"James Reed was born in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1792 and died in Pittsburgh in 1878.  He is first listed in the Pittsburgh directories in 1847 as a watch maker and jeweler.  In 1850 it is James Reed & Co. which continues through the 1882-83 directory."

Reference:  Smart, Charles E.   The Makers Of Surveying Instruments In America Since 1700  Troy, New York:  Regal Art Press.  1962