John Reed Road: Paved by power, politics, (and clambakes) By Betty Slade
Posted on December 6, 2024 by Jenny ONeill
Next time you drive along John Reed Road to the beach, listen for the rumbling echoes of the agitated voices of Westporters from the 1890s who felt “swindled” by the man after whom the road is named, John M. Reed.
The layout of John Reed Road (originally known as Horse Neck or Horseneck Road) which connected the old Westport Point bridge to Horseneck Beach was drawn up in 1895 for the Town of Westport. (The plan for John Reed Road can be found on the town of Westport, Ma. Website, under Historical Documents, road layouts. It is dated 1895 and prepared by the commissioners of Bristol County).
It was scheduled to be built in 1896 by the town but it did not happen. The County Commissioners decided to have it built, but there was some disagreement on whom should be awarded the contract after Westport failed to build the road itself. Eventually John M. Reed got the contract despite the fact his bid was higher than another by $20. Town Records show that the road was built by May 1897. On May 27, John M. Reed had a clambake for friends and political buddies at Manchester and Peckham’s Pavilion at Horseneck Beach to celebrate the completion of the road.
“In all about 80 sat down to the feast. Most of the men present were known to have a penchant for politics. The bulk of the clam eaters were Sanders men (the Republican candidate) and more than one suggestion was swapped as to how to overcome Hunt’s campaign.”
On June 2, Westport refused to pay the bill because the selectmen believed the road was not built to specifications. Local press reported: “The road is agitating many of the townspeople and Westporters are not satisfied with it. They claim not more than half the loam called for was put on the road.”
On August 10, The Board of Selectmen called a town meeting to discuss what they called a complete failure to build the road according to specifications. “At the town meeting Chairman Sherman made the statement that he was ready to place $100 in the hands of the moderator, to be given to any person in Bristol county who could find 200 feet in any part of the road built in accordance with the specifications.”
Albert D. Manchester and John A. Macomber, 2nd, were appointed to investigate. Mr. Reed claimed it was a better road than called for in the specifications. Westport eventually paid the bill of $ 8,704 for construction and, despite town-wide criticism of the road’s construction, John Reed successfully attached his name to the well-traveled road!
Who was John M. Reed?
John M. Reed was born on March 10, 1850 in Dartmouth, Mass. His parents were Allen Reed and Caroline Tripp Reed. John grew up in Dartmouth, lived in Fall River for a period, and worked as a laborer, farmer, ice dealer and teamster. He also dealt in buying and selling horses. He was identified as a contractor in a later census. He worked on many projects including in 1894 widening the Narrows Bridge and repairing the highway from Westport Factory Village to the Fall River line at the Narrows, in 1898 measuring Watuppa Pond, removing buildings, etc. He was an active republican politician serving as an alderman in Fall River Ward 6 and as an Assistant Bristol County commissioner. He was a postmaster in 1899.
John married Nancy Sadler from New Bedford in Dartmouth on October 5, 1873. They had one child survive them, Arthur M. Reed. John inherited 10 acres of land in Dartmouth from his father in 1880. He owned 80 acres of land near Westport Factory Village which he sold in October 1892. He also owned land north of what is now 1936 Main Road in Westport Point which be bought from Restcombe Macomber and sold to Andew H. Sowle in 1898. He bought 8 acres of land at Horseneck Beach from T. B. Sherman in December, 1897.
He lived in North Westport on the shore of Lake Watuppa for the last 20 years of his life and had a grocery business near the Narrows, which his son operated. John died September 3, 1909 and he and his wife are buried in a Reed Lot at Linden Grove Cemetery in Westport.