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Lewis Reed
(1887-1967)
Lewis Reed was born in Darnestown, Maryland on November 25, 1887. He attended school in Montgomery County and was one of the original employees of the Computing Tabulating Recording Company, a Georgetown-based manufacturing firm that eventually became International Business Machines, Inc. (IBM).
Prior to World War I, Lewis Reed’s love of automobiles led him to becoming a chauffeur. He received his automotive training at the Pierce-Arrow factory in Buffalo, New York, the Dodge Hamtramck and Hudson Motor Car factories in Detroit, Michigan, and the Washington Auto College. Lewis worked as a chauffeur from roughly 1910-1914.
In October 1915, he embarked on the business of selling and repairing automobiles as one of the founding members of the Rockville Garage (later known as Reed Brothers Dodge). When World War I broke out, Lewis Reed worked at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. as a torpedo tester. In 1920, he married Ethelene Thomas of Frederick County and moved to Gaithersburg. They had one daughter, Mary Jane, who was born on September 24, 1922. In 1926, the young couple built a craftsman-style home in Gaithersburg, at what is today 301 North Frederick Avenue.
Lewis Reed was an active member of his community throughout his life. He attended Grace Methodist Church where he served as a member and Chairman of the Board of Stewards, a Lay Leader, and President of the Men’s Bible Class. He was one of nine original incorporators of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department when it was created by charter in 1928. He was also a member of the advisory board of the Rockville Branch of the First National Bank of Maryland. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge of Rockville, the Pentalpha Chapter of the Eastern Star, and the Rockville Rotary Club. He was a Rotarian for 34 years and also had served as President of that group as well as serving in leadership roles for many committees of the Rotary Club.
In his spare time, Lewis Reed was one of the earliest and most prolific photographers in Montgomery County. Today, his photography of rural Maryland life and Montgomery County is iconic. His photos have appeared on interpretive wayside markers, in newspapers, magazines, and in local and national historical television programming. Montgomery History has featured many more of Lewis Reed's Montgomery County photographs, provided by his granddaughter Jeanne Gartner, in two previous online exhibits called, "Montgomery County, 1900-1930: Through the Lens of Lewis Reed" and “Montgomery County: Then and Now, Photography of Lewis Reed and Barry Gartner.”
Active in the dealership daily until the day of his death, Lewis Reed passed away on January 28, 1967 at the age of 79. Shortly after his death, the Senate of Maryland passed Senate Resolution No. 10, honoring the life and achievements of Lewis Reed. The resolution was sponsored by Senator Thomas M. Anderson, Jr and Senator Louise Gore.
Lewis Reed’s business philosophy was simple: “Treat your customer as your friend and always do what you promise.” These words aptly showcase his life and his passion for what would become his life’s work in the automobile business.
Edgar Reed (1890-1951)
As a prominent businessman active in local commercial, civic, and religious institutions, Edgar was a respected community leader in Rockville, as was his brother in Gaithersburg. He served in several high-profile positions, including President of the Montgomery County Municipal League and Acting Mayor of Rockville in the absence of Mayor Douglas M. Blandford. He was also an original incorporator and charter member of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department when the fire company was organized in 1921.
Edgar was a charter member and Past President of the Rockville Rotary Club and was a director of the Farmers Banking & Trust Company in Rockville until the time of his death. He served on the Rockville Fair Board of Directors and was a member of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson-Smith-Edmonds American Legion Post 86 of Rockville and was the first President of the Dealers Automotive Association of Montgomery County.
For many years, Edgar was a popular member of the Rockville Town Council. Under his leadership, the town of Rockville upgraded its utilities, rewrote its master plan, re-codified its laws, started on a $15 million Main Street revitalization, and welcomed its first housing development since the end of World War II. In 1940, Edgar ran for Mayor of Rockville, but had to drop out of the race due to ill health. He passed away on October 24, 1951, after a prolonged illness.
Edgar Reed was born in Darnestown, Maryland on October 17, 1890. As a young man living in Rockville, he worked for druggist R.W. Vinson until the U.S. entered WWI. Edgar enlisted in 1918 at age 27 and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He was posted to army hospitals in New Haven, Connecticut and Cape May, New Jersey, then transferred to the Demobilization Center at Camp Lee, Virginia before his honorable discharge in August of 1919.
After settling back in Rockville, Edgar joined his brother Lewis in the automotive business and the name of their company changed to Reed Brothers Dodge. Edgar Reed married Rachel White in June 1920 just a few weeks prior to his brother’s wedding. They had no children. Edgar was the executive of Reed Brothers and handled all of the technicalities of the business and was generally in charge of new car and truck sales.
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