Biography

01/30/1838 - 09/23/1904

Lieutenant Colonel George Wallace McCracken (R47) Lawrence and Mercer Counties, 1881-1884

Early Life: 

Lieutenant Colonel George Wallace McCracken, born Mercer (now Lawrence) County, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1838, son of Jacob and Isabella (Clay) McCracken, Westminster College, 1861; first lieutenant and adjutant, Company G, 39th Regiment, 10th Pennsylvania Volunteer Reserve Civil War, 1861-1864 ; lieutenant colonel, 191st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; farmer, teacher; surveyor; engineer; elected, superintendent, Lawrence County schools, 1866-1869; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1870; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1873; proprietor and editor, Lawrence Guardian, 1872-1892; president, Western Mutual Fire Insurance Company; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1881-1884; civil engineer; married Mary E. McCreary; died, September 23, 1904, Washington, DC; interment, Oak Park Cemetery, New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.

Early Career:

Enlisted, private, June 19, 1861, Company G, 10th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves, promoted sergeant of his company, adjutant of his regiment, then, lieutenant-colonel, 191st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Seriously, wounded May 30, 1864, gunshot, left leg, Bethesda Church, battle of Cold Harbor, mustered out, honorably discharged June 11, 1864.  

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Lodge of the Craft, No. 433, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Grand Army of the Republic Post, No. 100; Union Veteran Legion, No. 9.  

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties, 1870.

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Lawrence County, 1873. 

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 47th district, Lawrence and Mercer Counties, 1881-1884; committee assignments, Accounts, Centennial Affairs, Legislative and Congressional Apportionment (Chairman), Mines and Mining, Public Printing; author, McCracken Bill, 1883, 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. Sometimes referred to as the walking encyclopedia in the Senate; 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.  

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website (state.pa.us)

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members M". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1883). Smull, W.P., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 765, 770-772, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 734.

files.usgwarchives.net/pa/lawrence/bios/1897/mccracken-george.txt

George Wallace McCracken (1838-1904) - Find a Grave Memorial