McCreanor - Pulaski/Prairie, Arkansas

[Leigh1]

I am struggling to find the vital info on Charles McCreanor (after whom the town/station McCreanor in was named), although I do have quite a bit of incidental information on his career etc.  The main problem is that the spelling of his name varies a lot so I need to be sure I’m looking at the right person.
What I have found so far :

1850 census: age 23; born c1827 PA; home Cussewago, Crawford PA with parents Morris & Mary Craner & siblings; farmer
1850 census (2nd one); age/dob/POB/home same as above but listed as sawyer - is this still him but at place of work?
1850 census (3rd one): age 24; born 1826 PA; home Elk Creek, Erie, PA; laborer - different person?

1860 census: age 33; born c1827 PA; home Ashley Pulaski Arkansas

1860 marriage: Charles McCreanon; age 32; bc1828; res Prairie, ARK; spouse Amanda M Williams; res Prairie

1870 census: age 43; born c1827 PA; home Watensaw, Prairie, ARK; RR conductor; with Katie McCranor age 23 - is she a daughter?

1879 Charles acquires 85 acres land

My main queries are: when/where did he die?; what happened to his wife Amanda?; is Katie a daughter &, if so, who is her mother?

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

[*Sandra*]

A mention in the (could this be your man)

Daily Arkansas Gazette
Little Rock, Arkansas 
Fri, 8 Feb 1878
Page 4

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-arkansas-gazette/166947018/

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Daily Arkansas Gazette
Little Rock, Arkansas
Sat, 12 Oct 1867
Page 2

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-arkansas-gazette/166947108/

Sandra

[Leigh1]

Hi Sandra - thanks for your interest. Yes, I have found various newspaper articles about his activities but it is the basics that I am struggling to establish.

[*Sandra*]

quote :- 1870 census: age 43; born c1827 PA; home Watensaw, Prairie, ARK; RR conductor; with Katie McCranor age 23 - is she a daughter?

I think it is RR Contractor - which would fit with one of the newspaper cuttings.

There is a death of a Mrs Katie McCraner.

Daily Arkansas Gazette
Little Rock, Arkansas 
Sat, 9 Jan 1875
Page 4

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-arkansas-gazette/166947432/

[Leigh1]

Thank you, hadn’t come across that. Interesting.  So if that is the same Katie, the ‘Mrs’ implies wife, which raises even more questions 🫣.  A 20 year age gap - not impossible; what happened to first wife Amanda?; no mention of a husband at the funeral; any record of a marriage for Charles & Katie?

(not expecting you to look for everything - just thinking aloud! 😉)

[shellyesq]

In those days, when the woman's first name is used after Mrs., it usually seems to mean that the husband isn't alive or around.  Otherwise, they tend to be Mrs. Charles Mccreanor.

There is a record of a mortgage from April 1867 in Pulaski Co., Arkansas for Charles Mccreanor and his wife Katie - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QG-7SVS-P?view=fullText&keywords=Charles%20McCreanor%2CMcCreanor%2CCharles&lang=en&groupId=TH-909-85265-66393-19

There's another deed in 1872 in Prairie County with both of them:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTL-KS4Q-2?view=fullText&keywords=Katie%20McCreanor%2CMcCreanor%2CKatie&lang=en&groupId=TH-909-78049-59987-53

[Leigh1]

Amazing find Shelley’s - thank you!  So if Katie is his wife, I’m wondering what happened to Amanda.  There appears to be no record of children either.

[shellyesq]

It looks like there was a probate case involving Amanda Mccreanor (formerly Williams) and Charles Mccreanor involving the estate of E.M. Williams around 1862.  Amanda is listed as E.M. Williams' widow.  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99W3-4J9?view=fullText&keywords=Amanda%20McCreanor%2CArkansas&lang=en&groupId=TH-1951-32496-10537-36  (and there's more on the next page to the right)