Rare Antique McCreary The 2 Mcs Civil War Cavalry Political Pin Button Kentucky
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:3234670 | Type: Pin |
This is an important piece of Kentucky history. McCreary rode with Morgan's Raiders in the 11th Kentucky Cavalry during the Civil War. He was elected governor twice in the state of Kentucky! 35 years apart! He was a fascinating man and so important to KY history. The button has the original paper label on the back and measures 1 1/16" across.
The Kentucky Historical Society owns one of these & describes it in their catalogue:This is a circularpolitical button, made by lith...ographic process, for the 1911 gubernatorialcampaign of James McCreary and Edward J. McDermott. It has a white backgroundwith black and white portraits of both candidates in the center. Above andbelow the portraits is the slogan, "FOR GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANTGOVERNOR/THE TWO Mc'S", in black print. There is a manufacturing labellocated on the edge, toward the bottom, that reads, "THE WHITEHEAD &HOAG CO., NEWARK, N.J.", in black print. There is a paper backing, with aunion label and manufacturing label that reads, "Button made by/TheWhitehead & Hoag Co./Newark, N.J., U.S.A./Pat. April 14, 1896, /July 21, 1896". It has a stickpin located on the back. Some background information on McCreary:
James Bennett McCreary (July 8, 1838 – October 8, 1918) was an American lawyerand politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in bothhouses of the U.S. Congress andserved as its 27th and 37th governor.Shortly after graduating from law school, he was commissioned as the only major inthe 11thKentucky Cavalry, serving under Confederate BrigadierGeneral John Hunt Morgan duringthe American Civil War.He returned to his legal practice after the war. In 1869, he was elected tothe KentuckyHouse of Representatives where he served until 1875; he was twicechosen Speaker of the House. At their 1875 nominatingconvention, state Democrats choseMcCreary as their nominee for governor, and he won an easy victory over Republican John Marshall Harlan.With the state still feeling the effects of the Panic of 1873, most of McCreary's actions asgovernor were aimed at easing the plight of the state's poor farmers.In 1884, McCreary was elected to the first of six consecutiveterms in the U.S.House of Representatives. As a legislator, he was an advocateof free silver and a champion of the state'sagricultural interests. After two failed bids for election to the Senate, McCreary secured the support of Governor J. C. W. Beckham, and in 1902, the GeneralAssembly elected him to the Senate. He served one largely undistinguished term, and Beckham successfully challenged him for his Senate seat in 1908. The dividebetween McCreary and Beckham was short-lived, however, and Beckham supportedMcCreary's election to a second term as governor in 1911.Campaigning on a platform of progressive reforms, McCreary defeated Republican Edward C. O'Rear in the general election.During this second term, he became the first inhabitant of the state's second(and current) governor'smansion; he is also the only governor to have inhabited boththe old andnew mansions. During his second term, he succeeded in convincing thelegislature to make womeneligible to vote in school board elections, to mandatedirect primary elections, to create a state publicutilities commission, and to allow the state's counties tohold local option electionsto decide whether or not to adopt prohibition.He also realized substantial increases in education spending and won passage ofreforms such as a mandatory school attendance law, but was unable to securepassage of laws restricting lobbying in the legislative chambers and providingfor a workers' compensation program.McCreary was one of five commissioners charged with overseeing construction ofthe new governor's mansion and exerted considerable influence on theconstruction plans. His term expired in 1915, and he died three yearslater. McCreary County wasformed during McCreary's second term in office and was named in his honor.
The Kentucky Historical Society owns one of these & describes it in their catalogue:This is a circularpolitical button, made by lith...ographic process, for the 1911 gubernatorialcampaign of James McCreary and Edward J. McDermott. It has a white backgroundwith black and white portraits of both candidates in the center. Above andbelow the portraits is the slogan, "FOR GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANTGOVERNOR/THE TWO Mc'S", in black print. There is a manufacturing labellocated on the edge, toward the bottom, that reads, "THE WHITEHEAD &HOAG CO., NEWARK, N.J.", in black print. There is a paper backing, with aunion label and manufacturing label that reads, "Button made by/TheWhitehead & Hoag Co./Newark, N.J., U.S.A./Pat. April 14, 1896, /July 21, 1896". It has a stickpin located on the back. Some background information on McCreary:
James Bennett McCreary (July 8, 1838 – October 8, 1918) was an American lawyerand politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in bothhouses of the U.S. Congress andserved as its 27th and 37th governor.Shortly after graduating from law school, he was commissioned as the only major inthe 11thKentucky Cavalry, serving under Confederate BrigadierGeneral John Hunt Morgan duringthe American Civil War.He returned to his legal practice after the war. In 1869, he was elected tothe KentuckyHouse of Representatives where he served until 1875; he was twicechosen Speaker of the House. At their 1875 nominatingconvention, state Democrats choseMcCreary as their nominee for governor, and he won an easy victory over Republican John Marshall Harlan.With the state still feeling the effects of the Panic of 1873, most of McCreary's actions asgovernor were aimed at easing the plight of the state's poor farmers.In 1884, McCreary was elected to the first of six consecutiveterms in the U.S.House of Representatives. As a legislator, he was an advocateof free silver and a champion of the state'sagricultural interests. After two failed bids for election to the Senate, McCreary secured the support of Governor J. C. W. Beckham, and in 1902, the GeneralAssembly elected him to the Senate. He served one largely undistinguished term, and Beckham successfully challenged him for his Senate seat in 1908. The dividebetween McCreary and Beckham was short-lived, however, and Beckham supportedMcCreary's election to a second term as governor in 1911.Campaigning on a platform of progressive reforms, McCreary defeated Republican Edward C. O'Rear in the general election.During this second term, he became the first inhabitant of the state's second(and current) governor'smansion; he is also the only governor to have inhabited boththe old andnew mansions. During his second term, he succeeded in convincing thelegislature to make womeneligible to vote in school board elections, to mandatedirect primary elections, to create a state publicutilities commission, and to allow the state's counties tohold local option electionsto decide whether or not to adopt prohibition.He also realized substantial increases in education spending and won passage ofreforms such as a mandatory school attendance law, but was unable to securepassage of laws restricting lobbying in the legislative chambers and providingfor a workers' compensation program.McCreary was one of five commissioners charged with overseeing construction ofthe new governor's mansion and exerted considerable influence on theconstruction plans. His term expired in 1915, and he died three yearslater. McCreary County wasformed during McCreary's second term in office and was named in his honor.
