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Title

George W. Reason (1837-1926)

Description

He was a well known businessman in Pinckney, owning a hardware store as well as selling buggies and farm machinery. His farm was near the Putnam and Unadilla Township, Livingston County, Michigan line. Reason road is in that area.

In addition to the hardware business Mr. Reason also sold coal, but his chief interest was in the sale of buggies and farm machinery. He left the store work to others. He traveled the country in his horse and buggy selling his favorites. He sold more buggies than any other dealer in the section, his sales some years being over 300. The same held true for farm machinery. He would take (customers') old buggies and machinery in trade for stock or anything of value.

The buggies used to come all wrapped in paper to prevent marring...53 buggies in 70 days was one record.

There were many stories told of him. One illustrates his shrewdness. At one time the country farm advertised for bids for a binder. Mr. Reason's bid was lowest and he got the sale. He sent for a man named Corwin to set it up, who told the following story. He found Mr. Reason had sold the binder at cost and said, "I don't see where you make anything on this." Mr. Reason said, "Wait and see." When the poor farm superintendent came for the binder, he had a lumber wagon which Mr. Reason loaded with pitchforks, shovels and hardware, a year's supply for the farm. Then he turned to the machinery company man and said, "Now do you see the profit in that binder?"

Mr. Reason was quite a builder. He built the W.H. Meyer Building which was his store, the Lee Lavey store and the building formerly occupied by the tavern. He also built a roller skating rink on the site later occcupied by the bowling alley. This burned in 1921.

(This information was gathered by a descendant, Dorothy Reason Malette).

His wife was Sarah Barley Reason. They had three daughters and two sons.