My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Lemuel D. Reed
Lemuel D. Reed (b. July 17, 1846, d. November 14, 1934)
 | Lemuel D. Reed |
Lemuel D. Reed (son of Pleasant Reed and Amanda Melvina Herrin) was born July 17, 1846 in Mt. Enterprise, Rusk Co., Tx., and died November 14, 1934 in Littlefield, Lamb Co., Tx..He married Hannah Jane Montgomery on September 27, 1877 in Hamilton Co., Texas, daughter of William Martin Montgomery and Mary Ann (Mollie) Blackstone.
Notes for Lemuel D. Reed:In 1864 Lemuel enlisted in the Calvalry of the Confederate Army.He said "I was in the service of the State of Texas, to protect said state against Indians and Mexicans.After the surrender in 1865, my command was stationed in Hamilton Co., Tx., and disbanded under orders of Captain J. M. Rice".
His children were always under the impression that he was a Texas Ranger, but records from the Texas State Library show that he was a Confederate soldier for one year and a Texas Ranger for seven days.He was to be paid $2.00 per day for Ranger Service, but was never paid.
One of the well known battles that he took part in was the Dove Creek Battle.
After his discharge from Frontier Ranging Service, he was a cowboy for two years.He then helped drive a bunch of hogs to near Waco, Tx.He then walked and helped drive the hogs to Shreveport, Louisiana, a distance of 300 miles.He then haled freight with an ox team for three years.Then he went to Hico and began farming.
Some of his friends or family then told him he should meet the daughter of the Montgomery family that had moved into the community.He met her and married on Sept. 27, 1877.Her name was Hannah Jane.
In searching for a record to prove the exact marriage date, Audell Cox Odom wrote to the Hamilton County Clerk in 1982, she received a reply from the clerk and learned that the original marriage had never been picked up by Lemuel or his family.This original document was sent to Mrs. Odom. and is to this date in her possession.It had been at the Hamilton County Court House from Sept. 1877 to Jan. 1982.
Lemuel and family lived in Hamilton Co., near Rico, Tx., where they farmed for about two years.They moved to Runnels Co., and lived there about a year, then moved to Comanche County.About this time L. D., Hannah and Emma made a trip in a covered wagon to Greer Co., Oklahoma to visit Edna and Frank Jones.They went by way of the Honey Creek Cemetery to see the graves of both their parents.Then on up north into Oklahoma.Some time after returning to Comanche Co, L.D., decided to move to Taylor County.He found a place to live in Potosi, then went back and moved his family.
Potosi is located south of Abilene.There was a road running east and west and one running north and south that crossed at Potosi.There was a Baptist Church and a Methodist Church just north of the crossroads, a store on the northwest corner of the crossroads, and a school near by.The ball field was on the southwest corner of the crossroads.
The Reed farm was down the road to the east of the crossroads.
The Reed family attended the Baptist Church.The young people of the community would gather at the ball field when they could and play baseball.Pleasant Reed became a very good player.
In 1914 Lemuel sold the east half of his farm at Potosi to a man named Lucian Webb.The house was on the half he sold, so he decided to move the house.On the appointed day many neighbors came with their teams of horses.The women brought in baskets of food for dinner, and Hannah cooked food also.Emma Reed Cox, their youngest daughter remembers that Hannah sent her out to get more wood for the cook stove.She remembered each time she was sent for wood, it was further down to the ground.The men were actually jacking up the house and putting skids underneath it as the women were cooking dinner on the cook stove inside.They all ate dinner, and afterwards the men hitched the horses to the skids and pulled the house west, to the spot where Lemuel wanted it.The men let the house down off the skids, unhitched the horses, and went home.The house was moved with all their possessions inside, so they just went in, straightened up somewhat, cooked supper and went to bed.
Lemuel built a quilt box for Hannah to keep quilts in.It was made of 1 x 4 tongue and groove boards.The lid was hinged, and there were rollers on it, so that it could be moved easily.Hannah covered it in colorful cretonne material.It was padded with cotton.At Hannah's death the box went to Edna Jones.At the death of Edna Jones it went to John Reed.After John and Lola Reed's deaths, the quilt box went to Audell Cox Odom.She took the old cover off and found newspapers under the cotton padding dated 1925 from Slaton, Texas.It had apparently been covered several times.Audell recovered it, and it is a prized possession.Emma Reed Cox, (Audell's mother) remembers the quilt box being in the family when she was a little girl.
In 1914 Lemuel applied for his Confederate pension.He was 69 years old, and stated that his health was not good.He drew $50.00 per month until his death.
In 1917-1918, Lemuel, Hannah, and Emma went to Post City, Tx., to stay with Mollie Reed and her children while Ollie Reed was in Arizona working.Lemuel, Hannah, and Mollie worked at the cotton mill there, where they spun thread on to spools.
In 1920, Lemuel and Hannah moved back to Potosi and the farm.John worked the farm until 1924 when Lemuel sold the farm to Sid and Ella Reed Bright.
Lemuel and Hannah moved to Slaton and stayed until 1926 or 1927.Then he bought some land just west of Littlefield, Texas and built a new house there.They had a large fenced yard, a windmill with an overhead water storage tank, a grape arbor, and a cellar.They had a small chicken house, and pen.They planted lilac bushes and trees.Lela Payne Wernli remembers that "Grandma and Grandpa always gathered the eggs together.Grandpa walked to town to the post office every morning and again in the afternoon."
Their house was just across the road from the railroad.Lemuel often sat on the porch and counted the box cars on the train as it went by.
They bought milk from a neighbor named Curry.Audell Cox Odom remembers that one day Herman, Calvin, Audell and Iola Cox were visiting there, and went to Curry's to get the milk.While one went inside to get the milk, the others got some peaches off the Curry's peach trees.On the way home,they crossed a corn patch and buried the peach seeds in the corn patch.They worried that the peach seeds would come up in the corn patch.
Lemuel later bought milk from a dairy that delivered milk.He built a wooden box and fastened it to a fence post by the road so that the milkman could leave the milk bottle in the box and pick up the empty bottles.
Oleta Reed Holmes remembers one Sunday afternoon, while visiting her grandparents, noticing the birds in the yard.She says, "Grandpa told us that if we put salt on their tails (the birds), it would be easier to catch them".He had Grandma give us a salt shaker each and we chased birds all afternoon, trying to put salt on their tails".
Hannah's kitchen was small, but she had a kerosene cook stove.Her kitchen always had a "special smell", like hickory smoked bacon.
Lemuel became known in the area for his Indian experiences, so the school invited him to tell of his experiences with the children.A book of Indian fights was published in the early thirties.Lemuel was contacted to write some of his experiences for the book.He wrote "The Dove Creek Fight".The battle was fought January 8, 1865 on Dove Creek.
Lemuel and Hannah celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1927.For a few years in the early 1930's members of the family got together at McKenzie State Park in Lubbock, Texas for birthday dinners.In 1933, it was at Frank and Edna Jones' home.They were held in July because Lemuel and several of the children had birthday's in July.
Lemuel died at his home November 14, 1934, and is buried in the Littlefield Cemetery.Hannah was not in good health at the time of his death, and only lived three months later.Hannah died February 28, 1935 at the home of Edna Jones, and is buried beside Lemuel in the Littlefield Cemetery.
Their home in Littlefield still stands today, and looks much like it did then.The trees and lilac bushes are still there.The water tank and windmill are gone.Also, the porch on the front of the house is gone.
The window facings are painted blue now.
More About Lemuel D. Reed:
Burial: Littlefield Cemetery, Littfield,Texas.
Military service: 1864, Calvary of the Confederate Army.
More About Lemuel D. Reed and Hannah Jane Montgomery:
Unknown-Begin: September 27, 1877, Hamilton Co., Texas.
Children of Lemuel D. Reed and Hannah Jane Montgomery are:
- +Edna Earl Reed, b. July 07, 1878, Hamilton Co., Texas, d. December 24, 1961, Littlefield, Tx..
- +James Oliver Reed, Sr., b. July 16, 1880, Hamilton Co., Texas, d. May 07, 1972.
- +Minnie E Reed, b. February 02, 1882, Carlton, Texas, d. March 03, 1936, Littlefield , Texas.
- +Sarah (Sallie) Reed, b. September 13, 1884, Hamilton Co., Texas, d. December 01, 1963.
- Richard Arthur Reed, b. December 02, 1896, Comanche Co., Texas, d. March 20, 1913, Abilene, Texas.
- +Emma Lou Reed, b. November 10, 1898, Comanche Co., Tx., d. February 16, 1997, Terrell, Tx..