Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Alexander W. Reed *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** Alexander W. Reed, a prominent farmer of Richland Township, was born in Sevier County, Tenn., May 13, 1825, the son of Robert and Elizabeth (Fagala) Reed, natives of Pennsylvania. The father was born August 6, 1788, and died in , Ark., September 16, 1861. The mother was born May 9, 1806, and is still living in this county. They were married in Sevice County, Tenn., in [p.1007] 1824, and in 1836 moved from there to McMinn County, of the same State, where they lived for seven years. From there they moved to Whitefield County, Ga., where they remained until 1852, and then moved to Northwestern Arkansas, and here the father died, He enlisted in the War of 1812, but was not mustered in. He was a blacksmith by trade, having served an apprenticeship of seven years. His father, Alexander Reed, died in Rockbridge County, Va., at the age of sixty four, and the maternal grandfather of our subject served in the Revolutionary War. Mrs. Elizabeth (Fagala) Reed became a member of the Presbyterian Church when young; has been a faithful member since, and is a kind and loving mother. Her husband was an old-line Whig, but later a stanch Republican. Their family consisted of thirteen children, eight now living, and all but one in , Ark. They are named as follows: Adam, Catherine, (Still), Martha (Stockberger), Elizabeth (Putnam), Maria (Brown), Eliza (Webb), Robert A., and Alexander, who was named for his grandfather Reed. Alexander remained with his father until thirty-five years of age, and worked in the blacksmith shop for nine years, but not with the intention of following it in after life. He took charge of his father's business from the time he was fifteen years old, and at the death of his father it was all willed to him. He was married January 15, 1861, to Miss Elizabeth McGarrah, daughter of William McGarrah, a prominent business man of Fayetteville, and very wealthy. She was born in Fayetteville March 9, 1843, and by her marriage became the mother of ten children, seven now living: Mary, Robert W., John A., William M., Emma, Augustine and Jorden C. Three infants, Eliza J., Julia and James, died in infancy. Mr. Reed and wife are members of the Christian Church, and Mr. Reed is a Republican in politics. He has 147 acres of good valley land, with ninety under cultivation, and is an excellent citizen.