William Reed: Difference between revisions
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'''William J. "Silver Dollar Billy" Reed''' (born [[ | '''William J. "Silver Dollar Billy" Reed''' (born [[April 18]]<!--or [[October 30]]or [[April 13]]-->, [[1770]] in Guilford County, North Carolina; died [[April 22]], [[1856]] in [[Huffman]]) was a pioneer settler, farmer and land speculator who constructed a [[William Reed residence|log cabin]] for his family between [[1816]] and [[1820]] at the spring feeding [[Five Mile Creek]] in the present [[Twin Lakes]] subdivision in [[Huffman]]. | ||
Reed earned his nickname from his habit of carrying wooden kegs that appeared to be filled with silver dollars when he paid debts or attended land auctions. According to legend, his display of apparent wealth helped him intimidate [[Williamson Hawkins]] and other pioneers who competed with him to obtain desirable properties. His family later admitted that the barrel had a false bottom to make it appear to contain more than it did. | Reed earned his nickname from his habit of carrying wooden kegs that appeared to be filled with silver dollars when he paid debts or attended land auctions. According to legend, his display of apparent wealth helped him intimidate [[Williamson Hawkins]] and other pioneers who competed with him to obtain desirable properties. His family later admitted that the barrel had a false bottom to make it appear to contain more than it did. | ||
Latest revision as of 14:18, 4 June 2015
William J. "Silver Dollar Billy" Reed (born April 18, 1770 in Guilford County, North Carolina; died April 22, 1856 in Huffman) was a pioneer settler, farmer and land speculator who constructed a log cabin for his family between 1816 and 1820 at the spring feeding Five Mile Creek in the present Twin Lakes subdivision in Huffman.
Reed earned his nickname from his habit of carrying wooden kegs that appeared to be filled with silver dollars when he paid debts or attended land auctions. According to legend, his display of apparent wealth helped him intimidate Williamson Hawkins and other pioneers who competed with him to obtain desirable properties. His family later admitted that the barrel had a false bottom to make it appear to contain more than it did.
Reed and his wife, Ruth, produced the first white child born within Birmingham's present corporate limits when their daughter Ruth was born on October 28, 1817. They went on to raise eleven children in their cabin.
References
- Brook, Ginger (January 14, 2009) "Silver Billy" Deep Fried Kudzu
External links
- William "Silver Dollar Billy" Reed at Findagrave.com