Gilbert, Frank T.  "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and
Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon."
Portland, OR: Print & Lithographing House of A.  G.  Walling, 1882.  p. a33.
 
GEORGE K REED

   was born in Glasgow, Jefferson Co., Iowa, August 13, 1843.  His parents were
farmers, and until eighteen years of age his home was on a farm.  In 1852 the
father of George K., named James M., with his family crossed the plains to
Oregon, where he settled upon a farm in Linn Co.  In 1861 when the gold
excitement in the Bitter-root mountains was calling to the thousands of all
countries, young Reed, seized with an impulse to seek the sheeny place, left
home and started for the, mining region.  He passed through Walla Walla, enroute
for OroFino, where he remained until fall and then returned to the city of two
W's.  From that time forward his life was that of an enthusiastic young man who
was willing and anxious to measure strength with the world.  At nineteen he
opened a trading post at Camas Prairie, between Lewiston and Florence, on
Cottonwood creek, known as the Cottonwood House.  In 1866 he was a merchant at
Clear Water Station in Idaho, and between those times, he was in every mining
camp of the Oregon mountains, where he saw life in every form incident to the
wild career of the mountain miner.  It was his fortune, or misfortune, to look
upon those scenes that, to hear outlined in cold, lifeless words that cannot
feel, still thrill the listener.  The nimble revolver, the glittering knife, and
the vigilance's mysterious work, were things that spoke death to many whom he
had known.  Scenes, where a life was quenched without warning were familiar, and
so common as to excite but an ordinary sensation, and volumes would fail to
record those sombre-hued dramas.  With the passing years a desire to see less of
such things has had its effect, and we find him changing from the excitement of
a mining camp to a quiet residence and lucrative business in the city of Walla
Walla, where he has been since 1877.  He was married to Miss L.  O.  Crandall of
Eugene City, Oregon, on the sixth of March, 1870, and they have two children.
His present occupation is that of a jobing business in liquors and he owns a
saloon in Day's Block, as seen in view of same accompanying this work.

* * * *

Submitted to the WA.  Bios Project in February 2007 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project.  Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.