Shawnee County KS Archives Biographies.....Reed, Joseph 1848 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 20, 2006, 10:51 pm

Author: James L. King (1905)

HON. JOSEPH REED.
    HON. JOSEPH REED, one of the best known citizens and most popular public
officials of Topeka, who has with dignity and efficiency filled many honorable
offices, was born at Portland, Maine, December 10, 1848, and is a son of Joseph
and Catherine J. (Webster) Reed.

    The Reed family is one not unknown to fame in the United States, many of its
members having attained prominence in various walks of life. Our subject has
every reason to feel proud of belonging to that branch of the family which
produced one of Maine's most exalted and disinterested statesmen, the late Hon.
Thomas B. Reed, his cousin and intimate personal friend. The parents of Judge
Reed were both born in Maine and the father conducted a real estate office at
one location in the city of Portland for 47 years. The mother died in 1861,
survived by the father for 20 years. The three surviving brothers of Judge Reed
are all prominent and successful men in their different localities: John B., a
broker and capitalist at Portland, Maine; George W., a journalist of Topeka; and
Thomas T., who is in the real estate-business at St. Louis.

    Joseph Reed was reared in the quiet old city of Portland and was given a
liberal and thorough education in the schools there. He read law under the
direction of Albert Merrill, of Portland, and was admitted to practice in June,
1871. Late in the same year he visited Jewell City, Kansas, but prospects did
not seem bright enough to induce him to locate there and he returned East as far
as Chicago, reaching that city in 1871 on the day before what was then the
greatest conflagration of modern times had laid the city in ashes and prostrated
every business. He remained there, however, until 1878, when he returned to
Kansas and settled at Topeka where he has continued in the practice of his
profession ever since.

    The young lawyer was not averse to entering into politics, his family being
rather noted successes in that line, and he was soon elected a justice of the
peace, an office he held for nine years. From 1887 to 1889 he was assistant city
attorney and in. 1888 he was elected police judge, an office he filled for 11
months. On March 9, 1889, he was appointed commissioner of elections, an office
he held until a Populist Governor was elected, when he was succeeded by Frank
Harrold. He served also as assistant city attorney for one year and as deputy
county attorney for the same length of time. His private practice has been along
all reputable lines and he stands high with his professional brethren both in
city and county.

    Judge Reed has been twice married, first on December 14, 1872, to Almira
Toops, who is a daughter of Charles and Serepta Toops. They had five children,
viz: Joseph, Jr., an engineer on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway; Edna
Ione, wife of William T. Dawson, a prominent farmer of Oakland, Kansas; Corliss,
a railroad engineer in Chicago; Roscoe, a mechanic in Topeka; and Catherine A.,
an accomplished musician and teacher of music in this city. The mother of this
family died October 19, 1889. In March, 1901, Judge Reed was married to Mary
Nina Reid, of Topeka, who is a daughter of John and Mary E. Reid, the latter of
whom was once matron of the State Penitentiary at Sing Sing, New York, and the
former penitentiary commissioner of Illinois. One son has been born to this
second marriage, Thomas B., a manly youth of 13 years. The only grandchild that
Judge Reed has is little Estella Irene Dawson, only child of his eldest
daughter. Judge Reed and family occupy a very pleasant home at No. 1936 Kansas
avenue, Topeka.

    For many years Judge Reed has been a Mason, and is a member of Orient Lodge,
No. 51, A. F. & A. M., of Topeka, and belongs also to Shawnee Lodge, No. 1, I.
O. O. F.; Knights of Pythias; and Capitol Lodge, No. 3, Ancient Order of United
Workmen.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

EDITED AND COMPILED BY
JAMES L. KING
TOPEKA, KANSAS 

"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples"

PUBLISHED BY
RICHMOND & ARNOLD,
GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1905.

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