Edward Charles Creighton, the fifth child of James and Bridget Creighton, was born in Belmont County, Ohio on August 31, 1820. At the age of 18, Edward received a gift of a wagon and team of horses from his father, which he used to begin a freighting business.

At the age of twenty-seven, Edward began his venture in constructing telegraph lines which took him West, eventually bringing the telegraph line to Omaha. Edward achieved his dream of a transcontinental telegraph line in 1861 after reaching the West Coast. Edward also found financial success in ranching, real estate, railroads, mining, and banking while working closely with his youngest brother, John A. Creighton.

During a business trip, Edward met his future wife, Mary Lucretia Wareham. They married on October 7, 1856 in Dayton, Ohio. The two had a son, Charles David, three years later. Their son passed away at the age of four. Edward’s career ended in 1874 when he suddenly collapsed in his office and passed away without a will.