1875 (correct year 1895)
Spirit River & District Museum
On 30 October 1895 in Ithaca, Michigan Ruel Seldon Reed (born 14 Aug 1861) married Emelie Lindstrom (born 1873). This pipe stand was a thoughtful wedding gift from the bride to her groom. Being of Swedish decent, Emelie taught herself to read and write both English and Swedish. After their marriage, the couple moved around, looking for the right spot to call home. Forgoing their Yukon plans, they eventually settled near Spirit River in 1914. At the time, they were travelling with their two-year-old son and a newborn. The Reed property had a very good well on it, and Ruel had the important task of delivering water to other nearby farmers. The couple decided in 1929, when Ruel was 68, to homestead in the Hotchkiss district so that their sons could have farmland adjoining their own.