Setting the Record Straight: The Father of Wallace Putnam Reed

Wallace Putnam Reed, born about 1847, was a well-known Southern writer of the late 1800s. His articles and stories can be found in publications across the United States. He was an editorial writer at The Atlanta Constitution for over 10 years and published History of Atlanta, a 700-page history, in 1889. 

A few weeks ago, I came across Wallace while researching the family of my fourth great-grandfather, Benjamin Reed. According to information found at the tree at FamilySearch.org, Find-a-Grave, and Public Trees at Ancestry.com, Wallace's parents were Harvey L. Reed (1836-1859) and Fanny Rogers. Harvey L. Reed was the son of Luther Reed (or Read) and Jerusha Wilson of Windham County, Vermont. Luther was the son of my ancestor, Benjamin Reed.

Everything seemed to be in order—I had birth and marriage records and a detailed death record for Harvey L. Reed. However, as I added this information to my family tree, I noticed discrepancies - If the birth information was accurate, Harvey L. would have been only 9 years old when he married Fanny Rogers in 1845. And Harvey L., who died in 1859 in Massachusetts, was said to be single, not married, on his death record. Could there have been another Harvey Reed?

In 1845, Harvey Reed resided in Walpole, NH. 

A search of census records quickly confirmed that Wallace's father was not Harvey L. Reed, son of Luther and Jerusha, but another Harvey Reed born about 1811 in Vermont. Wallace Putnam Reed and his family were listed in the 1850 census for Wilcox County, Alabama, and the 1860 census for Fulton County, Georgia. Harvey is identified as "Henry" in both censuses and living with Fanny and Wallace. By 1870, Wallace Reed, now 24 years old, is found living in Atlanta, Ward 1, Fulton County, with his presumed parents, Harvey and Anna Reed.  The census records consistently show that Wallace and his mother were born in New Hampshire, while his father was born in Vermont.

In 1880, Wallace P. Reed, an editor, was living with his mother, Fanny Reed, age 55, in Atlanta and, on the same census, living with his wife and in-laws in Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia. And, just to add another twist, Harvey Reed, Wallace's father, was enumerated as living in Cumberland County, New Jersey. 

To confirm that I had the correct Reed family in each location, I looked beyond census records at deeds, newspapers, and other resources.  These are shared at my Public Tree at Ancestry for Wallace Putnam Reed. 

Harvey, the father of Wallace Putnam Reed, died on 15 August 1889 in Hapeville, Fulton County, Georgia. His death date was found on a land transaction in Cumberland County, New Jersey, and his obituary in The Atlantic Constitution. 

I will not continue researching this Reed family as I now know they are not attached to my family. I will, however, share this information on Ancestry, Find a Grave, and FamilySearch.  For those related to this family, there are still some interesting questions to answer: 

• Who was the father of Harvey Reed, and how was this family connected to other Reed families in New England?
• Why did this Reed family move to Alabama? 
• Wallace P. Reed was found working as a clerk on the Massachusetts state census in 1865. Did the family leave Georgia during the Civil War? 
• What was Harvey Reed's connection to Cumberland County, New Jersey? 
• Did Fanny Reed remain in Georgia, or did she return to Vermont after her husband's death? 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Sources 

Cumberland County, New Jersey, Deed Book 200: 212-215, Deed, 14 April 1890; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37Y-K99G-Z?view=fullText : accessed 18 August 2024), images 114-115. 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31595322/wallace_putnam-reed: accessed September 10, 2024), memorial page for Wallace Putnam Reed (1849–1903), Find a Grave Memorial ID 31595322, citing Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by L Ferree (contributor 47116659).

History of Atlanta, Georgia: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. United States: D. Mason & Company, 1889.

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635-1902 Vol. I  (no publisher named, 1901). 

Lancaster Teller, April 17, 1890, Page  3. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/lancaster-teller-wallace-putnam-reed-4-w/153117184/ : accessed August 17, 2024), clip page for Wallace Putnam Reed 4 with photo by user dewquinn

"Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHMZ-2NY : accessed 12 August 2024), Harvey Reed.

"Massachusetts State Census, 1865," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQH4-CVZ : 15 August 2024), Entry for Walllace P. Reed, 1865.

Memoirs of Georgia : containing historical accounts of the state's civil, military, industrial and professional interests, and personal sketches of many of its people; v. 01, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idurl/1/509429 : accessed 1 August 2024).

Public Member Trees, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1030/ : accessed 12 August 2024). A search for Wallace Putnam Reed resulted in 13 trees. 

The Atlanta Constitution, August 17, 1889, Page 5. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-harvey-reeds-f/153319632/ : accessed August 17, 2024), clip page for Harvey Reed's funeral names son Wallace Putnam Reed by user dewquinn

The Atlanta Constitution, August 16, 1889, Page 5. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-harvey-reed-obi/153319590/ : accessed August 17, 2024), clip page for Harvey Reed obituary by user dewquinn

"United States Census, 1850", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH5C-JYV : accessed 12 August 2024), Entry for Henry Reed and Fanny Reed, 1850.

"United States Census, 1860", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZMP-4YS : accessed 12 August 2024), Entry for Henry Reed and Fannie Reed, 1860.

"United States Census, 1870", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC3S-SCX : accessed 12 August 2024), Entry for Harry [Harvey] Reed and Anna Reed, 1870.

"United States Census, 1880." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8L1-X3K: accessed 11 August 2024), Entry for Fannie Reed and Wallace P. Reed, 1880.

"United States Census, 1880," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNZT-GBZ : accessed 12 August 2024), Entry for Hettie Elden and Harvey Reed, 1880.

"United States Census, 1880," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8GR-BPD : accessed 11 August 2024), Entry for Wallace P. Reed and Kate S. Reed, 1880.

"Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V8MR-TKD : accessed 12 August 2024), Entry for Harvey Reed and Fanny Rogers, 03 Dec 1845.

Wallace Putnam Reed in the FamilySearch Tree, ID L259-K43, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L259-K43 :accessed September 10, 2024).