The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-05-16

William w. Reed was born Feb
ruary s, 1925, near Versailles, Ohio, of
Irish parentage. He remained on the
age After leaving the parental roof,
he was employed alternately in teach
| ing and attending school for five years,
the means acquired by the former vo-
cation being his only resource for de-
| fraying the expenses attending the
| after. His academic studies were
prosecuted in Piqua, Ohio, and his pro-
fessional studies in Cincinnati.
On completing his medical course,
| he removed to his present home in
| Jefferson, in 1849, where he has since
resided, engaging with few Interrupt
tiOns, in the practice of his profess
sion.
! He has held various local Offices such
as school director, village treasurer,
county supervisor and president of the
| board of trustees of Jefferson Liberal
| Institute. He was health officer for
the local boards for town, village and
city of Jefferson for twenty-five
years, and had medical charge of
Jefferson county poor house, with an
average of twenty-five insane inmates,
for nineteen years.
When President Lincoln issued a
call for volunteers to assist in putting
down rebellion the doctor was ap-
pointed and served as examining sur
geon for the first draft, and was COM
missiOned by Governor Alex. w. Ran
dali as assistant surgeon of WiscOn-
sin volunteers. He was chosen by the
commissioner of pensions as examin-
ing surgeon for the United States pen
sion department in 1864, and
continued to discharge, the duties of
that office for twenty years after the
close of the war. He was appointed by
Governor C. c. Washburn member
of the state board of charities and re-
| form in 1874, and re-appointed by Gov
ernor Harrison Ludington in 1876,
and again in 1878 Ex-Governor Will
| liam e. Smith He was a member of
| the committee on insanity for the con-
| ference of charities in 1877 and 1878,
and on public buildings for the depend
| ent classes in 1879.
DR.. Reed was urged by his friends to
| ask for their votes to send him to the
states law making body, they believ-
| ing that his knowledge would particu-
| larly fit him for the duties, and after
carefully considering the step he &C
coded to their wishes and was elected
and served as a member of the legis-
lature il the assembly during the SEES
sions of 1862, 1866 and 1867, and in the
senate during the sessions of 1875,
1876, 1877, 1878, 1888 and 1885 and
was a member of the committee on
charitable and penal institutions dur
ing every session.
His speciality in legislation was to
establish the proper relations between
| the state and it's criminal and de-
pendent classes, and many of the laws
now in force in Wisconsin relating to
these subjects are those which he adj
vocated, and the wisdom of which rule
to this day.
He made speeches in the legislature
in favor of founding an institution for
the education of feeble-m minded child
rem, and that his colleagues were
brought to his view is evidenced in
magnificent institution at Chippewa
Falls for the states unfortunate youth
He also advocated the abolition of
time sentences to the state prison, and
favored making incurable insanity a
cause for divorce. He was in favor
of smaller and cheaper asy1ums for
the insane; in favor of greater econ
omy in public expenditures; in oppo-
sition to the constant tendency in leg
| islation to multiply offices and in
crease salaries in favor of every propo-
sition to increase the educational
| facilities of the people
Dr. Reed was originally whig in
politics, but after the whig party be-
came defunct, helped to organize and
acted with the republican party until
1872, when, as a liberal republican
he supported Horace Greeley for
president, and has since acted with
the democratic party.
In 1853 he and Mary McCabe were
married and they were the parents of
three children-Mrs Emil Stoppen-
back of Jefferson, Mrs. o. Perkins, of
Chicago, and Dr. Frank Reed, who
died some years ago. Mrs. Reed died
in 1861
In 1868 he was united in marriage
to Helen NJ Maryrord, who passed
away a few years ago.