Duncan Reed


Duncan Cameron "Cam" Reed was an American steamship engineer and politician, an early settler of Milwaukee. He served two terms as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Senate, and as coroner of Milwaukee County. He served briefly as an officer in the American Civil War, then went to work as a boiler inspector.

Background

Reed was born in Shelburn, Vermont on July 2, 1815. He became a marine engineer, and had visited Milwaukee at least as early as 1834. He moved to Milwaukee permanently on July 8, 1841, arriving as chief engineer of the steamship City of Milwaukee or Milwaukee, which he had helped to sneak out of the harbor of Buffalo, New York at the instigation of Solomon Juneau, part-owner thereof, who claimed that the boat was being retained in Buffalo unjustly by the other owners. He remained in the engineering trade, serving on lake steamers such as the C. C. Trowbridge, the Andromeda and the Nucleus. In 1851, he was one of a group which petitioned the state legislature for a charter for the Milwaukee and Fond du Lac Railroad, one of the short-lived railroad companies which would eventually become part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad system.

Public office

As of 1853, he was 37 years of age; his biographical listing showed that he was an "engineer", was born in Vermont and had lived in Wisconsin for 12 years. Reed served four years as a Democratic member of the State Senate, first from the Eighteenth District, then from the Sixth. During the 1853 session, he served as President pro tempore of the Senate. He was succeeded in the Senate by fellow Democrat Edward McGarry.
He served four years as a deputy United States Marshal; and in 1858 was elected coroner for Milwaukee County.

Military service

In 1853 Reed was a Colonel of the First Regiment, First Division of the Wisconsin Militia under Major General Rufus King.
On August 21, 1862, he was commissioned a Captain of the 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment commanding Company "E"; but he was discharged in January 1863.

After the Civil War

After the war, he worked as a professional boiler inspector, billing various state agencies for that service. He was appointed a boiler inspector for the Steamboat Inspection Service of the United States government during the Grant administration, a position he would hold until his death.

Personal life

Reed married Mary Hanes in 1837. An adopted daughter, Frances Dela Bates, died at the age of five in 1854. Mary Hanes Reed died in 1883. They had one daughter, Mary L. McIntyre, known as "Mamie", who would survive them both.
Reed was one of the founding members of the Old Settlers Club of Milwaukee; and of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, as well as a state Grand Master of the Odd Fellows fraternal order. Reed Street in the old Third Ward of Milwaukee was named after him; when he had first settled there at what would become the corner of Greenfield and Reed Street, it was a mere wilderness trail with but three houses upon it.
He died of dropsy on September 14, 1890, after a long illness. He was buried in Forest Home Cemetery.