Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was the city treasurer of Philadelphia from 1891 to 1895. He also worked in the coal and banking industries.
Early life, education and business career
McCreary was born on September 28, 1846, at York Springs, Pennsylvania[1] to John B. McCreary and Rachel Deardorff.[2] He moved with his parents to Philadelphia and graduated from the Saunders Military Institute in 1864. He entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1864 but left in 1867 during his junior year to join the Honey Brook Coal Company of which his father was president.[3]
He worked at the Whitney, McCreary & Kemmerer wholesale coal merchant company from 1870 to 1879.[3]
After his father's death, he became a director in the Upper Lehigh Coal Company and the Nescopec Coal Company. He also worked in banking, including as vice-president of the Market Street National Bank.[2]