Hon. George W. McCracken and Mary E. McCreary

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Husband Hon. George W. McCracken ^{1 2 3 4}

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           Born: 30 Jan 1838 - Mercer (later Lawrence) Co, PA 1 2 3 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 
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         Father: Jacob McCracken (1805-1885) 1 4 5
         Mother: Elizabeth Wallace (1814-1892/1893) 2 4 5 6

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       Marriage: 19 Oct 1865 1 7

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Wife Mary E. McCreary ^{1 2 3 4}

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           Born: 
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         Father: John McCreary (      -      ) 1
         Mother: 

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Children

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• They had no children.

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General Notes: Husband - Hon. George W. McCracken

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The first twenty years of his life were spent on the farm; he then entered Westminster College, and graduated in 1861 after a hard struggle to meet the necessary expenses of his education by teaching school in the winters and working on the farm in the summer time through harvest. In May, 1861, he enlisted in Co. G, 10th Reg. Pa. Reserves, and was in the service of the stars and the stripes three years, participating in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac from 1861 to June 7, 1864. He entered the service as a private in the ranks, and was successively promoted to be sergeant in his company, adjutant of his regiment and then to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 191st Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf. He was seriously injured May 30, 1864, by a gunshot wound in his left leg at Bethesda Church, in the opening encounter of the battle of Cold Harbor, and on this account was mustered out of the service and honorably discharged June 11, 1864.
On May 4, 1866, he was elected to the superintendency of the schools of Lawrence County, and was thus engaged in directing the educational work of the schools of the county for three years. In the autumn of 1869, he was elected as a member of the State Legislature on the Republican ticket, and after serving his term spent two years at home on his farm. In 1872 he became proprietor and editor of the Lawrence Guardian, and successfully conducted it until he disposed of his interest in 1892. In 1873, he was elected a second time to the State Legislature, and was a member of the State Senate from 1881 to 1884. He was the author and introducer of the famous McCracken Bill, in 1883, the House of Representatives then being Democratic, providing for the apportionment of the State into Congressional, Senatorial and Legislative districts, which for more than six months was the subject of contention between the two houses of the Pennsylvania Legislature. During some eight years he has served as a member of the Board of Controllers of the Public Schools of the city of New Castle, and for two years was president of the board. He was a man of sound judgment, and wonderful memory, and while in the Senate was sometimes referred to as the walking encyclopedia; it was said that he could give the result of the vote in every district and locality of the State, and the exact majority of each candidate. Mr. McCracken was also a surveyor and engineer by profession, and did considerable work in that line. He was president of the Western Pennsylvania Mutual Fire Insurance Company beginning from its organization. He was a member of the following societies: Lodge of the Craft, No. 433, F. & A. M.; G. A. R. Post, No. 100; and Union Veteran Legion, No. 9.

1 Editor, Book of Biographies, Lawrence County, PA (Buffalo, NY: Biographical Publishing Company, 1897), Pg 521.

2 Aaron L. Hazen, 20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1908), Pg 815.

3 John H. Wallace, Genealogy of the Wallace Family (New York: Self-published, 1902), Pg 20.

4 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 108.

5 John H. Wallace, Genealogy of the Wallace Family (New York: Self-published, 1902), Pg 11.

6 Editor, Book of Biographies, Lawrence County, PA (Buffalo, NY: Biographical Publishing Company, 1897), Pg 113, 521.

7 John H. Wallace, Genealogy of the Wallace Family (New York: Self-published, 1902), Pg 46.