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Early History of Parker County
This is copied here with permission from The
Weatherford Democrat, July 23, 1956 issue.
(The following address was made before the annual meeting of the
Junior Historical Society of Texas at Austin in April of 1956. Nancy
Bailey is [was] a student at Weatherford Junior High School and
was a member of the eighth grade. --Ed.)
By Nancy Bailey
The 100th Birthday of Parker County
This year, 1956, Parker County is celebrating here 100 birthday.
We, the citizens of Parker County, are proud of our county because
she has had a colorful part. This theme is written to try to present
this past from 1856 to 1956.
The best place to start is by mentioning who were the first occupants
of Parker County. The first people in Parker County were the Indians
who thought they were rulers and owners of the land. The Comanches
were the cruelest of all Indians in Parker County. These Indians
did not have any mercy even for women, children, or helpless people
as they made their raids, killed, scalped, burned cabins, and captured
children.
During the period 1854-1874 which was the year of the last raid,
it was estimated that 400 people were killed and scalped or carried
away within a 100 mile radius which included Parker County. It was
also estimated that at least six million dollars worth of property
was destroyed or stolen by the Indians.
To this Indian-infested county came settlers in 1854. Before them
lay nothing but a landscape bedecked with wild flowers and the homes.
This is Parker County! It lies partly on the grand prairie, partly
in the West Cross Timber Belt in North Central Texas. It has generally
rolling and hilly terrain with level uplands and broad valleys.
It is drained by two rivers, the Clear Fork which flows through
the central part and the Brazos which cuts through the southwest
corner. Its soils are varied with gray sandy, black waxy, dark alluvial,
black sandy, and chocolate colored loams. The trees in Parker County
are post oak, liveoak, mesquite, hackberry, cottonwood, pecan, and
fruit trees. The peach tree and peach blossom have been chosen as
the tree and flower of Parker County.
To Parker County came settlers with courage, patience, and fortitude.
Even in danger, discomfort, and disappointment, they did not flinch
or leave but stayed and did their duty faithfully, trusting in God
for guidance. These settlers built wisely and well and left the
citizens of Parker County a tradition and heritage of which we are
proud.
In 1855 the settlers began to "pour" into Parker County and decided
they needed a local government and a new county, so they wrote a
petition. The petition was to form a new county with an area of
825 square miles. There were 224 signers to the petition, Daniel
Waggoner being the first signer. In December, 1855, the legislature
passed the bill authorizing the establishment of Parker County but
the surveying of the boundaries which was done by Llewyn Murphy,
was not completed until in March, 1856.
On March 2, 1856, the first county election was held with approximately
400 settlers voting and the new county officials were chosen.
Among the first acts of the Commissioners court was the selection
of a site for the county seat. Many sites were considered but finally
three sites were chosen as eligible, according to the requirements
of the act creating the county. In April, 1856, and election was
held resulting in the selecting of Weatherford as the county seat
of Parker County.
Weatherford was named after Jefferson Weatherford who was State
Senator from Dallas. He was active in passing the bill authorizing
the creation of Parker County. Parker County was named for Isaac
Parker, although this has been questioned by some authorities, but
conceded by most authorities and borne out by many facts.
There have been three courthouses in Parker County besides the
one which is still standing. The first courthouse was made of rough
pine but was replaced with a two story brick building. Fire destroyed
the second courthouse in 1874 and the third courthouse was also
destroyed by fire. Then on June 9, 1884, the contract was let for
the construction of the courthouse which is still standing on the
public square of Weatherford, Texas.
From the organization of Parker County in 1856 until 1860 the
county settled very rapidly. The people came principally from Arkansas,
Mississippi, Tennessee, alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, with many
from other sections of the south, and a few from the northern states.
Now some memories and history of the life of citizens of Parker
County:
The familiar song "School Days, School Days", the "dunce" in the
corner, and paper wads swizzing by brought many smiles to children
of all ages. A tack in teacher's chair always brought a laugh, but
not from the teacher.
One of the first schools in Parker County was a double log cabin
with an open shed-room between the cabins. Inside the school, the
children sat on split logs without any backs. They did not have
many pencils or paper and very few books, but they still learned
the three R's, reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic.
In 1858, '59, and '60, there was a subscription school in Weatherford
which was taught by O.W. Keeler. A subscription school is a school
where you have to pay to attend.
Around 1900 there were many colleges and institutes established
in Parker County, such as the Parker Institute at Whitt, and the
Male and Female Institute at Springtown.
"The Little Brown Church in the Vale", is one of the most familiar
songs of church goers. Religion started early in Parker County.
Among the first settlers in Parker County was Reverend Tackett and
family who carried on religious work for many years and started
the first church in Parker County which was the Goshen Methodist
Church.
There are two churches in Parker County which will be exactly
100 years old this year. They are the South Main Church of Christ
and the First Baptist Church. The Church of Christ building is not
100 years old but the church itself got started in 1856.
Bang! Bang! Yes, the shots from guns rang out man times in Parker
County. The first sheriff of Parker County was Joshua Barker who
was exceptionally fast with a gun.
There were saloons in the county such as the "Hull Saloon" and
the "Casino" which brought gun-slinging drunken cowpokes who caused
a lot of trouble. Today, though, Parker County is a "dry" county.
The first legal execution was held in the spring of 1869, which
left a Negro, named Joe Williams suspended in the breeze, for killing
a peddler southeast of Weatherford.
Parker County was the first place that women were hanged in Texas.
There were three women hanged illegally by mobs. The women and their
husbands had a bad reputation and so mobs got together and hung
them. Their names, I will not mention.
Parker County is noted for agriculture, business, and its ranching.
Some of its outstanding citizens are the late Douglas Chandor, artist,
Congressman Jim Wright, and the famed actress and singer Mary Martin.
In celebrating our Centennial the men grew beards, and wore derbies.
The women wore old-time bonnets and some wore long dresses. There
have been and are going to be many events such as the Pageant of
parker county and the centennial parade.
Yes, this year Parker County is cutting her birthday cake with
100 candles.
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