From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 704 - 706
 
JAMES S. REEK.  Upon the role of representative citizens of Walworth county of 
a past generation and prominent and highly esteemed men of affairs of the 
township of Linn consistently appears the name of the late James S. REEK.  He 
spent his life in this township and gradually won his way into the affections 
of the people through his genial address, his obliging and charitable nature 
and his unswerving honesty - in short, he possessed those sterling qualities of 
character which commend themselves to persons of intelligence and the highest 
morality.  He was a public-spirited man, delighting in the outbuilding of his 
native community in any way possible, and his support was not withheld from all 
laudable movements looking toward the general welfare of his neighbors and 
friends and the inhabitants of the county which knew his parents in its early 
history, for the REEK family was attracted to this community when it was 
sparsely settled and undeveloped.
 
Mr. REEK was born in Linn township, this county, on November 18, 1850.  He was 
the son of John, Jr., and Amelia (BENNETT) REEK.  John REEK, Jr., was the son 
of John Sr., and Mary (GARSIDE) REEK.  He was born in Cheshire, England, August 
12, 1813, there grew to manhood and married Amelia BENNETT, and when twenty-two 
years old he emigrated to America.  He located at Taunton, Massachusetts, where 
he worked as a carriage maker for eight years, then moved to Linn township, 
Walworth county, Wisconsin and here established his permanent home, literally 
hewing it out from the heavy woods covering the county in those early days.
 
James S. REEK, of this sketch, was a man of determination and correct habits 
and established a good credit at once, and in due course of time he was well 
established, owning three farms in sections 20 and 21, Linn township, 
aggregating five hundred and twenty acres.  He became one of the most 
successful and substantial farmers in the southern part of the county.  He 
beloved in employing progressive methods and leaving no stone unturned whereby 
he might advance his interests and those of the locality, and thus he became 
one of the wealthiest farmers of Linn township.  He was one of the promoters of 
the Cooperative Creamery, whose large success was attributable to his advice 
and influence in no small degree, and he was treasurer of the same until 1894, 
when it was discontinued.  He devoted much of the last six or seven years of 
his life to buying and shipping live stock, doing an extensive business, in 
fact, was one of the most extensive dealers in the county, shipping about one 
car load of stock to market a week, leaving the active work of the farm to his 
sons, believing that he was doing the right things to develop their abilities, 
by such a course.
 
Politically, Mr. REEK was a Republican, and was active in party affairs, being 
one of the local leaders.  He was elected a member of the board of supervisors 
in 1887, which office he held for many years.
 
On December 25, 1881, James S. REEK was united in marriage with Julia KAYE, 
daughter of Abram and Harriet (BRAYSHAW) KAYE.  She was born and reared on the 
farm where she now lives in Linn township, this county, having never resided 
anywhere else.  Abram KAYE was born in England in 1809 and there he grew to 
manhood, emigrating to America in 1840, but soon returned to his native land.  
In 1842 he brought his family to the United States, locating in the city of 
Baltimore, where he remained three years, then moved to near Philadelphia, 
where they spent three years.  The father was a grader of wool in a woolen 
mill, but the work was hard and confining and his health failed under the 
strain, so he came west and bought a farm of two hundred and forty acres in 
Linn township, Walworth county, Wisconsin.  Here he became well established and 
here his death occurred on April 21, 1875.  His wife, known in her maidenhood 
as Harriet BRAYSHAW, was the daughter of John and Mary (STOCK) BRAYSHOW.  She 
was born April 15, 1811.  She spent her old age with Mrs. REEK, dying at the 
advanced age of ninety-two years in 1903.  When Abram KAYE came here he bought 
one hundred and sixty acres, for which he paid two dollars and fifty cents per 
acre, later buying eighty acres more, for which he also paid two dollars and 
fifty cents per acres in 1848.  Only a small clearing had been made, the land 
being mostly covered with dense woods.  It had a small cabin on it, so Mr. KAYE 
had to do a great deal of hard work before he could make a crop, but he 
persevered and in the course of time had a fine farm and a comfortable home.
 
Mrs. REEK was the youngest of a family of ten children, five of whom were born 
in England, the other five in America.  The eldest was Arthur, who founded 
Kaye's Park along the south shore of Lake Geneva, and was a prominent man, well 
known all around the lake and the southern part of the county, being successful 
in a financial way; his death occurred in 1893, leaving a family.  The other 
brothers and sisters of Mrs. REEK were, Addin, Hammon, Mary, who became the 
wife of Robert LIGHTBODY; John B.; Sara, who married Frank E. BAKER; Harriet, 
who became the wife of William MATTHEWS; Abram, William J., and Julia, widow of 
the subject of this sketch.
 
Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. James S. REEK, named as follows: Nettie 
Mabel, Lillian Ethel, James Bennett, Alice K., Robert Arthur, and Harriet, the 
last named dying in infancy.  The others all attended the Lake Geneva schools.  
Alice is now in the State University at Madison and Robert is in high school at 
Lake Geneva.
 
The death of James S. REEK occurred on September 24, 1911, after several months 
illness.  He had lived a very active and industrious life.  He was a man of 
rare business ability, managed well and made few mistakes.  Being scrupulously 
honest in his relations with his fellow men, he won and retained their good 
will and confidence.  While interested in public matters, he was not ambitious 
to hold public offices or be a leader of men, preferring to spend his time with 
his family and give his attention to his business interests.  He had the 
reputation of being a kind and indulgent father and husband, an obliging, 
genial neighbor and a man of fine ideas and many commendable attributes of head 
and heart.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)