Born as Jean Renaud in 1808, Reno was educated in his native France, then made a six-week sailing voyage to America in 1828. Initially he settled in upstate New York, and although he was a tailor by trade, he worked there on a farm, until 1832.
In that year, he came to Detroit by way of the Erie Canal, and the Great Lakes. The city of Detroit at that time, had a population of approximately 3,000 inhabitants, when he arrived.

It was in Detroit that he married his first wife, Marie Laubacher, who had also been born in France, but of German ancestry. After her death in 1851 (during child birth) he wed, Mary Angley-Mayer, a native of Switzerland. He had a total of nine children from two marriages.

Reno's first property purchase was a 40 acre tract of government land on Gratiot Avenue. It was not long before he opened a small grocery store at the foot of St. Antoine Street and conducted a small boarding home, as well.
A deeply religous man, Reno donated land for church use. He was also active in civic and political affairs, holding office of City Assessor, Tax Collector, and School Board Member. He also helped organized a volunteer company of the Detroit Fire Department, and served a term as a Democratic member of the state House of Representatives.
Both Reno Avenue in Detroit and Renaud Road in Grosse Pointe Woods, were named for him.

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