Actress. She received notoriety as an American theatrical actress at the turn of the 20th century. In 1890 she was a beautiful and talented blond actress performing in a touring group in Texas when she met her future husband, Corse Payton. They traveled in railroad boxcars filled with sets, costumes and props for years as Corse Payton’s Comedy Company. In 1894 she appeared in a risque scene as Iza, the artist's model, in Alexander Dumas' “The Clemenceau Case” at the Funke Opera House in Lincoln, Nebraska. The couple married at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York on July 18, 1899. Her age was thirty on this document. With the last of their funds, her husband purchased for $5,000 the old Lee Avenue Academy of Music, at the corner of Lee Avenue and Roebling Street, renaming the theater Corse Payton’s Lee Avenue Theater. In March of 1900, the theater was open for business with a newspaper ad announcing “Corse Payton and his company, the 20th century theatrical miracle!” In October of the same year, an incident was highly publicized in a newspaper article about her and Prize Fighter Champion James Jeffries . Allegedly, Jeffries had written notes with proposals of marriage and with no reply, the notes became insulting to the point she asked her husband to fight for her in a duel, which never happened. Later, other newspapers announced that after Monday’s matinees at the Grand Opera House, Miss Etta Reed would give one of her famous “Elite Orange Teas” on the stage after the show. All ladies and their daughters attending the show were invited. A chance to hobnob with the famous actress, and perhaps meet her famous husband caused this event to be very successful. Wearing at least sixty gowns a week, everyone wanted to see what she was wearing. From high society ladies to housewives, all were mimicking her style of dress. With her beauty and style, heads would always turned when she walked into a room. Eventually the boxes in her husband's theater had to be redesigned, and a large reception area had to be created for her to have her teas and soirees. The building was given more and larger exits, making it safer, and the theater boasted of having more exists than any other Brooklyn theater. While her husband was a successful business man making $100,000 a year and with her fame on the stage, the couple developed a social life being invited to high society parties. She became quite active in various Brooklyn charities, by sponsoring Christmas shows for children. Lending the theater for these events and filling the seats with poor children who were treated to a show, a meal and gifts, she was the perfect hostess. When Empress Elisabeth of Austria’s jewels came on the market in 1902, her husband attended the auction and bidding on several pieces. Always in show business, her husband boasted that he would display them around the neck of a gold-colored, life-sized statue of her that graced the theater lobby. She had an expensive collection of beautiful jewelry. In 1903 using the name “Mrs. Corse Payton” on the deed, she purchased the Jones Theater at the corner of Fulton and Grand Avenue in Brooklyn and started performances with only women performers, ushers and orchestra musicians. After two years, her theater was used as a vaudeville house. In March of 1907, she suffered a stroke while walking from her dressing room to the stage. She became paralyzed and never fully recovered. She did attempt to return to the stage but did not have the stamina needed to do touring, thus forced into retirement. Even with her declined health, she continued to go to the theater when able to support others as they worked. She was the daughter of Gustavus and Caroline Buck Reed. Her father served as a Union soldier in the Civil War and during the war, had a leg amputated as a young man. On October 30, 1884 she married Gilbert Smith in her hometown. At the age of sixteen, she started her acting career by touring with the Bennett and Moulton Comical Opera Company. In May of 1915, she made her last appearance on stage with Payton in Springfield, Massachusetts. Since her husband's business started to decline in 1912, she came out of retirement. The audience was stunned at her deteriorated appearance and lack of ability to perform. This tiring and depressing ordeal was one that she never fully recuperated. In a short time, she was taken to a Springfield sanitarium where her condition became worst. At this point, she was taken to Hampton Hospital, her mother was summoned from Ohio, and after her death, her mother took her remains back to Ohio for burial. At the reading of her will, all her earthly belongings were given to her mother and a estranged son, Gustavus Reed Payton. Her obituary was published in several metropolitan newspapers.