In 1866, Reid emigrated to the United States, and within a few months of his arrival, began working for
J. L. Mott Iron Works, which was founded by
Jordan L. Mott in 1828. Reid was eventually promoted to General Manager, which he held for thirty-nine years. He was a member of the
Engineers' Club, the Fulton Club, the Society of British Schools and Universities and the Burns Society. He was also elected a member of the
Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, of which he served as the 38th President from 1898 to 1899, when he was succeeded by
Andrew Carnegie as president.
Interest in golf Around 1887, he introduced and played the "
Royal Scottish Game" on an improvised course near his home and was the leader of the Apple Tree Gang. On November 14, 1888, at a dinner at his house, he founded and, served as the first president of
Saint Andrew's Golf Club located in
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Reid's portrait by
Frank Fowler hangs in the dining room. ==Personal life==