By Beverly Belcher Woody
I recently discovered an article published on November 26, 1934, in the Martinsville Bulletin about local barber, Reid Loggins. I had written about Reid’s sons, Nathan and Willie, in a previous Patrick Pioneers column, but at the time I had little information on their father. This newly uncovered article, combined with genealogical records, provides an illuminating picture of a man whose life bridged enslavement, freedom, and the early 20th century.
For many years, Reid Loggins was a familiar and unforgettable figure on the streets of Stuart. A formerly enslaved man, his once-square shoulders and upright carriage had grown bent with age, yet his spirit remained resilient. To the people of Stuart, Reid was a living link to a past that shaped Patrick County. Few residents of the 1930s could recall him as a slave, but his presence stood as a reminder of the county’s shared history.
Reid Loggins was born around 1854. When the Civil War erupted, he was only six or seven years old—still a child when our nation’s greatest trial began.
Thanks to Patrick County death records, we know that Reid’s mother was Racheal Loggins, who died in 1885 at age 67 from pneumonia. The record identifies Racheal’s mother—and thus Reid’s grandmother—as Martha Critz, connecting Reid maternally to one of the longstanding families of the Critz community.
The 1870 Census lists Reid’s family as follows:
Rachal Loggins, 49, Mother
Ned Loggins, 52, Father
Children: Malinda, 21; Reid, 15; Kinner, 12; Pencey Ann, 8; and George, 4
They lived in the Mayo District of Patrick County, Virginia, near the Nettle Ridge Post Office.
According to the 1934 account, Reid’s father was reportedly a free man of color who was pressed into Confederate service during the Civil War. Ned Loggins served as a choreman in a company headed by Captain Murray Turner of Stuart. His duties would have included chopping wood, carrying supplies, tending fires, and assisting with breastwork construction.
At the close of the war, Reid—still only about eleven years old—was set free. The upheaval of Reconstruction, paired with the natural vigor of youth, shaped the years that followed as he navigated life as a newly freed man.
Reid rarely spoke of his years in bondage, though he acknowledged that he had belonged to Reuben Ziglar, who owned a 400-acre farm on Spoon Creek near Critz. His mother had also lived on that plantation before marrying and raising her children.
Before enslaved people could legally register their own surnames, Reid used the surname of his enslaver. Only after emancipation and legal registration was he able to take his father’s surname, becoming Reid Loggins—the name he carried for the rest of his life.
The 1910 Census provides a detailed picture of Reid’s family:
Reid, 55
Millie, 49
Nathan, 30
Willie, 30
Raeford, 25
Gusta, 23
Annie, 21
Robert Loggins, 1
Identical twins Nathan and Willie Loggins served as waiters at the Hotel Perkins for many years. Their mother, Millie, worked as a cook, and their sister Gusta was a waitress there as well. (See the previous Patrick Pioneers story on Nathan and Willie Loggins for more details.)
Nathan’s son, Nathan John “N. J.” Loggins, Jr., spent his entire adult life working for Powell’s and Patrick Hardware stores in downtown Stuart—both before and after serving in World War II.
Reid Loggins’ life is one of endurance, quiet dignity, and significant historical importance. He lived through:
Enslavement
The Civil War
Emancipation
Reconstruction
The turn of the 20th century
And into the living memory of modern Patrick County
From a child born enslaved to an elderly man who became a beloved figure in Stuart, Reid Loggins represents a powerful, personal connection to Patrick County’s past. His life story—and the stories of his children and grandchildren—continue to enrich our understanding of our community’s shared history.
For questions, comments, or ideas for stories, you may reach Woody at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or 276-692-9626.