My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM F. L. F. REED, one of the leading manufacturers and citizens of Chautauqua county, is descended from a long line of Reeds prominently identified with the early military and political struggles of Colonial and National America. He is the son of Wiley Hamilton and Margaret Lockhart (Wilkey) Reed, and was born in the capital city of Ottawa, Canada, June 16, 1844. His paternal grandparent, John Savage Reed, was a native of Massachusetts, and in the early part of his career emigrated to the town of Mexico, Oswego county, New York, where he lived the remainder of his life and died. He was a man of good education, a lawyer by profession and a successful practitioner. His sympathies were with the Whig party — the prevailing party of that time — to which he gave earnest and liberal support. Under the whig administration he was created a magistrate, which office he filled with marked efficiency. He served in the War of 1812, while many years before his father had served as a general in the Revolutionary war. His grandfather had been a soldier in the English army with the rank of colonel, in the old French and Indian war, took part in the engagements at Quebec and Louisburg, and, in fact, the entire Canadian campaign. His father, General Reed of Revolutionary fame, was once the recipient of certain overtures from the British commander to desert the colonial cause and deliver up certain strongholds which he held — being offered ten thousand pounds as an inducement. But with haughty indignation at the very thought of disloyalty, he proudly made the reply long since passed down in history, “I am poor, very poor, my all has been given to the cause of colonial freedom, but I thank God that King George is not rich enough to hire me to desert the cause of the colonies.” The reply was indicative of the man. Loyal to the very core in moments of darkest National gloom, loving country and a free, untrammeled system of democratic institutions more than home or life or fame, he has justly merited the universal respect of those who now enjoy the blessings and security of self-government. The father of our subject is a native of the State of New York, born in the town of Russia, Herkimer county, in the year 1807. He afterward removed to Ottawa, Canada, and died in Packenham in 1859. He learned the trade of tanner, and afterward engaged quite extensively in the manufacture of leather. In matters of politics he was a whig adherent, and in religion a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His marriage to Miss Wilkey, who died in 1890, resulted in the birth of nine children, three boys and six girls. Two of the sons died young, and only one daughter is now living, her home being in Brockville, Ontario.

W. F. L. F. Reed received a common school and academic education, worked with his father and learned the trade of tanner and currier. In May, 1886, he came to Chautauqua county, New York, and purchased what was known as the old Martin tannery, at Smith’s Mills, then owned and operated by Martin & Co., of Buffalo, New York. Since purchasing he has newly equipped the works, and nearly doubled their capacity both for manufacturing and storing leather, placing the tannery easily at the head of that industry in Chautauqua county. The firm, which is known as Nast & Reed, employs about thirty men the year round, and pays out yearly wages to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars. The annual output of the tannery is about fifty thousand sides of leather, most of which is shipped to Boston. The dry-house is a large building, one hundred and ten feet by forty feet, and three and a half stories in height. The main building of the establishment is about one hundred and seventy-five feet long by seventy-five feet in width, part of which is three and a half stories in height and part one and a half. In addition to these there are large accessory buildings for finishing, etc., equipped with the latest improved machinery, offices and storage houses for bark — altogether a singularly complete plant. Mr. Reed is politically a democrat, and, while at Hornellsville, was a member of the board of education. He is also a Free and Accepted Mason, belonging to the Consistory at Dunkirk (of which he is a charter member), Blue Lodge, Council and Commandery. Mr. Reed united in marriage with Margaret Louisa Prindle, of Hornellsville, N. Y., to whom has been born three children: Josephine P., Charles M. and Ernest J.