THE REED FAMILY, HAMILTON MERCHANTS IN 1869

Narrator: Mrs. Lottie Reed Daniels of Texas

Hamilton Stores

Mrs. Goldberg and the Masons

Fourth of July

Music Teachers

Mrs. Daniels (better known to the earlier Hamilton people as Lottie Reed and Mrs. Herbert Low) is the daughter of Myron Reed. He and his brother Henry came to Hamilton 1869 and opened up a dry goods store in about the third building south from the present Bram site on Main Street. The family lived in various places in town - one site being above the store. At that time, Dr. Tuttle's family lived in the house north of the present Bram site and Mammie Tuttle (Eldridge) and Lottie Reed (Daniels) were playmates in the alley between the homes.

That block in which her father's store stood was the first block north of the railroad-east side. The buildings were frame. At the north end was the Kemper-Paxton Store, then Reed's and then Bob William's Drug Store. Goldberg, the Jew had a General Store near by. A ludicrous story is told about Mrs. Goldberg. The family lived behind the store and the upper floor was rented to the Masonic lodge. Mrs. Goldberg had an intense desire to peep at the Masons. She got a ladder and fixed it against the trap door (which were common in the two-story store buildings at that time). She lifted the trap and got her curiosity satisfied, but some how the ladder slipped and she fell down with a crash. Dr. Tuttle had to set her arm. The family left town soon fearing the threats of the Masons. Another early lodge hall was above McCoy's Store on Broadway and the mill. The frame building was built about 1870 and was torn down not twenty years ago.

The Kempers who kept the store on Main street built a house on a hill in the west end of town - where now lives James Kautz. Some of the younger Paxtons boarded there and went to school. Mrs. Kemper was a Paxton.

The Fourth of July celebrations of the Seventies were held near the present Peddicord home (Dudley Addition). One year they had a real barbecue and a bower or arbor built of branches for the singers and speakers. They lighted candle wick balls soaked in kerosene and threw them into the air. Another Fourth thirteen girls for the thirteen colonies marched ahead followed at a distance by the other "States" and still further back by the territories.

Music teachers were in demand, none being especially highly trained. Mrs. Niles (Mother of Clarence Green's mother) Dr. Ressigien's daughter, Mrs. T. Tuthill, Mrs. Whitman (wife of the Postmaster) Mrs. Ben Pickell (Kate Johnson) were some of the music teachers of the seventies. Dr. and Mrs. Stevens were vocal and instrumental teachers. He was a dentist above the Wilson-ONeil frame store which stood on the Penney Store site. Transient singing teachers could always get up a good singing school. Few girls went off to school and those who did were usually sent to convents. Mrs. Daniels went to Davy Ferguson here and then to a convent. Correct reading for the nice young girl in the Seventies was Peterson Magazine, Godey's Lady's Book, Frank Leslie and another not so correct but very alluring - New York Ledger which made Saturday a day to look forward to.

Mr. Myron Reed was the nephew of Myron Walling a farmer north of town who came into the County 1866 from New York. He had two daughters Emma and Ida, the latter being the school teacher.