Born in Wheeling, Ohio County, Virginia, before West Virginia statehood to Ebenezer Zane and Elizabeth 'Bessie' McColloch.

Her father Ebenezer Zane, for whom the city of Zanesville was named. Her first husband, John McIntire founded the city in 1797.

Excerpt from article in Zanesville Times Recorder, Oct 14, 2019:

"The long history of this Zanesville pioneer began when McIntire became smitten with client Ebenezer Zane's daughter, Sarah Zane. As Norris Schneider wrote in The McIntire Estate 1815-1980, the couple approached Sarah's parents and said they wanted to be married, but her parents did not approve. They could do no more than delay the wedding of their young daughter, however. Sally, as she was called, and John were married in 1789.

"Finally Sally's parents recognized the good qualities of their son-in-law and were reconciled with the couple," Schneider wrote.

Colonel Zane, McIntire's father-in-law included him in a crew assembled to clear brush and blaze trees as Zane's Trace was completed. Zane claimed his 640-acre tracts where the Trace crossed the Muskingum, Hocking, and Scioto rivers. He deeded the Muskingum tract to Johnathan Zane and John McIntire for $100, not as a sale, but as compensation for their assistance in marking the Trace. 

"McIntire built a double log cabin in a grove of maple trees on the river back below the foot of Market Street," Schneider shared.

After living two years in the cabin, McIntire moved his wife from Wheeling to the Muskingum. She was met with a surprise, a daughter born to McIntire and Sally's cousin, Lyddy Zane. She adopted the child, named Amelia, and raised her as her own daughter.

In McIntire's will he referred to Amelia Messer because her mother later married a man with that last name. The will stipulated that upon the death of his wife, his mansion house, as well as the interests and profits of all his Zanesville Canal and Manufacturing Company stock, were to be bequeathed to Amelia and her heirs. He further stipulated that if she had no children the premises were to be held by the company for use and support of a poor school that was to be established in the town of Zanesville for use of the poor children of the town."