John William Reed is a leading citizen of Miller Township, Cleveland County, Ark., and was born in Randolph County, N. C., November 16, 1824, being a son of Raleigh and Charity (Phillips) Reed, both of whom were born in the Old North State, and died in Bradley County, Ark., in 1866 and 7869, aged sixty-six and sixty-three years, respectively. They were married in North Carolina, and there made their home until about 1828, when they moved to Henderson County, Tenn., and in 1850 came to Arkansas, and located in what was then Bradley (now Cleveland) County, and here resided until their respective deaths. Both were members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and in his political views he was first a Whig, and then became a Democrat. He was a farmer all his life, and reared his sons to this calling, and as such they now continue. John William Reed is the fourth of thirteen children, eight of whom are living, and the principal part of his schooling was received in the State of Tennessee. After reaching his majority he began working at the blacksmith's trade, continuing at it fifteen years, and worked at it for thirteen years after coming to the State of Arkansas. When the war broke out he lost all the property he had accumulated prior to that time, and during that time served as justice of the peace, and has since been magistrate, serving in all twenty-two years. He has been engaged exclusively in farming since the war, and is the owner of 230 acres of as good land as there is in the county. He has 100 acres under cultivation, all of which is the result of years of honest and persistent toil. In 1817 he was married to Martha Jane, the daughter of Isaac and Polly Teague. She was born in North Carolina in October, 1825, and has borne Mr. Reed five children: Minerva (widow of Clan Gibson, is residing in Cleveland County, Ark.), William T. (a farmer of the county), Emeline (wife of Andrew Clover, a farmer of the County), Susanna (wife of John Taylor), and Lewis. Two children, Millard and Mattie, are deceased. Mr. Reed and his family are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and he is a Democrat in his political views, and a member of the Agricultural Wheel.