BIOGRAPHY: Andrew REED, Mifflin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Frank Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/mifflin/ http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/mifflin/1picts/runk1897/runk-bios.htm __________________________________________________________________________ The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley, Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry, Pennsylvania. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, Volume I, pages 438-439. __________________________________________________________________________ ANDREW REED, ESQ., Lewistown, Mifflin county, Pa., was born near Reedsville, Mifflin county, Pa., February 14, 1832. He is a son of Abner and Rhoda (Brown) Reed. His grandfather, James Reed, settled in the Kishacoquillas valley about 1751, with his half-brother, William Brown, a justice of the peace, commissioned by George III, King of England. They were the first white settlers in the valley, and were of Scotch-Irish extraction; they explored the valley thoroughly before fixing their permanent residence. James Reed and his half-brother, William Brown, established a cordial friendship with Chief Logan, the famous Cayuga warrior, whom Mr. Brown met under rather peculiar circumstances. The Indian chief coming suddenly upon the young settler while he was drinking at a spring, the well-known "Logan Spring" in Brown township. Mr. Brown, afterwards Judge Brown, was about to seize his rifle, when Logan removed the priming from his musket, and extended his hand towards him in a friendly manner, and the cordial relation thus begun between them remained unbroken. Reed and Brown went to Carlisle, Pa., where James Reed was married to Jane Ogleby, and with his bride returned to Kishacoquillas valley, where the children grew up, and Mr. Reed passed the remainder of his life, attaining to the age of eighty. He was an earnest and consistent member of the Presbyterian church, was heartily interested in the welfare and progress of the community, and always ready to promote any schemes for improvement. Of the ten children of James and Jane (Ogleby) Reed, eight were sons: James; William; Thomas; Andrew: Joseph; John; Alexander; and Abner. Abner Reed was born in 1787. He received such education as was to be obtained then in rural districts, and devoted his life to tilling the soil. He was married twice. His first wife was Rebecca Nancy Henry; they had the following children: James, who died young; Joseph, died in 1861; Nancy M. (Mrs. Abner Thompson), had children, Mary, John, Ella, Walter, and Edward; and Alexander, commemorated elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Rebecca Reed died in 1826; she was an estimable Christian lady. The second wife of Abner Reed was Rhoda, daughter of John and Mary (Taylor) McKinney, and widow of John Brown. Their children are: John, of Reedsville, Mifflin county, married Elizabeth D. Taylor, has two children, Henry Taylor Reed, a member of the faculty of Princeton University, and Rhoda M; Andrew, of Lewistown, Pa.; Ogleby J., of Mifflin county, married Agnes Cummins, has three children, John, Milton, Mary Brown and Anna Cummins; Rebecca J. (Mrs. John Hayes), of Brown township, Mifflin county, has five children, Jane A., who died in early life, Rhoda M., John Francis, of California, A. Reed, an attorney-at- law, of Lewistown, and Anna W.; also Sarah (Mrs. Alexander B. McNitt), of Armagh township, Mifflin county, has children, D. Sterrett, Andrew R., now a student at Princeton University, Nancy M., Rhoda M. Brown, Mary T. Ogleby, and R. Cummins. Abner Reed died October 13, 1855, at the age of sixty-eight; Mrs. Rhoda Reed died June 1, 1877, aged nearly seventy-seven years. Both were faithful and valued members of the East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian church, consistent and exemplary in all relations of life. After a preliminary course in the common schools, Andrew Reed, was a pupil at Tuscarora Academy, in Juniata county, Pa., at the age of fourteen, and studied there three years. In 1850, he entered Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, N. H. and was graduated in 1853. After studying law with Judge Washington McCartney, who had a law school at Easton, Pa., and for a short time with E. L. Benedict, Esq., of Lewistown, Pa., he was admitted to the bar at Lewistown, in August, 1855, and at once began practise in Mifflin county; his practise was soon extended to the adjoining counties. Early in his career, Mr. Reed was elected to the office of district attorney for Mifflin county. In 1873, he was elected to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, and for one year served in the framing of the present Constitution of Pennsylvania. Mr. Reed, besides holding a most enviable position at the bar, has always been a useful citizen, heartily encouraging and assisting all enterprises tending to the advantage of the borough. He was largely instrumental in the establishment of the Mifflin County National Bank, was elected its president, and served until 1894, when be resigned, on account of impaired health. In 1883, Mr. Reed traveled through the Western States and in Mexico, where he visited his brother who was engaged in mining. On the return trip, he remained for two weeks in San Francisco. In 1893, by the advice of his physician, he visited Europe. Landing at Antwerp, he spent some days in various places of interest; he then went to Brussels, where among other sight-seeing, he visited the far-famed lace-factories. After a rather protracted stay in Paris, he went to London. Here he took particular pleasure in wandering through Westminster Abbey, recalling and verifying Irving's graphic description of that wonderful relic and monument. In the Abbey it was pleasure to meet and hold communion with the Past; but the Present was no less interesting, as illustrated by a session of the House of Commons, and a sight of England's grand old commoner, William E. Gladstone. After visiting also the Bank of England, and some other points on interest, Mr. Reed embarked at Liverpool, on the Umbria, for New York. He landed late in the evening and went on to Philadelphia the same night, and while walking in the street, accidentally slipped, fell, and broke his knee-cap. This apparently most untimely accident occasioned a confinement of about five months in a hospital. When at length discharged as convalescent, Mr. Reed found that health was in many respects better that ever before. So, good results having sprung from what was seemingly the most untoward incident of his voyage, he returned home and resumed the management of his profession, in association with his nephew, A. Reed Hayes. Mr. Reed's political view are Democratic.