John W. F. Parker
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 12 Mar 1825 - Wayne Co., Kentucky
Christening:
Death: 18 Dec 1910 3
Burial: in Somerset City Cemetery, Somerset, Pulaski Co., Ky
Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Lewis Parker (1798-1863) 4 5
Mother: Matilda DeForest Lockett (1803-1867) 4 5
Spouses and Children
1. *Sophia Elizabeth Caldwell (23 Sep 1833 - 21 Sep 1907) 2 6 7
Marriage: 17 May 1853 - Pulaski Co., Kentucky 8 9
Children:
1. Foxie Parker (1854-1862)
2. Sam Parker (1856-1858)
3. Joe Caldwell Parker (1857-1947)
4. Tee Anna Parker (1858-1942)
5. Samanda Parker (1859-1931)
6. Charles Lewis Parker (1861-1906)
7. Zena D. Parker (1863-1953)
Notes
General:
CENSUS:
In 1850 W. F. Parker (25, Ky, druggist) is living in Somerset, Pulaski Co., Kentucky in the household of James D. Alcorn, 46, druggist.
<pre>1860 Pulaski Co., Kentucky, District No. 1, p.o. Somerset; June 7; pg 30
180/174
Jno. F. Parker 35 MW Ky $1500/$1500 Physician
Sophia " 27 FW Ky
Foxie " 6 FW Ky
Caldwell J. " 3 MW Ky
Tee Ana " 2 FW Ky
no name " 6/12 MW Ky </pre>
He is not in the Slave Schedule.
<pre>1870 Pulaski Co., Ky, Somerset District, p.o. Somerset; Aug 22; pg 37
249/249
Jno. W. F. Parker 45 MW Ky $4000/$2500 Physician
Sophia E. " 36 FW Ky Keeping house
Joe C. " 13 MW Ky Work on farm
F. Anna " 11 FW Ky
Samanda " 9 FW Ky
Charly L. " 8 MW Ky
Zena D. " 7 FW Ky </pre>
<pre>1880 Pulaski Co., Kentucky, town of Somerset, ED 86; June 4; pg 6
48/49
John W. F. Parker 55 M Ky NY Ky Physician
Sophia E. " wife 46 M Ky Ky Ky Keeping house
Joe C. " son 23 M Ky Ky Ky Surveyor
Tie Anna " dau 21 S Ky Ky Ky Teacher
Samie " dau 20 S Ky Ky Ky Music Teacher
Charlie L. " son 18 S Ky Ky Ky Clerk
Zena D. " dau 16 S Ky Ky Ky
Nannie " dau-in-law 21 M Ky Ky Ky </pre>
<pre>1900 Pulaski Co., Kentucky, ED 99, Somerset City; June 13; sheet 7A
119/133 west side of North Main St.
John W. F. Parker 75 Mar 1825 M47 Ky NY Ky Physician
Sophia E. " wife 66 Sep 1833 M47/7/5 Ky Ky Ky
Tee Anna " dau 41 Jul 1858 S Ky Ky Ky School Teacher
Samanda " dau 40 Nov 1859 S Ky Ky Ky Music Teacher </pre>
He owns an unmortgaged farm. His son Charles L. lives at 114/126. His daughter Zena D. and her husband live at 119/134.
<pre>1910 Pulaski Co., Ky, Somerset City Ward 2, Somerset Sanitarium 19 to 24; Apr 29; sheet 16A
220/224
Dr. J. W. F. Parker 85 W Ky NY Ky Physician
T. A. " dau 51 S Ky Ky Ky Teaching
Samanda " dau 50 S Ky Ky Ky None
gdau 17 </pre>
He owns an unmortgaged house. His widowed daughter-in-law lives at 226/230, and his grandson Dr. Sam Parker lives at 221/225.
PERSONAL HISTORY:
Parker in America, pg 456 (J. W. F. Parker, May 1904).
I was born in Wayne Co., Ky. (where all were born) in 1825. My education was simply common school. I adopted, after my majority, the profession of medicine. By pretty hard study, with economical expenditure of limited means of borrowed money, and in a regular course, then of two years (now of four) I graduated at the Medical Department of the University of Louisville. I immediately opened an office in Somerset, not a choice or a favorable location for a career, but near the family, my mother's health being delicate; where I thought a few years' experience would prepare me for a better field. But at the end of three years I married Miss Sophia E. Caldwell, daughter of a former physician who died young. Here I am yet.
Though I have had some diversions, I have all the time, of 54 years been a practitioner of medicine and surgery.
In 1866 I was elected to the State senate, and held till 1869, when under Grant's administration, I was appointed assessor of internal revenue, for my Congressional district; which office I filled till by change of the revenue laws, in 1873, that office was consolidated with that of collector. In these places of public trust and service I do not claim that I had any extraordinary distinction. I will mention one incident in my senatorship, in which I received some gratifying applause:
I was a member of the committee on education. The chairman of the committee was Ben J. Webb, of Louisville, a man of affluence, ability, popular and influential. I represented a rural district, full of children; he was the representative of an urban district, the richest in the State. There was a bill passing to authorize a popular vote of this State, for or against the levying of additional ad volorem taxes for the support of public schools. In the committee the chairman and I differed. He was strenuously opposed to the proposition, and the principle. When the bill had been reported and came up in the senate he made a set speech against it, and its purposes. He boldly decried the effect of universal education upon the material interests of the State, and declared that to a man destined to do manual labor, education was deleterious, spoiling him for his calling.
In his speech he singled me by name, as one endeavoring to extort means from the more thrify citizens and wealthy sections of the State to educate our poorer children.
When he had closed I said: "Indulging my inclination to avoid public speaking I had not intended any argument, but my respected colleague has given me prominence that seems to imply some special responsibility. He has, however, so elaborated all objections to this measure and the public policy intended, that the converse of his position is made apparent to every reflective mind, and I deem it sufficient for me to say that what he opposes I am for.
"When in the application of his criticisms he derisively called my name. I looked up and my appealing vision happened to fall on the life-size portraits on the wall: Isaac Shelby, Kentucky's first great governor, a people's man and model executive; Henry Clay, the great commoner, who honored Kentucky among the States, and honored the Union among the nations; and Chief Justice Marshall, who went from Kentucky to the Supreme Court, to expound the world's purest laws. Instantly I was conscious that I was a mind reader, each seemed seriously attractive and pondering the cause and judging the preposterous positions taken, and the opinion of every one was sensibly impressed upon my conviction, and cannot be mistaken by any one who knows and loves the history of our State, and honors its great and good men.
"I am ready, fellow senators, to vote, to authorize the sons of the constituents of those men, to decide now, and for all time, whether Kentucky's wealth, entire, shall educate Kentucky's children, all."
Before this time, at which I was participating in the legislation of my State, I had taken much interest in the project for a southern railroad from Cincinnati, a trunk line north and south between the railroad systems of the sections. I had written, in Cincinnati papers, of the inducements on the way; and when the prime object was assured I contended for the present central line, against strong influences on either side. Now, being in the Legislature, I labored to secure the needed franchises, some local or sectional prejudices yet existing.
Years after, one who was prominent in the great work of making this road, introducing me to an official of the road, said: "Here is the best friend the Cincinnati Southern Railroad ever had in Kentucky." But I am long since out of politics. Indeed, I never was a candidate for Congress. I did allow myself to be elected mayor of our little city, a few years ago, for some special purposes of civic reform, but I suspected senile weakness or vanity.
About 1878-9 I was in "volunteer" bankruptcy -- the usual reasons, fire, surety, public panic and adverse circumstances. After a sacrifice, that way, of a large per cent. of my assets, I settled with my creditors on time and duly paid every dollar in full. Now I have credit but no great deal of means. I have, however, in numerous old ledgers and files many thousands of dollars of uncollected debts, mostly professional fees.
My sojourn in this world has been of great interest to me. The earth and its vast environments have filled me with wonder, admiration and delight. I love solitude. I have had much social enjoyment. I am glad of my American nativity. I glory in my citizenship. I am gratified with having lived throught three-fourths of the 19th century, and I rejoice to see the beginning years of the 20th. I am proud of my name, Parker, and have a liking for my kinfolks.
REAL PROPERTY:
In The Kentucky Land Grants, Part 2, by Willard Rouse Jillson in the section "Grants in County Court Orders" we find 2 tracts in Pulaski County surveyed for J. W. F. Parker. The date is the date of the survey.
J. W. F. Parker 100 acres Bk 70/pg 395 1 Sep 1866 Pulaski Indian Cr.
200 acres Bk 100/pg 302 11 Mar 1881 Pulaski Cooper's Delight
On 15 Jun 1881 150 acres were surveyed for his younger brother M. E. Parker probably on the same watercourse (Cooper's Cr.).
BURIAL:
In the municipal cemetery on Columbia Street in Somerset, Kentucky, there is a large stone for J. W. F. Parker and his wife, a small joint stone for their children Foxie and Sam, who died young, and separate stones for their two daughters T. A. Parker and Samie Parker, who presumably never married. They are together in one plot, probably in section 11, maybe in section 8. Just across a lane is another plot in section 7. In that plot there is a large stone for Joe Caldwell Parker and his wife, and on the back of that stone are written the names of Sam F. Parker and his wife, who have separate small stones. Also buried in this plot is John Parker, infant son of Joe Caldwell. Adjacent to the latter Parker plot is a Hill plot in which is buried Zena Parker Hill.
FULL NAME:
John William Fletcher Parker according to Helen Green Jupin, a great-great-granddaughter.
