Even though, Hoot and Donna's father were good friends and Hoot worked alongside her father, the racial climate at that time was not one that encourage much real intimacy between the races, so any real details regarding Hoot's life he kept them to himself. Donna did however at that time submit an article to her local paper regarding her father and his friend..This also made Donna wonder where Hoot really did come from and where did he end up being buried as she had looked unsuccessfully for his gravesite.
Judging from her surprise, I don't think Donna was expecting to find the amount of data she found or to have it reach to the extent of particulars. Much of her information has been obtained from elderly family friends, census records, land records and libraries.
The Reid family was captured by the British in the African country of Sierra Leone, which is located between the African countries of Ghana and Liberia. When the British outlawed slavery in England in 1808, these black slaves were sent to Jamaica where they spoke the Jamaican language which is Gullah.
The Reid and Burnett families were sent from Jamaica to Abbeville, SC, a very small county in South Carolina. By 1820 the Reed/Reid - Scott - Evans - and Burnett families were in Orange Co. Indiana. They came with Jonathan Lindley, a Quaker who did not believe in slavery. Jonathan Lindley may have paid the owners of the Reed/Reid - Scott - Burnett - and Evans families for the freedom of these slaves.
In the obit of Arabell/Bell Reid (OL May 26, 1938) she stated that she was born January 1, 1860 in Owen Co. IN. She also stated that her father and mother were Martin and Leanna Walden Scott and that she was a half sister of Henderson and Noah Scott and Mrs. Mina Evans of Spencer.
Mrs. Reid's obit states that she was the sister of Mrs. Anna Evans of Spencer and had three brothers, Henderson and Noah Scott of Spencer, Ambrose Scott of Indianapolis, and that she had six grandchildren. She was fondly known as "Aunt Belle."
Mrs. Reid states that she gave birth to ten children, two of whom passed away at a very young age. The surviving children were:
Herman B. "Hoot" Reid (1894-1973). Buried in Riverside Cemetery per obit April 5, 1973. Hoot was a veteran of World War I. He should have a veteran's marker but he does not have a veteran's marker. "Hoot" died in the Veterans Hospital in Grant Co. IN.
John Reid of Indianapolis who had the nickname of "Johney" (his dates of birth and death are unknown to me).
Louis "Louie" Reid (his dates of birth and death are unknown to me).
Mrs. Dorothy Tolbert of Orange Co. IN (her dates are also unknown to me).
Miss Lottie Reid (1891-1892) per obit in OL September 25, 1957. Lottie lived with her parents and her bachelor brother Herman B. "Hoot." Lottie worked as a cook in several homes in Spencer. Lottie was a member of the Pentecostal Church in Spencer.
Charles S. Reid (nickman "Doc") who married R. Belle Scott in Owen Co. IN on January 16, 1883. Charles' name is spelled "Reed" in the marriage record, but this is not correct. His wife, Olia, died in the family home at 629 West Morgan St., S pencer. Olia was born in Orange Co. IN in 1888, the daughter of Oscar Bowman and Allie Burnett Bowman. She was survived by her husband Charles S. Reid of Spencer and her sister Elsie Bassett of Kokomo. The funeral was held at Drescher' s Funeral Home in Spencer, but these records are not available. Charles S. Reid and wife Olia also lost two children when the children were young. Their other children were: Ralph, Duane, Robert, Richard and Thomas (Ralph and Richard were th e children who died young).
All of the above families fought in the Civil War for the North. At the time they were living in Orange Co. IN.
Mrs. Reid also stated that she married Lincoln Reid (probably named for
Abraham Lincoln but had the nickname of "Linc" ) in Owen Co. IN on
December 9, 1884. In the marriage record her maiden name is listed as R
eed, but this is not correct. Her obit stated that her husband died in
Owen Co.in 1905. It is quite possible that Lincoln Reid was not in Owen
Co. at the time he died, but somewhere else. Lynchings were going on in
the north and the south, and it is quite possible that Lincoln Reid was
lynched. The most famous picture of a lynching was taken in the 1930s
about 30 miles from Muncie and shows two black men hanging from two trees.
The people are laughing and smiling an d looking at the cameraman.
Everybody is just having such a good time! I can't count the number of
times I have seen this picture -- it is so famous.