Biography of Alfred Reed as published in 

"Portrait and Biographical Sketches of Prominent & Representative Citizens of Shelby and Moultrie
 Counties, together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State and of the Presidents of 
The United States." Published by The Chicago Biographical Publishing Company 1891"


Alfred Reed - The sons of the pioneers have indeed reason to feel proud of their honorable
ancestry.  The early settles in Illinois were a class of men and women who came to the New West
not alone for personal aggrandizement but mainly for the benefit of their posterity.  They 
cheerfully endured hardships and wrought gladly with their hands that they might provide a 
future for those who are dependent upon them.  Our subject was born in Shelbyville Township, 
Shelby County, August 8, 1839, where he now resides, his parents being Moses and Ruth (Fortner)
Reed.  The father was born in Tennessee, March 3, 1801, and there married a lady who was born 
in North Carolina, March 12, 1808, a daughter of Micajah Fortner.

This young wedded couple came to Illinois and settled in Shelby County about the year 1825, when 
there were no houses between then and Vandalia and only two or three houses anywhere in their 
vicinity.  Indians still abounded in Shelby County, deer and other game were plenty and wolves 
came about the dooryard. 

Moses Reed entered land and settled on section 23, where he also purchased other land and dealt 
in real-estate more or less having generally six hundred acres of land in possession at a time. 
He made his permanent home where he first settled and remained there until his death in November 
1885, at the age of seventy-seven years.  His widow died August 12, 1890, at the very advanced 
age of eighty-three years.  Their ten children are Lucinda, now Mrs. Jackson; Edward; Elizabeth, 
deceased; Eliza, now Mrs. Henry Hilton; Artimesia now Mrs. Manning; Moses; Alfred, our subject; 
Elisha and Marion, deceased; and one who died in childhood. 

Having grown to manhood in Shelbyville Township, and undertaken as his work for life agricultural
pursuits, our subject decided to establish a home for himself and in 1862 he married Rebecca, 
daughter of Jacob Kensil, who became the mother of five children and died in 1873.  Two only of 
her children are now living, namely Sarah, now Mrs. Bazel Haywood and Mary J., the wife of Lewis 
Manning.  In 1877 Mr. Reed married Alzira Hoard, daughter of Andrew J. and Mary J., (Highland) 
Hoard.  This lady was born in Union County, Ohio, October 14, 1856, and came with her parents to 
Illinois in 1868.  They settled in Shelby County, and here this young girl grew up into a lovely 
young womanhood and received a training in the useful arts of housewifery, in which she became 
expert.  Her beloved mother is still living and her worthy father died July 4, 1886, at the age 
of sixty-four years.  One child only of this second marriage is now living, a daughter Zula; a 
little one died at the age of eighteen months some years ago.  


About three hundred acres of land now form the home farm of this successful and thorough-going 
farmer.  He prefers to devote himself largely to stock-raising of which he makes a specialty, 
and in which he is very prosperous.  His political views have led him to ally himself with the 
Democratic party and he firmly believes that the principles endorsed by "Old Hickory" are the 
reliable ground for political action now-a-days.  The high esteem in which he is held by his 
neighbors has often led them to urge is acceptance of various local offices, but the only 
position which he has ever felt willing to accept was that of a member of the School Board in 
which he has been very useful and has aided materially in forwarding the educational interests 
of his township.  Socially he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

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