Herman S. Reed: The Spark That Kept Things Moving
- RHSociety
- May 12
- 12 min read
By Dean Jowers and Halee Turner
Herman S. Reed contributed greatly to the development of Redmond, but he is often overlooked in the town's history.
He arrived almost 30, years after our town's earliest settlers, and quickly became an integral part of the town's operation and economy.
His quiet contributions shaped the city we know today.
When Mr. Reed first came to this locality, the road was little more than a trail through the woods from Lake Washington, and in the intervening period of twenty-nine years he has witnessed a marvelous transformation in the appearance of Redmond and the surrounding country, rejoicing in what has been accomplished. He has contributed liberally of his time, efforts and means toward all projects for civic growth and betterment, also rendering assistance to those in need, and is respected and honored because of his generous nature, his public spirit, and high standards of life. -- Clarence Bagley, Regional Historian A History of King County, 1929
Herman was born in Livingston County, Michigan, on February 17, 1876, to Eugene Cary Reed and Mary Ellen (Sales) Reed.
He attended high school in Howell, Michigan, before going on to normal school, where he was trained as a teacher.
After graduation, he taught for several years, but in 1898, he enlisted for service in the Spanish–American War. Just months later, the war ended and Reed left the service, having achieved the rank of Corporal in Company M of the 35th Michigan Volunteer Infantry.
Herman next appears on the Federal Census for Michigan in July 1900, but is also listed as a school teacher, at the Redmond School, in that same year.
A Husband and Father
In 1901, Herman married Addie B. Burkhart in Ballard, Washington. He first met her in Michigan, and she chose to follow him west when he moved to Redmond.
In March 1902, she gave birth to their oldest son Leo. The following year, Herman and Addie lost their second child at just one month old to whooping cough. The funeral was held in Redmond, and Mrs. F. A. Burkhart, of Howell, Michigan, soon made the journey to Redmond to visit her daughter Addie, during what was surely a difficult time.
Nevertheless, Herman and Addie's family continued to grow, when their first daughter Genevieve Ellen Martha was born in 1904. The next addition was August Ruth E. in 1905, and Gail Francis in 1908, then Willie Sales in 1909. And, their youngest son, Woodrow Allison, was born in 1916.
According to a local paper, all six of their surviving children were present when Herman and Addie celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in February 1931. Other friends and family attended the dinner, including "theologian, teacher, (and) patriot" B. F. Brooks, the man who married them.
A Dedicated Teacher
Reed would have been a familiar face to many local children, after being involved in Redmond area schools for over two decades.
In 1901, Reed attended the first meeting for school teachers of Association District No. 1 held in Bothell, Washington. The association included teachers from all schools in the northern part of the county, extending as far east as Issaquah. Here, he presented a paper on “The Teacher’s Influence.”
In January 1902, he presented again on “The Professional Teacher” and “Geography” at their regular meetings. And, by March 1903, we find him listed as the President of the rural section of the Teachers Association.
Over the course of his career, Reed worked in schools across Redmond, including Avondale and Happy Valley. In June 1912, Herman was awarded an additional teaching contract for the Willows School in York, now northwest Redmond.
Redmond's First School Busses
In December 1917, Herman placed a “Wanted” ad for a light truck, "suitable for transporting school children.” A Ford was preferred.
In July 1923, he placed another ad, wanting a passenger body for a ton and a half truck, ”suitable for hauling school children.”
It's possible these became Redmond's first school buses, which were built in the school's manual training classes.
A Dependable Postmaster
In February 1915, Herman also became the Postmaster of Redmond—a job he would hold until March 6, 1933.
However, he had been a mailman of sorts for some time. It has been reported that while teaching at the Happy Valley School, Herman would pick up mail for Happy Valley from the Post Office and take it to school. There he would give it to his students to pass along to their families.
His role included a wide variety of official and unofficial duties. In January 1916, it was published that King County voters registering for upcoming elections could visit newly appointed registration officers, who had been given duplicate copies of the poll books. Herman was listed as a registration officer at the Redmond Post Office.
In July, he corresponded with the Canadian Army to notify them that he was unable to deliver mail to a "Mrs. Edward McEvers" in Redmond. The mail was a $20 monthly check of wages for Edward McEvers, who claimed to be married to Stella Hutcheson McEvers. In truth, she was married to Edward’s brother Hugh, but the ruse earned Edward an extra $3 per month.
In December of the same year, three men tried and failed to blow-up the safe in the Redmond Post Office. Three explosions were heard by local residents who woke Postmaster H. S. Reed, and the men were seen running out the back door of the Post Office.
Surprisingly, robbery was a reoccurring problem at Redmond's small post office. In March 1917, the Post Office safe was dynamited again, and the robbers got away with $25. In April, another attempt was made to rob the safe in the Post Office and the general store owned by H. S. Reed, resulting in the arrest of two men. Two nights later, another attempt was made, but this time Reed had left a note. It read “Don’t blow open the safe. Turn the knob to the right and open the door.” The instructions were followed, but Deputy Sheriff Sidell, Mayor Reil, and Postmaster H. S. Reed were in an adjoining room. They chased the robber with their revolvers, and successfully caught him.
In May 1917, after the U.S. entered WWI, H. S. Reed volunteered as a draft registration clerk for Redmond Precinct. The Post Office was listed as the place of registration, and by June it was reported that Redmond had 98 men registered with 54 claiming exemption. Of the 98, H. S. Reed reported that 18 were Japanese and Italian, none of whom claimed exemption. Reed hand delivered the registration records to the office of the county auditor at 7:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning.
Initially, by the guidelines set down by the Selective Service Act, all males aged 21 to 30 were required to register. At the request of the War Department, Congress amended the law in August 1918 to expand the age range to include all men 18 to 45, and to bar further volunteering. Following this change, Reed registered himself for the draft. He signed his full name on the front of the form and signed the back as H. S. Reed, the registrar attesting to the fact that the person being registered had read the questions and answered truthfully to his knowledge.
A Man of Many Interests
Outside of work and his home life, records show that Herman had wide and varied interests.
In the 1902 Yearbook of The American Society of Curio Collectors, he is mentioned under the headings of Archaeology, Coins and War Relics.
In September 1926, the Consolidated Grange Fair was held in Redmond, including agricultural, social groups—known as granges—from Happy Valley, Cherry Valley, Novelty, Vincent, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, and Sammamish. There was music, a horseshoe tournament, tug-of-war, dog show, livestock and agricultural exhibits, handicrafts, cookery, needlework, an automobile show and a collection of war relics owned by H. S. Reed.
In October of the same year, an article reported that Herman received some 2 cent stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of White Plains, N.Y. The article goes on to give a few more details about the collections he displayed at the Consolidated Grange Fair in Redmond. He had exhibited a large collection of stamps, as well as curios. Among the curios were German helmets from the World War; a group of medals, including the Victoria Cross, Croix de Guerre, British Sebastopol Medal of 1854, and the Turkish Star of Gallipoli; and a collection of newspapers and legal documents dating back to 1684.
Fraternal and Community Groups:
In July 1905, Herman was chosen to be the financial secretary by Court Redmond No. 106, of the Foresters of America. Also listed are recording secretary, W. E. Sikes, lecturer, William Brown, and beadle, William Donnelley.
The Foresters of America (F of A) was an American fraternal and benevolent organization that supported its membership with medical assistance, weekly sick benefits, burial benefits and support during times of unemployment or hardship.
In March 1907, the Fraternal Order of Eagles also organized a Redmond chapter, with Herman serving as the secretary. The Fraternal Order of Eagles was initially founded on February 6, 1898, in nearby Seattle, Washington, by a group of six theater-owners, but eventually became an international organization.
Over the years, Reed’s name appears frequently in articles about different social, fraternal and community groups:
1912 - In November, H. S. Reed is mentioned in a newspaper article about the Rifle and Pistol Club. The club reportedly met at the Seattle Armory each Monday night.
1914 - In September, Herman is mentioned as being a member of the King County Democratic Executive Committee. In October on that year, Herman withdrew from the Socialist ticket as candidate for justice of the peace, Redmond.
1928 - In February, he was elected vice president of the Seattle Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and was active with the group.
He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge, belonging to the Blue Lodge in Bothell, and a Knight Templar of the Nile Temple in Seattle.
Based on newspaper records, it's also possible that this impressive list of commitments may not include every group in which Reed played a role. There may be other groups Reed participated in or contributed to, that weren't reported on, or there wasn’t an opportunity to highlight specific members in the local news. However, based on the records we did find, Reed showed a clear interest in building community.
Real Estate:
Another way Reed contributed to our building the community was through real estate transactions around Redmond, both for his own interests and investments, as well as acting as a realtor for others.
In March 1903, he bought Lot 10, block 4 of Sikes' first addition from Harry Kelly, for $60. He built a building that would be used as the town's first community hall, a movie hall, and an Odd Fellows Hall. Today the building is home to Redmond’s Bar & Grill.
In April 1904, Herman listed a for sale ad in the newspaper, advertising the Hotel Normandy, 16 rooms, fully furnished, two barns, land 60 x 240 feet. He had been operating the hotel since at least 1902.
This building had previously been the Valley Hotel or Sikes Hotel, which Reed renamed the Hotel Normandy. It was located on what today is Gilman Street. The price was $2,500, and the ad ran for a couple of months.
In May 1908, Reed sold Lots 1 and 3, Block 5 of the Redmond plat, to Mary Walther for $3,000. This was the Normandy Hotel which she would rename as the Hotel Walther.
In August 1909, Herman began running a real estate ad, hoping to sell a general merchandise store in Redmond, which he had also owned and operated. The listing included a residence, wareroom, and entire stock of goods on a corner location. In September, Herman amended the ad to note that the buildings were all new, and in October, he added that the property was for sale or lease. By March 1911, the ad read, “FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE - General merchandise store. H. S. Reed, Redmond, Wash.”
In addition to his personal business dealings, Reed was involved in real estate transactions that shaped the early history of the town. For example, in April 1927, H. S. Reed appears as a Notary Public on two Warranty Deeds. The deeds appear to be an arranged swap of property, which would allow the First Methodist church building to be moved to the site it still occupies today―as the Redmond United Methodist Church.
That same year, Reed rented a building on Leary Way to the Nokomis Club for $10 per month, but gave them three months’ credit for painting the exterior. The women's social group, which had raised several hundred dollars from serving hot lunches and other activities, used the funds to open the town's first library in this space. In their first month, the Nokomis Club issued 95 library cards and loaned out 567 books. They soon outgrew this space, and relocated. However, Reed's role in the library’s early days is just one of the many ways he contributed to life in Redmond
Transportation:
Reed even played a small role in the local popularization of motorized vehicles by participating in events and committees that promoted travel by automobile and supported road development.
His efforts were part of the broader Good Roads Movement, which advocated for better road construction and improved driving conditions. This movement was crucial in fostering a culture of road safety and accessibility, ultimately leading to the widespread adoption of automobiles in the United States.
1914 - H. S. Reed was a checker and judge for the Second Annual Post-Intelligencer Reliability Run, an event promoting the durability and endurance of automobiles. Participants traveling the route had to run a course of between 600 and 1,000 miles in five days. One of the checkpoints was in Redmond. The pilot car was a 1911 Franklin, which covered the route twice, marking the path, without falter. The winner was a 1908 Pierce-Arrow, which completed the run with only two points charged against it, due to a broken ignition wire.
1925 - A highway completed over Stevens Pass was inspected by state and county officials, members of the Washington Automobile Club, and various other motor and highway organizations, with H. S. Reed representing Redmond.
1928 - At a November meeting, in Redmond, of the Sunset Highway Improvement Club, Herman was elected secretary.
1930 - Herman was named to a committee organizing the celebration of the opening of the Lake Sammamish Scenic Drive, today’s West Lake Sammamish Parkway. The celebration was sponsored by the cities of Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond, Bellevue, and Bothell.
1932 - In October, it was decided to commemorate the bicentenary of George Washington's birthday in 1932 by rededicating the Aurora Avenue Bridge as the George Washington Memorial Bridge. A general committee was formed, and H. S. Reed of Redmond was named to the Military Subcommittee. The rededication was done February 22, 1932, with the cooperation of the Sons of the American Revolution―of which Herman was also a member.
Other, Unexpected Places:
Reed was a well-known figure in town, and today he appears in many kinds of records, including some unexpected places.
In November 1905, Reed is mentioned in testimony during the Coroner’s Inquest into the death of George Butchard. The witness, McKay, was the owner of the saloon where Butchard had been drinking the night before. He said it was Reed who had woken him up the following morning to tell him there was a man, dead on the sidewalk.
In 1910, Reed became the enumerator of the Federal Census for the Redmond Precinct. He collected details about the town's residents, creating records we still rely on today. He wrote his own entry, listing his occupation as "teacher." In his household he recorded his wife Addie, children Leo, Genevieve, Ruth, Gail, and Willie. Also in his household are his father-in-law, Frank Burkhart and mother-in-law, Carlie (Caroline) Burkhart. He worked as a census taker again in 1920, and the first eight lines of Sheet 1, Redmond Precinct are his household: Herman, Addie, Leo, Genevieve, Ruth, Gail, Willie, and Woodrow; but this time he lists himself as a retail merchant of groceries.
In November 1923, Herman reported a story that made the front page of The Seattle Star newspaper. He told the paper that a $20,000 logging engine had been blown up by nitroglycerine or dynamite. This was the latest in several attempts to damage logging equipment in the area.
He also continued to take on new positions in the community, and in 1924, Herman was sworn in as the “Town of Redmond City Clerk” and water cashier, adding to an already lengthy resume.
An Untimely End:
Herman S. Reed's busy life came to an abrupt end on March 5, 1933, shocking the community. According to his obituary, he had been suffering acute pain for several days, due to a protracted illness, and was unable to obtain relief. At 8:15 a.m., he went to the woodshed and shot himself in the head, ending his suffering.
In the following days, publications reported the loss and its impacts on Redmond citizens, "all of whom thought of him as a friend." Another obituary says of him, “Meticulous as to detail, he has been called upon to take care of the business of the town. He has been a veritable watchdog of the town’s affairs. He has been the spark that has kept things moving. Redmond will miss Postmaster H. S. Reed.”
He had been living in Redmond for 33 years, and been postmaster for over 15 of those years. When Herman died, the Postal Department declared a vacancy in the office. As his wife Addie had been helping him for years and was familiar with the job, she made an application for the job. The previous postmaster, Fred Reil, withdrew from seeking the job when he heard Addie was interested. Addie held the position from March through May 1933, until her son Leo Reed took over the job on May 31, 1933.
Today, Herman and Addie are buried in Acacia Memorial Park, Lake Forest Park, King County, Washington.
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