Born in 1823, William S. Dunbar moved to Raleigh County in the 1850s, where he worked as a carpenter. A staunch Unionist during the Civil War, he served in the 7th WV Cavalry until he was discharged because of ill health. In 1863 he was elected to the House of Delegates, and he also served a two-year term in the State Senate from 1864 to 1865. He died in 1898 and was buried in the Dunbar Cemetery near Clear Creek.