Representative Charles Edward Creager

Charles Edward Creager (April 28, 1873 – January 11, 1964) was an American newspaper publisher and editor and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term in the United States House of Representatives from 1909 to 1911, representing an Oklahoma constituency during a significant period in American political and regional development.

Creager was born on April 28, 1873, in Montgomery County, Ohio, near Dayton, the son of William Otterbein Creager and Belle Basore Creager. He attended public schools in Ohio, receiving a basic education that prepared him for further study and professional life. He later enrolled at Northern Indiana University, from which he graduated, laying the academic foundation for his subsequent work in journalism and public service. In his personal life, Creager married Elizabeth Fleenor; the couple had two children, a son, Baron, and a daughter, Margaret.

During the Spanish–American War, Creager enlisted in the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving as a sergeant major. In this capacity he took part in the Puerto Rican campaign under General Nelson A. Miles, gaining military experience and exposure to national affairs at a time when the United States was expanding its international presence. His wartime service preceded and helped shape his later engagement in civic and political life.

Following his military service, Creager entered the newspaper business in Ohio. From 1899 to 1901 he served as city editor of the Columbus Press-Post, where he developed skills in reporting, editing, and managing a daily publication in a growing urban center. From 1902 to 1904 he was editor of the Daily Leader in Marietta, Ohio, continuing to build his reputation as a journalist and editor. In November 1904 he moved to Muskogee, then in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), where he again engaged in the newspaper business. In Muskogee he became publisher and editor of several Oklahoma newspapers, positioning himself as an influential voice in a region transitioning from territorial status to statehood.

Creager’s prominence in journalism and Republican politics in the new state of Oklahoma led to his election to the United States Congress. Elected as a Republican to the Sixty-first Congress, he served as a Representative from Oklahoma from March 4, 1909, to March 3, 1911. During this single term in office, he contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation, representing the interests of his Oklahoma constituents in the House of Representatives. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as Oklahoma adjusted to statehood and the country confronted issues of economic development, regulation, and political reform. Creager was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Sixty-second Congress in 1910, which ended his formal congressional career after one term.

After leaving Congress, Creager continued his involvement in public and economic affairs. He was employed in the United States Indian Service, reflecting the federal government’s ongoing relationship with Native American nations in Oklahoma and the broader region. He later entered the oil business, engaging in oil production during a time when petroleum development was transforming the Oklahoma economy. He remained active in this field until 1934, when he retired from active business pursuits.

In addition to his political and professional activities, Creager was deeply involved in Freemasonry in Oklahoma. He held several leadership positions in the state’s Masonic bodies, serving as Most Illustrious Grand Master of Cryptic Masons of Oklahoma from 1920 to 1921 and as Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Oklahoma from 1925 to 1926. He also contributed to Masonic historiography, publishing “A History of the Cryptic Rite Freemasonry in Oklahoma” in 1925. Creager was a perpetual member of Muskogee Masonic Lodge No. 28, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of Oklahoma, underscoring his long-standing commitment to fraternal and civic organizations in his community.

Charles Edward Creager died of emphysema at the Muskogee Veterans Administration Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on January 11, 1964, at the age of 90. He was interred at Greenhill Cemetery in Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma. His life encompassed service as a soldier, journalist, editor, publisher, public official, and Masonic leader, reflecting the varied civic and professional roles common to public figures in the early twentieth-century American West.