A man (John) came to Elmira through the Underground Railroad by way of somewhere in Virginia.  He came to the Park Street Church which was one of the underground railroad stations.  Some of the slaves were not kept there because they were being followed. So the slaves were dispersed to different members homes of the Underground Railroad. 

 

John was taken to a liberty stable which was owned by Mr. Reid.  Liberty Stable was at the foot of Church Street across Newtown Creek on old Route 17.  It was a stable where horses were changed on the stage route from Auburn to Elmira going south.  Mr. Reid hid John in his loft. 

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The slaveholder’s name was Muldoon.  Muldoon followed John to Elmira with his overseer for about three days then he left when he couldn’t find John.  Mr. Reid asked John if he wanted to stay in Elmira.  John said no he was going to Canada.  So Mr. Reid said he would have to wait until a group of slaves were going before he could go to Canada.  In the meantime John started taking care of the horses.  Mr. Reid saw how good he was with the horses that he asked John again to stay.  This time Mr. Reid told John that if  he stayed he could use his name “Reid” .  John thought it over and stayed.  That’s how the name was changed from the slave master “muldoon” to the family name of  “Reid”.

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John met a freed slave girl from Baltimore Co, Maryland.  Her name was Betsy Lingue.  Betsy came to the Elmira area either looking for work or someone brought her with them to work for them.  She had manumission papers which the family still possesses.  John and Betsy were married and she changed her name to Elizabeth.  They had the following children:  Mary A Reid, Hannah Reid, Ellen Reid, James B Reid (Great Great Grandfather) and Rebecca Lingue.  Rebecca was part of the household as documented by the 1860 census.  Rebecca was believed to be Elizabeth’s mother. 

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James B Reid married Sarah Jane Tolson who was born in Upper Marlboro, Md.  She was the daughter of Thomas Tolson and Rachel.  She was born 12/26/1860.  Sarah Jane came to Elmira on 8/3/1883.  She had a son in Maryland names James.  After she married she gave him the “Reid” name.  James E. Reid was born 1/8/1882.   The death of James E. Reid is unknown.  He would be Bompa’s half  brother.  James and Sarah had another son names John Thomas Reid.  He changed his name to Thomas John Reid.  Better known as ‘Chick’, Bompa or TJ.