Frank H. Reid (1844 – July 20, 1898) was an American soldier, teacher, city engineer, vigilante, and one of the combatants in the

shootout on Juneau Wharf The Shootout on Juneau Wharf was a gunfight between Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, Frank H. Reid, and Jesse Murphy that took place on Friday, July 8, 1898, at approximately 9:15 p.m. in Skagway, District of Alaska, in the United States. ...

that ended the life of American outlaw Jefferson "Soapy" Smith, as well as Reid's own life.

Early life

Reid was born in Illinois about 1844.Skagway Historical Society blog: http://skagwayfolklore.blogspot.com/2010/07/frank-h-reid.html He enlisted in the army and became a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

for a company of Oregon volunteers. In the 1870s, he studied engineering and then became a teacher in Linn County, Oregon, District 29.

Career

During the Klondike Gold Rush, he settled in

Skagway, Alaska The Municipality and Borough of Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska on the Alaska Panhandle. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,240, up from 968 in 2010. The population doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal with ...

, where he worked as a bartender at the Klondike saloon, believed to have been owned by Soapy Smith. On August 18, 1897, he was appointed town surveyor and helped map the town of Skagway. At some point, Reid joined the vigilante committee known as the 101.

Death

On the evening of July 8, 1898, he was assigned to guard the entrance of Juneau Wharf, along with Josias Martin Tanner, Jesse Murphy and John Landers, to keep Soapy Smith and his men from entering a meeting being held by the 101 at the opposite end of the wharf. Smith arrived at the scene and assaulted Reid, which started what is historically known as the

Shootout on Juneau Wharf The Shootout on Juneau Wharf was a gunfight between Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, Frank H. Reid, and Jesse Murphy that took place on Friday, July 8, 1898, at approximately 9:15 p.m. in Skagway, District of Alaska, in the United States. ...

. Smith died at the scene, while Reid lay wounded in the hospital for 12 days before dying on July 20, 1898.grave marker, Gold Rush Cemetery, Skagway, Alaska

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Frank H. 1844 births 1898 deaths American surveyors Deaths by firearm in Alaska People from Illinois People from Linn County, Oregon People from the Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska United States Army soldiers American vigilantes People of the Klondike Gold Rush Gunslingers of the American Old West