WILLIAM NEWTON CREED, Lincoln, Grant and Union Parishes, Louisiana
Submitted by: Kay Thompson-Brown
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville,  1890


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WILLIAM NEWTON CREED

William Newton Creed, planter, Colfax, La.  Mr. Creed is eminently a self made
man, and what he has won in the way of this world's goods is wholly due to his
enterprise, thrift and honesty.  He is a native of this State, born in Lincoln
Parish on October 31, 1851, and his parents, William H. and Sarah Ann (Kelly)
Creed, are natives of Alabama.  The parents moved to Lincoln parish, La., at
an early day, thence to Jackson parish, and there the mother's death occurred
in 1856.  In 1868 the father married Mrs. Mauray, of Lincoln Parish, and in
1882 they moved to Grant parish, where the father died when fifty six years of
age.  He had followed farming all his life, and although he lost the major
part of his property during the Civil War, he went to work with renewed vigor
afterward, and was soon doing remarkably well, being quite wealthy at the time
of his death.  He kept store in Lincoln Parish for some years in connection
with his farming interest, and was a man of great business acumen.  Of the
five children born to the first union, three are now living, and our subject
is the eldest in order of birth: John L. (Is a resident of Navarro County,
Tex.), and Sarah Ann (is the wife of John Bronson, of Lincoln Parish, La.).

William N. Creed spent his school boy days in Lincoln Parish, and when
eighteen years of age he started out to make fame and fortune for himself as
an agriculturist.  He remained in Lincoln Parish until 1880, and then came to
Grant Parish, locating in the wood ten miles west of Colfax, where he has 320
acres of land, with sixty acres under cultivation.  He served three years as
police jury, and filled that position with credit to himself and the people.
In 1882 he commenced the milling business, conducting a gin, grist and saw
mill for some time, and also engaged in merchandising.  The latter business he
has carried on for five years, and carries a $2000 stock of general
merchandise.  When he started out for himself he had but 50 cents, and was in
debt $10.  By industry and good business ability he has surmounted every
difficultly, and is at the present time very comfortably fixed indeed.

In 1869 he was married to Miss Beatrice Kelley, a native of Union Parish, La.,
and to the assistance of this pleasant companion Mr. Creed attributes a great
deal of his success.  Tho this marriage eight interesting children have been
born: Minnie Lee (wife of Richard Newton, resides near her father), Mabel
(resides near home and is the wife of Burrill Mundy), George L. (At home,
William A., A. B., Henry M. and Clarice and Clara (twins).  Mr. and Mrs. Creed
are members of the Baptist Church, and in politics he is a stanch Democrat.