Rufus Reid (1797–1854) was an American plantation owner, businessman and politician from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Biography

Early life

Rufus Reid was born in 1797 in Catawba Springs

Lincoln County, North Carolina Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,810. Its county seat is Lincolnton. Lincoln County is included in the Charlotte-Concord- Gastonia, NC- SC Metropolitan Statist ...

.UNC University Libraries
/ref> His father, Captain John Reid, served in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

of 1775-1783 and owned much of the land in Catawba Springs. His mother was named Sara.

Career

He worked as a merchant and plantation owner in

Rowan County, North Carolina Rowan County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of North Carolina that was formed in 1753, as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was originally a vast territory with unlimited western boundaries, but its size w ...

. In 1831, he moved to

Iredell County, North Carolina Iredell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,693. Its county seat is Statesville, and its largest town is Mooresville. The county was formed in 1788, subtracted from Ro ...

and commissioned the construction of mansion on his

Mount Mourne Plantation Mount Mourne Plantation is a former Southern plantation and historic house located in Mount Mourne, Iredell County, North Carolina. It was built in 1836, and is a two-story, five-bay transitional Federal / Greek Revival style frame dwelling. ...

Mount Mourne, North Carolina Mount Mourne is an unincorporated community in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States. Mount Mourne is located on North Carolina Highway 115, southwest of Mooresville. The Mount Mourne post office was originally established on April 5, 18 ...

. The mansion is now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. By 1850, he owned eighty-four slaves and became the second largest slave owner in Iredell County. He grew corn, wheat, and cotton. As early as 1831, he served as the postmaster of Mount Mourne. He was still serving in this capacity in 1841. He was elected as a member of the Iredell County Court. Additionally, he was elected to the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

in 1842 and 1844. He donated a stipend to the minister at

Centre Presbyterian Church Centre Presbyterian Church, also known as Centre Church, is a historic Presbyterian church at Main (state highway NY 23) and Church streets in Windham, Greene County, New York. It was built in 1835 and is a New England style frame church with ...

in Mount Mourne.

Personal life

He married three times. His first wife was Nancy (Latta) Reid, daughter of James Latta (1755–1837), owner of the

Latta Plantation Latta Place (formerly Latta Plantation), also known as Latta House, is a historic house located in Huntersville, North Carolina near Mountain Island Lake. Built in about 1800 in a Federal style, the plantation also contains some elements of G ...

Huntersville, North Carolina Huntersville is a large suburban town in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. A part of the Charlotte metropolitan area, the population was 61,376 at the 2020 census, making Huntersville the 15th largest municipality in North Caroli ...

. They had three daughters: *Mary Jane Reid Little (1831–1905). She married Colonel Benjamin Franklin Little (1830–1880), who owned Carlisle Plantation in

Richmond County, North Carolina Richmond County is a county located on the central southern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,946. Its county seat is Rockingham. History Early history The earliest inhabitants of the ...

.UNC Libraries: Benjamin Franklin Little Papers
/ref> *Sallie Reid (Reid). *Nancy "Nannie" Reid Houston. After she died, he married Betsy (Latta Davidson) Reid, sister of his first wife and widow of Benjamin Davidson, owner of Oak Lawn, a plantation located in

, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They had one daughter: *Elizabeth Eugenie "Bettie" Reid Torrance. After she died, he married Isabella Torrance Smith of Cedar Grove, another plantation located in Huntersville and listed on the

. She was the widow of Franklin C. Smith. They had six children: *Emma Catherine Reid. *James Rufus Reid. He served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

of 1861-1865 and died in battle in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. *Addie Isabella Reid. *John Hugh Reid. *Lucy Andrews Reid. *Franklin Samuel Reid.

Death

He died in 1854 in Mount Mourne, North Carolina. He is buried at Centre Presbyterian Church, Mount Mourne (Mooresville), North Carolina.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Rufus 1797 births 1854 deaths People from Lincoln County, North Carolina People from Rowan County, North Carolina People from Mount Mourne, North Carolina American planters Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives North Carolina postmasters American Presbyterians 19th-century American politicians American slave owners