History of Evansville, (Vanderburgh County) Indiana United States of America

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Biographies:

George Washington McCrary, cabinet officer, was born near Evansville, Ind., Aug. 29, 1835; son of James and Matilda (Forrest) McCrary. His parents removed beyond the Mississippi in 1835 and made their home in the limits of Iowa Territory. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1856, and settled inpractice in Keokuk. He was married in 1857 to Helen A. Gelatt. He was a Republican representative in the Iowa legislature in 1857 and a state senator, 1861-65. He servedin the senate as chair-man of the committee on military affairs and of the judiciary committee. He was a Republican representative from the first Iowa district in the 41st, 42d, 43d and 44th congresses, 1869-77, being chairman of the committee on elections in the 42d congress. He introduced the bill in congress that led to the appointment of the electoral commission of 1877. In arguing the Florida case before the commission he denied the power of congress to go behind the returns, and his view of the question was adopted by the commission. He was also the author of the law under which the judiciary of the United States was re-organized. He was appointed secretary of war by President Hayes, March 12, 1877; resigned in December, 1879, upon receiving the appointment of judge of the 8th judicial district of the U.S. circuit court, and served until March, 1884, when he removed to Kansas City, Mo., to serve as attorney and counsellor for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa F? railroad company and to engage in the general practice of law. He is the author of The American Law of Elections (1875). He died in St. Joseph, Mo., June 23, 1890.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

James Bennett McCreary, governor of Kentucky, was born in Richmond, Ky., July 8, 1838; son of Robert and Sabrina (Bennett) McCreary and grandson of James and Mary (Burr) McCreary. His ancestry on both sides removed from Virginia to Kentucky. He was graduated at Centre college, Ky., A.B., 1857; Cumberland university, LL.B., 1859. He practised law in Richmond, Ky., was major and lieutenant-colonel of the llth Kentucky cavalry, C.S.A., 1862-65, serving in the west under Generals Bragg and Morgan and in the east under General Breckinridge. He was married, June 12, 1867, to Katie, daughter of Thomas Hughes of Fayette county, Ky. He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention in New York city, July 4, 1868; a representative in the state legislature, 1869-74; and speaker of the house, 1871-72 and 1873-74. He was governor of Kentucky, 1875-79, and a representative from the eighth congressional district of Kentucky in the 49th-54th congresses, 1885-97. In congress he was chairman of the committee on foreign affairs and was one of the five delegates authorized by congress to represent the United States at the International Monetary conference held at Brussels, Belgium, in 1892. He was delegate at large from the state of Kentucky to the Democratic national convention held at Kansas city in 1900, and was chairman of the Democratic state campaign committee in that year. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Centre college, Ky., in 1879.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor