. May 11, 1907. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.