Dr. William Mack (1814-1895) was a physician in Salem, Massachusetts from approximately 1840 to 1890. His parents were Elisha Mack (1783-1852) and Catherine Sewall Pychon (Orne) Mack (1780-1818) (Ancestry.com Town and Vital Records). Elisha was very involved in Salem and served as a state representative and as the city’s Judge of the Police Court for many years. Elisha married Harriet (Clarke) Mack (1792-1848) in 1820 after the death of his first wife. Dr. William Mack had one sister and two half-sisters, Mary (Mack) Wheatland (1816-1862), Esther Mack (1821-1884), and Harriet Mack (1827-1879), (Smith Martin 475). Mack attended Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts from 1833-1838, graduating with a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in Medicine. He finished up his studies in Europe and returned to Salem in 1840, to begin his own practice.

In his later years, Mack lived with his half-sister Esther, and his brother-in-law Dr. Henry Wheatland (1812-1893), who were both contributors to the founding of the Essex Institute in 1848. They lived at what is now known as the Mack House at 13 Chestnut Street in Salem. The estate was donated to the city of Salem in Mack’s will, per the wishes of his sister Esther. Also in his will, Mack donated large sums of money to the Essex Institute, and the Essex South District Medical Society (Ancestry.com Probate Records and Indexes). Most of the family, including Dr. Mack, is buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts (Ancestry.com U.S. Find a Grave Index).