William Creech Sr. (c. 1845–1918) was an American

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. "Uncle" William Creech is remembered for his contributions to improve

Harlan County, Kentucky Harlan County is a county located in southeastern Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. Its county seat is Harlan. It is classified as a moist countya county in which alcohol sales are prohibited (a dry county), but conta ...

Philanthropic efforts

Pine Mountain Settlement School

Uncle William Creech donated of land to establish

Pine Mountain Settlement School The Pine Mountain Settlement School is a historic cultural and educational institution in rural Harlan County, Kentucky. Founded in 1913 as a settlement school near Bledsoe, it now focuses on classes related to the culture of Appalachia and en ...

, the first educational institution in the area. The school was co-founded in 1913 by

Katherine Pettit Katherine Rebecca Pettit (February 23, 1868 – September 3, 1936) was an American educator and suffragist from Kentucky who contributed to the settlement school movement of the early 20th century. Background Born to Clara Barbee and Benjamin F. ...

and

Ethel de Long Zande Ethel Marguerite de Long Zande (1879–1928) was an American educator from New Jersey who contributed to the settlement school movement of the early 20th century. Background De Long was born in 1879 to George and Arabella M. de Long in Montcl ...

and was designed by architect Mary Rockwell Hook. Ethel's husband Luigi Zande, who was an Italian stonemason and educator, helped to design and build many buildings on the schools campus, including the stone reservoir and chapel. Pine Mountain Settlement School has served many purposes, though its current foci are

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

n cultural education and environmental education. As Creech said in a letter from 1915,

I have heart and cravin' that our people may grow better. I have deeded my land to the Pine Mountain Settlement School to be used for school purposes as long as the Constitution of the United States stands. Hoping it may make bright and intelligent people after I'm dead and gone.

Gaining a post office

According to

Ben Lucien Burman Ben Lucien Burman (December 12, 1895 – November 12, 1984) was an American author and journalist born in Covington, Kentucky. He also fought in both World War I and World War II, and graduated from Harvard University. He was married to Alice Cad ...

in ''Children of Noah: Glimpses of Unknown America'',

In any rural community the mail is always a matter of importance, particularly in a region so isolated as the Cumberlands. Uncle William had decided that Pine Mountain's crying need was a post office."

Creech's efforts to gain a local post office were a struggle because his rural area would not be allowed to have its own post office until it was deemed able to support enough postal business. To stimulate mail delivery, Creech worked with often illiterate residents to request mail-order catalogs. Following his initial efforts with a more personal campaign, Creech helped residents write letters to their sons, husbands, and boyfriends who were fighting in World War I. Although often requiring the help of literate friends, many soldiers responded with letters home. Creech's labor was successful. The United States Postal Service was impressed by the quantity of mail, and a post office was established in the area.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creech, William Sr. 1840s births 1918 deaths Founders of American schools and colleges Settlement schools People from Harlan County, Kentucky 19th-century American philanthropists