Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 249] the youngest of ten children, born to John C. and Phoebe A. (Iddings) Reed, was born on the farm in Shenango township, where he now resides, Feb. 1. 1871. Being the youngest, it fell to his lot to remain at home with his father, and carry on the farm, after the latter was stricken with apoplexy, when Luther was still only a youth. He was his father's right-hand man, caring for his personal wants, during the years he lingered, as well as taking upon himself the whole management of the farm. He was the only one of his father's children, who has not been a school-teacher, but it was not because of lack of ability, but because his duty called him into other fields of activity. His school days ceased at the age of sixteen years, a year after his father's affliction. All his life has been spent on the homestead, which he now owns and operates with the exception of a third of a year that he spent in the West, near the city of Galesburg, Ill. The portion of the homestead that fell to Luther comprises sixty-three acres of as fine land as lies within the boundaries of Lawrence County; it is peculiarly adapted to fruit-rasing,[sic] and the orchard planted by his grandfather, William Reed, never fails of a plentiful harvest.
Our subject's father was born in Shenango township, near the Center United Presbyterian Church, May 3, 1826, and remained a resident of that township until his death, engaged in the pursuits of agriculture, in which he was eminently successful. His death, which took place Jan. 28, 1895, was occasioned by a stroke of apoplexy which came upon him when plowing in the fields a number of years previous; the years intervening between the stroke and his final dissolution were passed in almost helplessness, his personal wants being attended to for the most part by his son, Luther M. He was an energetic man, and although somewhat short in his stature he accomplished with his indomitable will and extraordinary perseverance much more than me [sic] of larger frame and more robust constitution. He was ambitious to leave his children well provided for, and in doing so he exerted himself more than he ought to have done, and may be said to have really sacrificed himself for his children. There was no one in the county who stood higher in public estimation than did Mr. Reed, and his word was as good as his bond. So high an estimate was placed on him by his fellow-citizens, that favors are often extended to his sons, because of their father's good name. His much-beloved wife, and hlepmeet [sic] through life, was Phoebe Ann Iddings, daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Hoopes) Iddings. The latter was a native of Chester Co., Pa., of Quaker stock, and descended from a sister of Sir Anthony Wayne; her father was Ezra Hoopes of Chester Co., Pa. Joseph Iddings was also born in Chester Co., Pa.; having received a good education when a boy, and having the benefits of a college course of training as a young man, he turned his attention to teaching, and was one of the first school-teachers in Lawrence County. He followed farming as an occupation in later years. He reared the following children: Mary, who is eighty-four years old; Mirabel, deceased; Hannah, who married Martin Reno, deceased, of Shenango township, Lawrence County; Sarah, who became the wife of Hugh A. McKee; Elizabeth, deceased, who married James Leonard of Lawrence County, and now of the State of Michigan; Ann, deceased; Lavina, who married James Davis of Lawrence County; and Phoebe A., the mother of our subject. To John C. Reed and Phoebe A. Iddings were given ten children, as follows: William E., whose personal history appears elsewhere; Joseph, who is living in Sharon, and practicing medicine; Charles A., a leading physician of the city of New Castle, whose biography appears on another page of this work; Hannah, deceased; Anna and Mary, twins, both of whom are deceased; Sarah J., the wife of Richard Wright of Taylor township; Lovina, who married William H. Weinschenk of Shenango township, the narration of whose life may be found elsewhere in this Book of Biographies; John W., deceased; and Luther M., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Reed, the widow of John C., makes her home with her daughter, Lovina, Mrs. William H. Weinsclienk.
John C. Reed was a son of William and Anna (Cameron) Reed. The latter is living to-day at the age of ninety-two years, and is surprisingly active and vigorous both in body and mind for one of her advanced years; she has been granted the rare privilege of seeing a descendant in the fifth generation, her grandchildren being in their turn grandparents. She was born in Mahoningtown, Feb. 10, 1805, and was a daughter of James and Betsey (Hendrickson) Cameron, the latter a daughter of Dr. Hendrickson, the first physician to settle in the county, coming here in 1797 with two other families from Pennsville, N. J. Indians were numerous about this region, and Betsey Hendrickson received a severe fright from one of them, when she was driving the cows home from their pasturing ground; she was never sent alone on such an errand again. James Cameron was born at Shirleysburg, Pa., and was a farmer by occupation; he departed this life in Shenango township, near New Castle, at the age of sixty-six years. He was a son of James Cameron, Sr., who came to Mahoningtown to see if he would like the place for a residence; the country suiting him in every respect, he returned to Shirleysburg, sold his farm, and started for Mahoningtown with the proceeds from the sale, with the intention of purchasing each of his sons a farm. As time passed by, and no word was received from him, inquiry was made along the route, which he was supposed to have taken, with the result that his horse and saddle were found, but his body was never recovered, nor was there any record of him ever found, but it was supposed that he was murdered and robbed for the money he carried in his saddle-bags. He was a soldier in the Revolution and served honorably till the close of the war, after having once deserted and then rejoined the army.
William Reed, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in June, 1803, and came with his parents to Lawrence County in 1806. He learned the wheelwright's trade, and worked for a time in New Castle. In 1829, he bought a farm in Shenango township, on which there was a small clearing and log-cabin; here he followed his trade, and cleared his farm, which to-day is one of the very best in the county; the soil of it is peculiarly adapted to fruit-growing, and it often results that his orchards will be bearing when surrounding ones are barren of fruit. He passed away in the very prime of his life, attaining only the age of forty years. He was a son of John and Margaret (Lutton) Reed, the latter a daughter of Ralph Lutton, who married a Miss Martin. John Reed was born in Ireland, and upon coming to America settled first in Zanesville, Ohio, from which locality he moved in 1806 to Lawrence County, settling in Shenango township on the stream now known as Snake Run; he, too, died at the age of forty years, while his wife Margaret lived to be ninety-two years old. He was a weaver in Ireland, and followed that trade in America until he took up farming as a means of obtaining a livelihood, and securing an independence. His father, Michael Reed, never left the Old Country, but lived and died in the north of Ireland.
Luther M. Reed was married in New Castle, Feb. 18, 1891, to Lizzie McMillin, who was born in New Castle, a daughter of J. Clark and Lydia J. (Morrow) McMillin. Our subject's wife's mother was born in Shenango township, and was a daughter of Hugh and Margaret (Young) Morrow, the former a farmer throughout life, living to the age of eighty-four years. J. Clark McMillin was born in Shenango township, Nov. 3, 1847, and was a son of Joseph and Mary (Mouk) McMillin, the latter a native of Westmoreland Co., Pa., and daughter of Daniel Mouk, who was a blacksmith by trade and reached the age of eighty years. Joseph McMillin was born in Westmoreland Co., Pa., in 1814, and died at the age of sixty-nine, his death resulting from a runaway accident. He was a farmer the most of his life, although he learned the tanner's trade early in life, but gave it up, as the employment was uncongenial to him. He was a son of John McMillin, who came from near Philadelphia. J. Clark McMillin was reared in Shenango township, and when sixteen years of age ran away from home, and enlisted in Co. K, 50th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf., serving nine months until the close of the war, and taking part in the battles of Hatcher's Run, Petersburg, and Ft. Steadman. To Mr. and Mrs. Reed two children have been born, as follows: Norma N.; and Nettie I. Mr. Reed is a Republican in his politics, and has served on the election board. He is a charter member of New Castle Lodge, No. 404, Knights of Pythias. Mr. Reed has inherited many of the manly qualities that so distinguished his worthy father, and is rapidly attaining a high place in the estmation of his fellow-citizens, as a conscientious, energetic young man, who chooses to walk in the path of integrity because he knows it to be the only satisfactory method to win the true esteem of those with whom he has dealings in a business and also in a purely social way.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 16 May 2001