McCreary County was created in 1912 from parts of Pulaski, Wayne, and Whitley counties, the last of Kentucky's 120 counties to be formed. It was named for James B. McCreary, who lived from 1838 to 1918 and was a lawyer, colonel of the 11th Kentucky Cavalry, CSA, a member of the state legislature from 1869 to 1875, twice governor of Kentucky from 1875 to 1879 and 1911 to 1915, a delegate to the International Monetary Convention in Brussels in 1892, and a U.S. Congressman from 1885 to 1897 and 1903 to 1909.