SAMUEL
McCREARY,* a representative citizen and prominent farmer of
Hickory Township, resides on his valuable farm of 175 acres, which is
situated three miles north of East Brook, on the Neshannock Road, was born
on the present place and is a son of Enoch and
Margaret (Pierson) McCreary.
Mr.
McCreary comes of Revolutionary stock, an ancestry in which every American
takes justifiable pride. His grandfather served through the Revolutionary
War, under General Washington's command. His father was equally patriotic,
leaving his harvest field to go to the front in the War of 1812. The
maternal grandfather, Athens Pierson, was one
of the first settlers in Lawrence County. The Piersons were Quakers and
the family has always been one of the substantial and representative ones
of the county from that time. Enoch McCreary
and wife settled on the present farm in Hickory Township in 1800, when it
was only a wild tract of forest. They cleared up the land and spent their
lives here. They had ten children born to them, six daughter and four
sons. Samuel McCreary obtained his education
in the early township schools. His life has been an agricultural one and
he has been more than usually successful as a farmer. For the past twenty
years he has been a member of the State Board of Agriculture and has been
president of one of the oldest agricultural societies in Pennsylvania.
Just prior to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis the
commission on agriculture in Pennsylvania selected farmers to enter into a
grain-raising contest, two prizes each being offered by county and state
for corn, wheat, oats and rye. Mr. McCreary is proud of securing the first
medal from Lawrence County and the sweepstake first medal from the state.
In addition to general farming he has given a large amount of attention to
sheep raising. Since he has come into possession of the old homestead he
has made many improvements, erecting a substantial barn and other
buildings and enlarging the house to a commodious two-story residence. In
every direction the eye notes evidence of thrift and good management.
Mr.
McCreary married Elizabeth McDowell, a
daughter of Abel McDowell, a prominent farmer
of this section. They have had three daughters and one son-Emma
J., who married Dr. W. L. Smith, physician,
of New Wilmington; Samuel, who has not yet
completed his education; Julia. who resides
with her older sister, and one daughter, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. McCreary
have two grandchildren, Engenia and Hilda Wright. Mr.
McCreary takes no very active interest in politics, but always lives up to
every demand of good citizenship.
"Samuel
McCreary," 20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County
Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens, Hon. Arron L. Hazen, editor,
(Chicago, Illinois: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1908), 997-998
