My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM McCREERY, capitalist, is a grandson of Hugh and Isabella (Graham) McCreery, who emigrated from Ireland to Washington county, Pa., before the opening of this century. His father, John McCreery, married Mary, daughter of Hugh and Rachel McCoy, also early settlers of that region. Hugh McCoy was born in the north of Ireland and his wife in Carlisle, Pa. All were descended from Scotch ancestors. William, John and David Hoge, uncles of Mrs. Rachel (Reddick) McCoy, settled in Washington about 1760, and William was at the head of that village for many years after its incorporation. Their descent is traced from David Hume, who lived in England three hundred years ago.

William, eldest child of John and Mary McCreery, was born in Washington county in 1828. His father died when our subject was a child, and he was reared by a good mother, who survived till Dec. 5, 1868. Soon after reaching his majority Mr. McCreery became a clerk in the Pittsburgh commission-house of Springer, Harbaugh & Co. Two years later he went to Philadelphia and engaged as a wholesale dry-goods salesman for two years. In 1856 he became a member of the grain and commission firm of Hitchcock, McCreery & Co., continuing until 1883. In 1860 he became president of a company organized to build a grain elevator. This, structure, which cost $240,000, was destroyed in the riot of 1877. From the beginning of his grain business Mr. McCreery became a member of the Board of Trade, and has been a director of the Citizens’ Bank since 1858. For seven years he was managing partner of the firm of McCreery, Bailey & Co., which purchased and operated the Mahoning Iron works. About this time he raised money for building the Lawrence railroad—now a part of the Pennsylvania system—and was seven years president of the corporation. He also organized the P., Y. & A. R. R. Co., of which he was president until its absorption by the Pennsylvania system. In 1874 he secured the cooperation of a few capitalists in organizing an independent company, and the construction of the P. & L. E. R. R., a strong competitor of the Pennsylvania in the lake trade, is the result. In 1878 Mr. McCreery built the Montour Run railroad, a branch of the P. & L. E. R. R., and is president of that company, as well as of the Imperial Coal company. In 1874 he built and equipped the P., C. & T. R. R., now operated by the P. & W., and has built two street railways in Pittsburgh and Allegheny.

While thus contributing to the material advancement of his home city, Mr. McCreery has built up a substantial fortune for himself, and has not spared of his time and means in charitable works. During the civil war he was chairman of the purchasing committee chairman of the Pittsburgh Sanitary Commission, which raised large sums for the relief of the sick and wounded. In 1861 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. Dr. Rodgers, of Allegheny, and she was his most active cooperator in visiting and ministering to the soldiers at the front. At the close of the war the funds in the hands of Mr. McCreery’s committee amounted to $200,000, which were invested for the benefit of disabled soldiers in the Western Pennsylvania hospital. For thirty-five years Mr. McCreery has been a member of the Second Presbyterian Church, and is a democrat.