Son of Farlow and Nancy (Horton) Reed.

From his obituary - courtesy of Jennie Aiken

Mathias Reed was born at Independence, Missouri, August 16, 1837. His education was all gained in the school of experience. The one lesson he studied was grains and mills. At a very early day he went to Cass County, Missouri where before the Civil War, he ran a grist and saw mill. At the call for volunteers,he enlisted in the Union Army, but he was released that he might remain at home and attend to his mill. On November 17, 1862 Octavia Robertson becamehis wife. For fifty years these two walked and toiled side by side. Seven sons came to their home but only three of them grew to manhood. Will G. Reed, andOscar K. Reed of our city, and Harvey, of Drexel, Missouri.

Mr. Reed with his family came to this vicinity about 45 years ago, locating southeast of town, still with the grist and saw mill business. When the railroadwas put through this section in 1872 ‘twas the mill of M. Reed that saw the lumber for the depot frame.

In a deminiscent talk of his life one man said, " When I think of the year the grasshoppers laid to waste this section of Kansas, there always comes to my mind the faithfulness of Matt Reed to the farmers. A few come to him to buy seed, many promising to pay, many more came to beg a few seed for a newstanding--none went away empty-handed."

When the railroad came Mr. Reed moved his mills to their present location, enlarging and improving as business demanded. As a grain dealer, Mr. Reedhad few equals, and alive to the possibilities of eastern Kansas, he was at different time's owner of elevators at Paola, Somerset, and Louisburg, Kansas, Cleveland, West Line, Drexel, Foster, Amoret, Butler, and Adrian Mo.

Mr. Reed was a doer, not a dreamer and when Louisburg needed a bank it was he who organized the Reed Banking Company, which was later, 1884, incorporated as the Bank of Louisburg. Until his death he remained a staunch supporter of this business.