Eddy, Z. Williams (ca. 1817–1863)

Z. Williams Eddy, legislator, was born in Massachusetts around 1817. It is likely that he resided for some time in Alabama or Mississippi with his wife Mariah before coming to Texas; the couple had several children. Eddy and his family settled in Jasper County, Texas, sometime before 1846.

In 1846 Z. Williams Eddy was elected to serve in the First Texas State Legislature from Jasper County. He was reelected for the Second Texas State Legislature in 1847. During this period he became the first master of the county's newly-organized Masonic Lodge, the DeWitt Clinton Masonic Lodge No. 29. In 1850 Eddy was elected to the Fourth Texas Legislature as a member of the Texas State Senate for District Ten which included Jasper, Newton, Sabine, and San Augustine counties; he served one term.

In addition to his role as a legislator Z. W. Eddy served on the Board of Trustees for the Jasper Collegiate Institute and was a deputy collector of customs at the Sabine customhouse. Just before the outbreak of the Civil War Z. Williams and a partner opened a wholesaling business at Sabine Pass which flourished briefly. However the business had closed by the end of the war. At the beginning of the Civil War Eddy served as the captain of a company of infantry in the Texas State Militia.

Z. Williams Eddy died in 1863; his death was noted in the proceedings of the Texas Masons.