From Walla Walla Weekly Union, April 27 1889

Close of Long Life

Sunday morning -- Almos Holbrook Reynolds answered the call of his Maker. He was born eighty years and siz months ago, in the town of Madrid, St. Lawrence County, New York. His father was a mill-wright and in the pursuit of that trade, migrated to various places with his family, erecting mills, notably at Churchville, fourteen miles west of Rochester; Aurora and Buffalo, New York.

While with his father, the deceased became a skillful, self-reliant mill-wright. In 1837 he left Buffalo and went to Chicago, where he remained a short time, and then journeyed on to the region called the Blackhawk purchase in Iowa, where he built a mill at Weathersfield. On the 9th of January, 1839, he left Iowa for New York, and reached Aurora, Erie county, that state on the 9th of February, having walked most of the way as railroads were unknown, the lakes were frozen over, and the stage was a very uncertain means of travel. In the spring of 1839, he went back to Iowa and made his headquarters at Davenport until, attacked by "the California fever" in 1850, he removed to California, where he arrived July 14th, and remained until May 20th, 1851, and then moved to Oregon. He built and superintended mills in Oregon until 1859, when he came to Walla Walla to build what was called the "Pioneer mill,", "Simms' mill," or "Dent's mill," as the fancy of the speaker suited. The ruins of this old mill, the first flour mill erected in the Walla Walla country, are still to be seen about two miles southerly from the city on Yellowhawk creek. of late years it has been called "Overholtzer's mill." Mr. Reynolds came up on the second trip of the "Col. Wright," the pioneer steamboat on the Upper Columbia. He paid $16 fare from Deschutes landing, about twenty miles above The Dalles, to Wallula, and reached Walla Walla on the 10th of May 1859, and has resided here since that time. On the 21st of May, 1861, Mr. Reynolds was married to the widow of Ransom Clark, by whom he has had two sons, Harry A., and Allen H. Reynolds. In 1862 Mr. Reynolds erected on the "Clark Donation Claim" what was known for many years as the "Reynolds mill." Of late years it has been called "McKinnon's mill." It was destroyed by fire last fall. In 1867 Mr. Reynolds was elected a Commissioner of Walla Walla county, but resigned before his term had expired. He was a member of the City Council in 1876; again in 1877, and yet again in 1881. As a public official Mr. Reynolds was opposed to all extravagant expenditures, and every scheme presented for a raid on the public treasure met his well-known emphatic "No" and untiring opposition in and out of office. He was one of the original incorporators of the Walla Walla and Columbia River railroad, an organization which under the indomitable management of Dr. D.S. Baker became the cornerstone of the modern prosperity of Walla Walla. Mr. Reynolds was the chief promoter of the Dayton Woolen Mills, built in 1872. In connection with Dr. J.H. Day he opened the first bank in Walla Walla in the handsome two-story brick building erected by them on Main street, above Second, in 1874, which is now occupied by Ryan's drug store and Rochat's jewelry establishment. At the time of his death Mr. Reynolds was vice-president of the First National Bank of Walla Walla. He left a comfortable fortune. Such is the record made by a modest, exemplary citizen, whose aims in life seemed to be to fear God and deal justly by all men. The world would be better were there more men like our friend who closed a long and active life Sunday morning.