Joseph Rea Reed
Encyclopedia
Joseph Rea Reed was an Iowa Supreme Court
justice, one-term Republican
U.S. Representative
from Iowa's 9th congressional district
in southwestern Iowa, and chief justice of a specialized federal court.
Born in Ashland County, Ohio
, Reed attended the common schools and Vermillion Institution in Hayesville, Ohio
from 1854 to 1857.
He moved to Adel, Iowa
, in 1857.
After studying law, he was admitted to the bar
in 1859 and engaged in the practice of law at Adel until 1861.
In July 1861, upon the outbreak of the American Civil War
, Reed enlisted as first lieutenant in the 2nd Iowa Independent Battery Light Artillery
. He was promoted to captain in October 1864, and served until June 10, 1865.
Following the war, he resumed the practice of law in Adel.
He served as member of the Iowa Senate
in 1866 and 1868.
He moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa
, in 1869.
In 1872, he became a judge. He served as judge of the district court from 1872 to 1884. He was then elevated to the Iowa Supreme Court, where he served until February 1889 (including two months as chief justice).
In 1888, Reed received the Republican nomination for election as the 9th congressional district's representative in the U.S. House, after incumbent Republican Joseph Lyman
declined to seek a third term. After winning the general election, Reed served in the Fifty-first
Congress.
However, Reed was not re-elected, but was defeated in 1890 by Democrat Thomas Bowman
as part of the Democrats' landslide victory. He served in Congress from March 4, 1889 to March 3, 1891.
In June 1891, he was named by President Benjamin Harrison
as the chief justice of the new United States Court of Private Land Claims
, a court created to decide land claims guaranteed by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
, in the territories of New Mexico
, Arizona
, and Utah
, and in the states of Nevada
, Colorado
, and Wyoming
. He served on that court from 1891 to 1904. He then resumed the practice of law in Council Bluffs, where he died on April 2, 1925. He was interred in Walnut Hill Cemetery.
Iowa Supreme Court
The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. As constitutional head of the Iowa Judicial Branch, the Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices....
justice, one-term Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Iowa's 9th congressional district
Iowa's 9th congressional district
Iowa’s 9th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1943. The district was configured four times, first as part of a nine-district plan, then twice in eleven-district plans, then again in a nine-district plan...
in southwestern Iowa, and chief justice of a specialized federal court.
Born in Ashland County, Ohio
Ashland County, Ohio
Ashland County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States, and was formed in 1846 from parts of Huron, Lorain, Richland and Wayne Counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,139. Its county seat is Ashland...
, Reed attended the common schools and Vermillion Institution in Hayesville, Ohio
Hayesville, Ohio
Hayesville is a village in Ashland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 348 at the 2000 census.- History :The first settlers came to the Hayesville area in 1817. A post office for the settlers was established in 1827 at Hayes Cross Roads. Hayesville was laid out in Vermillion Township...
from 1854 to 1857.
He moved to Adel, Iowa
Adel, Iowa
Adel is a city along the North Raccoon River in Dallas County in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 3,435 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dallas County and the birthplace of 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick....
, in 1857.
After studying law, he was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1859 and engaged in the practice of law at Adel until 1861.
In July 1861, upon the outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Reed enlisted as first lieutenant in the 2nd Iowa Independent Battery Light Artillery
2nd Iowa Independent Battery Light Artillery
The 2nd Iowa Independent Battery Light Artillery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...
. He was promoted to captain in October 1864, and served until June 10, 1865.
Following the war, he resumed the practice of law in Adel.
He served as member of the Iowa Senate
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
in 1866 and 1868.
He moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
, in 1869.
In 1872, he became a judge. He served as judge of the district court from 1872 to 1884. He was then elevated to the Iowa Supreme Court, where he served until February 1889 (including two months as chief justice).
In 1888, Reed received the Republican nomination for election as the 9th congressional district's representative in the U.S. House, after incumbent Republican Joseph Lyman
Joseph Lyman
Joseph Lyman was a Civil War soldier, lawyer, and judge. In the 1880s, he was a two-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 9th congressional district in southwestern Iowa.-Biography:...
declined to seek a third term. After winning the general election, Reed served in the Fifty-first
51st United States Congress
The Fifty-first United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
Congress.
However, Reed was not re-elected, but was defeated in 1890 by Democrat Thomas Bowman
Thomas Bowman (Iowa)
Thomas Bowman was a local official, newspaper publisher, and one-term Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 9th congressional district...
as part of the Democrats' landslide victory. He served in Congress from March 4, 1889 to March 3, 1891.
In June 1891, he was named by President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
as the chief justice of the new United States Court of Private Land Claims
United States Court of Private Land Claims
The United States Court of Private Land Claims , was a United States court created to decide land claims guaranteed by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in the territories of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, and in the states of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming.-Origins:During Spanish and Mexican rule...
, a court created to decide land claims guaranteed by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
, in the territories of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, and in the states of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. He served on that court from 1891 to 1904. He then resumed the practice of law in Council Bluffs, where he died on April 2, 1925. He was interred in Walnut Hill Cemetery.