Creighton University - Bluejay Yearbook (Omaha, NE)

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Table of Contents Introduction Student Life Events Organizations Academics Administrators ffff Athletics Seniors Index Closing ssm

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Sarah Emily Wareham, top, wife of John Creighton, and li lary Lucretia Wareham, bottom, wife of Edward, played a large role in the founding of Creighton and ($ successful continuation In later years. 4 — intro Creighton ' s found linked with brotliers ' The story of Creighton University is an epitome of the history of Omaha and the West. In 1856, Omaha was a ragged town of perhaps 2,000 people. It was not eastern enough to be smug and sophisti- cated, and not western enough to be lusty and colorful. But Omaha was a gate city geographically and a key town economically. To this frontier metropolis came the Creightons, bent on building the West. The eldest was Edward, one of the found- ing fathers of the university. Edward Creighton was one of nine children of James Creighton, a native of County Monoghan, Ireland, and of Bridget Hughes Creighton, a native of County Armagh, Ireland. Edward was born near the present town of Barnesville in Bel- mont County, Ohio on August, 31, 1820. Edward Creighton had come to Omaha in 1856, a young man, somewhat of me- dium height, of square powerful symmet- rical build. His full expressive face was distinguished by a broad forehead, eyes that twinkled and smiling lips. He was a man who had done things, who was to do even greater things. One day in 1847, he saw men setting poles along the road. Questioning the men, he learned they were putting up a telegraph line, and he immediately went to Springfield where he met Bernard O ' Connor who had that construction con- tract. Soon Creighton had a contract to deliver poles on a line from Dayton to Evansville. For the next six years Edward was en- gaged in the several phases of telegraph building as contractor, superintendent and agent. In 1850, he built part of the New York and Mississippi Printing Tele- graph Company ' s line west from Buffalo. This was the line, using the House patent.