Genealogical research suggests that the Annie M. Reed of Jefferson County, Kentucky, who made this sampler, may have been the Annie M. Reed whose father was William Decatur Reed (1815-1858). Reed made a fortune as an early investor in Western Union Telegraph. As a girl of means, Annie may well have attended a private school for girls where needlework was taught. Typical of many samplers, this example includes the names and initials of relatives and quotations from the Bible.
Ongoing research by AKS notes significant motif similarities between Annie's sampler and that of Mary Caroline Woods sampler on AKS's Lost Samplers page. The wreath in the upper aspect of Annie's sampler and the wreath in the lower left of the Woods sampler, and the dove carrying a branch on the lower right of Annie's sampler and the lower center of the Woods sampler, are nearly identical. Other similarities include: verses referencing doves are seen on both samplers, the alphabets have a similar layout, and both samplers reference Louisville. AKS raises the possibility that the Annie M. Reed sampler may have been been executed at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, or perhaps a teacher from Pleasant Hill in 1870 moved to Louisville in 1873 and taught Annie M. Reed. Further research of files at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill is ongoing.