Thanks to cement and steel prices being less expensive and providing their own equipment and labor, the Atchison County Highway Department was able to replace all but three bridges from the early eighties to 2015. (Submitted photos)

Leon Reed and the bridge crew pose on one of the finished products in 1984. 

Leon Reed and another crew member work on the Road 148 DeBuhr Bridge.

Leon Reed will be the guest of honor at a retirement reception Thursday, August 29, at the Atchison County Highway Barn. He has been with the Atchison County Highway Department nearly 50 years.

Leon Reed has run all sorts of heavy equipment with the Atchison County Highway Department, including an excavator.

Most of us go through life holding several jobs over the years. It’s rare for someone to work a few decades in one location. But for Atchison County Highway Department’s Leon Reed, loyalty and dedication is what saw him through 49 1/2 years of service to our local communities. From 1975 to 2024, Leon provided an invaluable service to our roads and communities, making the residents’ lives a little bit easier and safer on their travels through the county.

Leon began as a laborer with the Atchison County Highway Department on May 12, 1975. He helped put in tubes and replaced bridge planks. Having had some experience on heavy equipment operation, he then started running a backhoe, as well as a front end loader and dumptruck.

In 1981, Paul Lester became the supervisor and began working towards getting the department ready to replace the bridges in Atchison County. They started buying used farm equipment and surplus military equipment and hired an engineering firm out of Kansas City to draw up the plans to help get everything in order for this huge undertaking. The department replaced the first bridge in 1984 and worked through 2015, replacing and building 95-97 percent of all of the county’s steel and concrete bridges (there are currently around three left that need to be replaced). Through that project, Leon was the bridge foreman. Thanks to the efforts of Paul and Leon, the engineering firm, the Atchison County Commissioners, and the highway department workers, and because they provided their own equipment and did all the work themselves, the county saved a huge amount of money by not contracting it out. Plus, steel and concrete prices back in the early days of the replacement project were much lower than they are now.

Once the bridge work was complete, Leon took over running an excavator, putting in tubes and cleaning out ditches. Now, after almost five decades of labor and service, he’s ready for retirement.

In those 49 1/2 years, Leon has seen lots of changes, most for the better. The equipment available to use has improved greatly over the years, with technology in vehicles being what it is today and even just having air conditioning and heat in the equipment. Leon remembers driving the road graders with the doors open because there was no air conditioning and being covered in sweat and dirt. Now, the workers can work with relative comfort, or at least be cool or warm depending on the weather. The department has also been able to acquire more equipment to use, which has made things a lot easier and moved things along at a more efficient pace.

In those years of service, Leon has worked with over 100 other highway department employees, three county clerks, seven road and bridge supervisors, seven highway department secretaries, and 13 commissioners. For Leon, staying for so long was an easy choice. Not only did he enjoy what he was doing, but the work paid him enough to be relatively comfortable in tough times and he was still able to enjoy weekends off. But most importantly, Leon was dedicated to seeing the bridge project through to the end. He wanted to be a part of this monumental task that was such a good thing for Atchison County and he was able to achieve that goal.

Now that retirement is on the horizon, instead of a dusty road with the hum of the grader or excavator keeping him company, he will be taking to the road in his own vehicle with his wife, Marilyn, by his side, traveling to parts unknown. He also has family members who need help with projects that he plans to lend a hand to. The rest and relaxation have been duly earned.

Join the Atchison County Highway Department in celebrating Leon’s achievement and wishing him well in retirement at a reception Thursday, August 29, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Atchison County Highway Barn, 24105 Highway 111, south of Rock Port. Everyone is invited to attend.