Edward Creighton

Edward Charles Creighton (August 31, 1820 – November 5, 1874) was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were central to the growth and development of Omaha. Married to Mary Lucretia Creighton in their native Dayton, Ohio, Edward relied on Mary to carry out his request to create a college, which eventually became Creighton University.

Creighton was born on a farm in Belmont County, Ohio in 1820. He was raised in an Irish Catholic family, and was always active in Church affairs. In the 1840s, he became involved in the freight shipping/telegraph businesses. By 1856, he had become one of the largest builders of telegraph lines in the United States. He married Mary Lucretia Wareham in Dayton, Ohio on October 7, 1856; the couple moved to Omaha after their wedding. He quickly became involved in several business ventures in Omaha, including wagon freighting, merchandising, real estate, banking, railroading and ranching. In the winter of 1860-61, Creighton surveyed the route of the proposed Transcontinental Telegraph line between Omaha and Sacramento, to be built with the financial support of Western Union. He dug the first post hole for the telegraph line on July 2, 1861; the line was completed on October 24, 1861. During this expedition, Creighton established friendly relationships with a number of tribes along the route. Throughout his life, Creighton championed the cause of Native Americans and repeatedly spoke out against their mistreatment. This stance brought him into conflict with the U.S. Army as well as local politicians including his brother, John Creighton.

Creighton turned his attention to banking and railroading. He served as the first president of First National Bank of Omaha and was one of the founders of the Omaha and Northwestern Railroad. The Creighton brothers invested heavily in the Union Pacific Railroad which ran a route parallel to their telegraph line. The Creighton brothers knew both Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, both of whom had stated their desire to construct a transcontinental railroad. He very well fought unsuccessfully for Omaha's selection as the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad (an honor given to Council Bluffs, Iowa). A high ranking railroad official touring early Omaha had been beaten and robbed and the city was considered to be too wild and corrupt for such a venture.

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