Biographical Sketches

David B. McCreary

DAVID B. MCCREARY, of the Forty-ninth District, was born on February 27, 1826, in Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pa., of Scotch-Irish parentage.  His father was a farmer, who emigrated from Lancaster County, Pa., to Erie County in 1800.  His mother, whose maiden name was Lydia Swan, came from Dauphin County about the same time.  General McCreary was educated in the common schools, Erie Academy and Washington College, at Washington, Pa., attending the last named institution during the years 1848 and 1849.  For some years he followed school teaching in Erie County and in Kentucky.  Later on he studied law, was admitted to the bar and has since been a practicing attorney.  At the beginning of the War of the Rebellion he went out as First Lieutenant of the Erie Regiment, three months' troops.  Afterwards he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, for three years' service, entering as Lieutenant-Colonel.  He was promoted to Colonel, and when mustered out was brevetted Brigadier-General for gallant service.  General McCreary was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1866 and Adjutant General of Pennsylvania from 1867 to 1870.  He was again elected a member of the House in 1870 and State Senator from Erie County in 1888 and re-elected in 1892.  He was a delegate to the Republican State Convention in 1882, which nominated General James A. Beaver for Governor.  He has been a trustee of Dixmont Asylum for the Insane, on behalf of the state, for many years, and is a State trustee of Edinboro State Normal School.  General McCreary was chairman of the General Judiciary Committee in the Senate during the session of 1891, and was again assigned this important chairmanship for the session of 1893.  Mr. McCreary was chairman of the Judiciary Special Committee in 1895, and also a member of the Committees on Congressional Appointment, Judiciary General, Insurance, Library, Mines and Mining and Military Affairs.  He introduced and has passed in the Senate many important bills in the session of 1895, among them the bill establishing libraries in the common schools of the State.

Source: Transcription from the book, Portraits and Sketches of Heads of State Departments and Members of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, compiled by Wm. Rodearmel, published in 1895; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org), accessed 14 January 2026.

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