Berkeley County, West Virginia Biography of HANNON REED This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 416-417 HANNON REED has been successfully identified with farm enterprise and coal operations in his native state, and is now one of the substantial and popular citizens of Martins- burg, Berkeley County. Mr. Reed was born in the Village of Romines Mills, Har- rison County, West Virginia, and on a pioneer farm in the same county his father, Fielding Reed, was born Febru- ary 19, 1832, a son of Minor Reed, supposedly a native of Virginia and for many years numbered among the prosper- ous farmers of Harrison County. Late in life he removed to Ohio, where he continued to reside until his death, his wife, whose family name was White, having died in Har- rison County, West Virginia. Fielding Reed was reared on the old home farm, and after his marriage he resided for some time at Romines Mills. He next engaged in farm enterprise in that county, and later purchased a farm in Lewis County, where he remained about five years, at the expiration of which he returned to Harrison County and purchased a farm on Elk Creek. There he continued his successful activities as an agricul- turist and stock-grower for many years and there he died at the venerable age of eighty-two years, as one of the hon- ored native sons of the county. He became extensively engaged also in the buying and shipping of live stock, which he consigned to the markets in Philadelphia and Baltimore. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Debar, was born in Upshur County, a daughter of William and Nancy (Reed) Debar, the latter of whom was a daughter of Stephen Reed, a Virginia farmer. Mrs. Sarah (Debar) Reed died when comparatively a young woman and left four small children: Hannon, Nancy, Lincoln and Ida. Nancy became the wife of William Miles and is now de- ceased; and Ida married Stephen Stewart. For his second wife Fielding Reed married Mary Boyer, who died January 9, 1922, at Clarksburg, West Virginia. Of this union were born four children: Florence, Watt, Minnie and Mary. Florence is the wife of Robert Stewart; Minnie is the wife of Holden Stewart; and Mary is the wife of John Cum- mings. Hannon Reed gained his early education in the rural schools, and early acquired valuable business experience. At the age of twenty-one years he became associated with a partner in the operating of a coal mine, and later he was engaged in farming in Barbour County, where he remained one year. He then returned to Harrison County, where lie continued his active alliance with productive farm industry until 1908, since which year he and his wife have maintained their home at Martinsburg, where he has been identified with various lines of business. He purchased a tract of land on the hill overlooking the city and surrounding coun- try, leveled the tract effectively and there erected the modern house in which he and his wife now reside. November 19, 1884, recorded the marriage of Mr. Reed and Josephine Miles, who was born on a farm five miles southeast of Buckhannon, Upshur County, a daughter of John J. Miles, who was born in England. John J. Miles' brother William and sister Priscilla likewise came to the United States, and Priscilla married a man named Williams, they making settlement in Ohio; William settled in Upshur County, West Virginia. In this county John J. Miles pur- chased a farm, and he not only became one of the successful agriculturists of Upshur County but also actively identified with the mining of coal. He died in that county, aged seventy-seven years. He married Mary Miller, who was horn in Virginia, a daughter of Joseph Miller, who was a carpenter and farmer, his farm having been on Beverly Pike, about three miles distant from Buckhannon. Joseph Miller had five sons, Jacob, John, Joseph, Jr., James and George, and of the number all except Jacob became Union soldiers in the Civil war, George having been killed in battle and all of the others having long survived the war and having received pensions from the Government. Mrs. Mary (Miller) Miles died at the age of sixty years, she having become the mother of seven children: Susan, Priscilla, Josephine, Philip, John, Sarah and Charles. Susan became the wife of Sherman Shreeves; Priscilla married Lafayette Westphall, who also served in the Civil war. In conclusion is given brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Reed; Dorsey Miles Reed is in the employ of the United States Government. Tressie May is the wife of Owen S. Fisher. Russell Fielding Reed entered the military service of the United States in April, 1918, and at Camp Lee, Virginia, was assigned to the Three Hundred and Seventeenth Regiment. of the United States Army, with which, on the 25th of May of that year, he sailed for France and proceeded with his command to the front lines. He gained a full share of the arduous and hazardous ex- perience on the stage of conflict in the great World war, and he was both wounded and gassed, lie having been in a hospital in France at the time when the armistice was signed and brought the war to a close. Russell F. Reed received his honorable discharge after his return home, and to his enduring honor will stand his record of service in the greatest war in the annals of history.