Curtis Reed (March 24, 1815 – March 18, 1895) was an American businessman and politician in Wisconsin. Born to parents Seth Reed (1781-1848) and Rhoda (Finney) Reed (1781-1874) in Westford, Massachusetts, Curtis Reed had some education in local schools. At the age of 19 he went "west", moving to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit w ...

, in 1834, and then to the town of

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

in Waukesha County, Wisconsin where he farmed. He was one of eight Reed children. His brothers were Herbert Reed of Milwaukee, Orson Reed of

, Harrison Reed and George Reed. His sisters were Mary Augusta Reed Smith (1811-1866),

Martha Reed Mitchell Martha Reed Mitchell (March 1818 – February 15, 1902) was an American philanthropist and socialite, well known in charity, art and society circles in the U.S. and abroad. In 1841, she married Alexander Mitchell, one of the sturdy pioneers of ...

(1817-1902) and Julia Ann Reed Noyes. He moved to Menasha, Wisconsin on the Fox River in 1845. There he helped

Charles Doty Charles Doty (August 17, 1824December 17, 1918) was an American surveyor, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was one of the first American children born in what is now Wisconsin, and served in the 1st Wisconsin Legislature, representing His ...

, a state legislator, with surveying the land. He also helped develop the Fox River area and Doty Island. Reed entered local politics, and served on the

, Waukesha, and

Winnebago Winnebago can refer to: * The exonym of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Native North Americans with reservations in Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin ** Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a federally recognized tribe group in the state ** The Winnebago language of the ...

Counties Board of Supervisors. In 1846, Reed was elected to the Wisconsin Territorial Council. He was elected to terms in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

in 1853 and 1861. Reed settled in Menasha in his later years, and was appointed as United States postmaster (1886–1889 and 1893–1895). He served as mayor (1890–1891) on the Menasha Common Council. He helped develop the Menasha-Neenah area, encouraging local businessmen and recruiting new businesses. He died in Menasha, Wisconsin in 1895, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in

Neenah Neenah () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, in the East North Central States, north central United States. It is situated on the banks of Lake Winnebago, Little Lake Butte des Morts, and the Fox River (Wiscon ...

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Curtis 1815 births 1895 deaths People from Westford, Massachusetts People from Menasha, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee People from Summit, Waukesha County, Wisconsin Businesspeople from Milwaukee Wisconsin city council members Mayors of places in Wisconsin County supervisors in Wisconsin Members of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin postmasters 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople