The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-01-18
JUDGE GEORGER REED.

A long and active life was terminated
on Wednesday morning in the death of
Judge Reed of this city. The Judge
was one of the early settlers of Manito-
voc and his tireless energy was at once
brought into play to build the place up.
His was no small ambition and he had
plans for the place which he chose as a
residence, designed to make it the great
commercial emporium of the state. Nor
were his plans idle ones. They were
feasible and he devoted all his efforts to-
wards putting them in operation. Look
ing at Milwaukee to day and comparing it
with Manitowoc, the first impulse would
be to set man down as an enthusiast
who would contemplate setting up the
latter as rival of the metropolis. But
when Judge Reed was cherishing visions
of greatness for his home village, Mil
waukee had no great title to supremacy
and there can be no question that had his
efforts then been properly seconded Man
| itowoc would for years have competed
with Milwaukee for first place. 1t was
to be made the point of conveyance of a
number of roads and the great shipping
point of the great Northwest. Mr.. Reed
worked untiringly for this darling object
of his heart. He dared misrepresenta-
ton, abuse and the powerful opposition
of rival places, but fought determinedly
until Milwaukee had secured what was
needed to build up Manitowoc. While
he looked to and worked for the future
of his home, he was not unmindful of the
needs of its present and he started gravel
roads at time when good wagon roads
would add materially to the prosperity of
the place. He saw with prophetic eye
that superior means of transportation
were the agencies which built towns and
he made provision for them.
Judge Reed was lawyer but was so
busted with matters of great Importance
that he did not devote his whole at.en-
ton to his profession. He held the posi-.
ton of county judge, and represented the
county for 3 terms in the senate.
1t was owing largely to his efforts that
the Wisconsin Central was built, al
though his means at that time were con-
siderably reduced. His wonderful per-
sistency and abiding faith in the value of
the public works he contemplate d raised
him above all opposition and enabled
him to overcome all obstacles. His ser.
vices on the Central were never properly
recognized and after severing his connec-
ton with that road he became involved
in costly litigation with the company.
Judge Reed was man of fine person
| al appearance, somewhat formal but al
ways courteous and kind. A gentleman
of the ''old school" he was indeed both in
the suavity of his manners and the neat
ness of his personal appearance. Of late
years he spent but little time in Manito-
voc though still retaining his home here.
He belonged to period in its history
when it had more energy, purpose and
ambition. He was representative of
time when hopes for the future were
| bright and effort was directed to the re-
aiization of those hopes. The stately old
man of late years somewhat reserved,
walked the streets of the city for whose
commercial advancement he struggled
manfully during the best years of his life.
The new generation have no thoughts of
the early history of the place and Reeds
efforts having been unsuccessful have
been forgotten. But no man worked
with more earnestness or singleness of
| purpose for the good of that public with
whom he had cast his lot than did the
old judge whese life went out amid the
| flames Of the Newhall