Wapello County IA Archives Biographies.....Reece, William M. 1856 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 10, 2013, 12:38 am Source: See Below Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher WILLIAM M. REECE. There are chapters in the life record of William M. Reece which vie in interest with any tale of fiction. He knows the story of the southwest and that of Alaska from actual experience. The periods which he spent in those districts brought him various hardships, yet he met these courageously and if he did not gain wealth, he gained a knowledge of the countries such as broadens one's understanding and vision of life. He is now quietly but successfully engaged in business in Ottumwa as president and manager of the Sunray Lighting Company. He was born in Wood county, West Virginia, November 25, 1856. His father, Alphus R. Reece, was also a native of Wood county and was a son of Abram Reece, who was born in Virginia, while his father was a native of Wales. The family, however, was founded in America during the colonial epoch in the history of the country and was represented by active patriots in the Revolutionary war and also in wars against the Indians. At one time Abram Reece was the owner of a number of slaves, but, becoming convinced that the practice of holding human beings in bondage was wrong, he liberated them. His son, Alphus R. Reece, was united in marriage to Miss Phoebe Lowther, a native of Ritchie county, West Virginia, and a daughter of Jesse Lowther, whose birth occurred in the Old Dominion. Both Mr. and Mrs. Reece continued their residence in West Virginia throughout their entire lives. The father of William M. Reece was a member of the Fifteenth West Virginia Infantry during the Civil war and was wounded at the battle of Antietam, but after three months he returned to his command, with which he remained until mustered out on the 15th of July, 1865. He made farming his life work and thus supported his family. Unto him and his wife were born six children: Archibald, who died at the age of fifteen years; William M.; Abraham L., of West Virginia; Anna, the wife of Clark Wigner of the same state; Lettie, the wife of W. Dilley of West Virginia; and Ella, who is living at Weston, West Virginia. William M. Reece spent the period of his minority in his native state. He was reared upon a farm but also spent some time in Parkersburg, West Virginia. In 1877, however, he came to Iowa, where he took up carpenter work, which he followed as a journeyman until 1882, being employed in Wapello and Van Buren counties. He then entered upon general contract work and was identified with a number of important building interests. He had the contracts to build the Ottumwa Coal Palace, the Franklin school building, the Leighton block, the C. T. Sullivan building, which is a white enameled brick front on Second street, and others of equal importance. He followed the profession of architecture, making plans and designs for buildings as well as engaging in their construction. In his chosen line of work he steadily advanced until he reached a position of leadership and no higher testimonial of his ability can be given than the above list of fine buildings which were erected by him. Mr. Reece has also figured prominently in public connections. He was appointed by the Hon. John F. Lacey, clerk of the committee on public lands in the House of Representatives at Washington, D. C., in 1895, and held that position for twelve years. His knowledge of legislative matters gained from actual experience in drafting bills and writing reports on measures which came before his committee, qualified and fitted him to advise and assist the Wapello County Bar Association in taking the proper steps to secure the federal court at Ottumwa. In the spring of 1906 he advised the president of the bar association to circulate a petition to Congress amongst the members of the bar in all the counties now comprising the judicial district. The names were secured and the petition delivered to Mr. Reece by Attorney W. A. Work on the evening before his return to Washington to attend the second session of the sixty-first congress. On his arrival in Washington he immediately drafted the bill in compliance with the petition and turned both over to Hon. John F. Lacey, representative of the sixth Iowa district, for introduction. The measure was referred under the rules of the house of representatives to the committee on judiciary and was promptly reported back to the house for passage. The prompt report was in no small degree due to the influence of Mr. Reece, who had enjoyed the personal friendship of Hon. John J. Jenkins, then chairman of the committee on judiciary. If the hen that lays the egg is the mother of the chicken, Mr. Reece is the father of the federal court at Ottumwa. He shared the friendship of many distinguished men and became acquainted with every important move on the national political chess-board. He was next appointed by Secretary of the Interior Garfield and President Roosevelt to the position of special agent for the general land office and had an office at Bismarck, North Dakota. He acted in that capacity in a most acceptable manner for about a year, when he resigned, owing to the ill health of his wife, which made it imperative that they seek a change of climate. They then returned to Ottumwa, and here Mrs. Reece passed away. In the spring of 1909 Mr. Reece and his son Carroll moved westward, taking up their abode in the Willamette valley, near Eugene, Oregon, where he purchased a fruit farm. A year later, however, he sold out and returned to Ottumwa, where he began a series of experiments that led to the invention of an acetylene generator, named by him the Sunray Generator. The Sunray Generator Company was then incorporated, with Mr. Reece as president and manager, and his entire time is devoted to the development and management of the business, which includes generators and a line of acetylene fixtures and burners all of his own design. His inventive genius has found expression in a manner that has constituted a valuable contribution to mankind and the business is growing steadily. An interesting chapter in the life of Mr. Reece is that which covers his Alaska experience. In 1900, following the discovery of gold at Nome, Mr. Reece secured an outfit for himself and son Harlan and started on an expedition to the northwest, intending to wash the sands of Nome. He found this method of seeking the precious metal unprofitable, however, and decided to make a tour of the interior. Accordingly, he proceeded to the head waters of the Nome and Snake rivers. In the fall of 1900 the party suffered serious damages in a severe storm and they also met with a tidal wave eight miles up the Nome river while proceeding down that stream in a boat. They had to tie up their boat and cross the Tundra on foot in a terrific storm. Mr. Reece had been sick with mountain fever several days and gave up when half across and lay there for some time. Finally, however, he managed to reach a miner's tent and eventually was able to continue his trip to Nome, where he caught the steamship Ohio and returned to the United States. In 1904 he made a trip across the territory of Arizona with a burro train, and he has also made the trip through Yellowstone Park and through Yosemite Park and other recreation tours. His experiences have been many and varied, most of which have brought him pleasure, while at the same time he has learned valuable lessons or gathered important information concerning the districts which he has visited. In his wide acquaintance with climatic conditions in all the states, he expresses a love for autumn days in Iowa that strikes a responsive chord in the hearts of the people in the Hawkeye state. [Transcriber's note: poetry written by Mr. Reece not included here] In 1881 Mr. Reece was united in marriage to Miss Clare A. Houke, who was born in Van Buren county, Iowa, March 15, 1857, and departed this life in Ottumwa, September 17, 1908. She was a daughter of Henry Houke, who was killed in the battle of Fort Donelson while serving in the Second Iowa Regiment during the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Reece had two children: Harlan M., who is now secretary of the company of which his father is president, and Carroll M., who is an undertaker and is assistant to C. T. Sullivan of Ottumwa. Mr. Reece gives his political allegiance to the Republican party and in 1908 was a presidential elector, on which occasion he cast his vote for Taft. He served as a member of the city council in Ottumwa in 1889-90 and has been chairman of the Republican County Central Committee and of the judicial committee. He holds membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and has been a delegate to the various state meetings of that organization. He has proposed a plan for settling the rate question in that order that bids fair to be adopted by the entire organization. This plan was printed in the "Modern Woodman" of May, 1914. It has for its object the full and complete payment of death losses without creating a permanent reserve fund. The method is to collect from each member the necessary even per cent 011 his assessment of each dollar or major fraction of a dollar to restore to the benefit fund any shortage of the previous month. It is said to be the only plan whereby a fraternal society can, on a low rate, guarantee to pay every death loss in full. He belongs to the Commercial Association and is interested in all that pertains to the welfare and progress of city and county. His life has been an eventful, active, busy and useful one, bringing him to his present position as one of the leading and representative business men of Ottumwa. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY IOWA ILLUSTRATED VOLUME II CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1914 Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/wapello/photos/bios/reece837gbs.jpg This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/ File size: 10.3 Kb