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Bill Wade (1919-2001),
former Mayor of Parker
One hundred and fifty years
ago the area that is now Parker was covered with prairie grass, grass
so high and thick that the first settlers here had to burn their fields
two years straight to prepare the land for farming. Some of the families
that came to farm and raise their children were the Dillehays, Gregorys,
Hogges, McCrearys, and Parkers. John C. Parker was the first known settler.
Our community was named for his son, William C. Parker.
The Corinth Presbyterian Church was established on August 2, 1846. The
first school was established about 1880 in nearby Halltown (two miles
east of Parker) and was known as the "Who'd A Thought It School." It
was a rough and tumble school with a large enrollment of 90 children.
According to long-time resident Arthur Hogge, the longest-lasting schoolmaster
laid his gun on his desk to maintain order in the classroom. In the
1880's T.L. Johnson ran a gristmill and a general store. About this
time the St. Louis and Southwestern Railroads planned a route through
Parker and town lots were laid out. Subsequently, the railroads decided
to lay tracks through Wylie instead of Parker, and with this, Parker's
prospective business boom faded.
In November 1900 Parker's one
and only post office, opened in 1888, was closed. One store and
a population of 50 were reported in 1910. By 1940 Parker had three businesses
and a population of 86. It was during the 1940's that the schoolhouse
was sold and torn down and the Parker children were divided into different
school districts, some to Plano and some to Wylie.
Parker was incorporated as a city
on March 22, 1969. Since then, many city improvements, including an
administration, hall facility, fire station, police station, pump station,
and various road and drainage improvement projects, have been completed.
Parker is proud to offer our citizens country living at its finest.
Our farming and animal husbandry roots can be found everywhere.
Even though our population has increased to over 2,300 persons, one
can still find spacious acreage home site lots uncommon to the commonplace
atmospheres of more densely populated adjoining cities. Parker retains
the beauty and atmosphere found only in the country with close-in city
conveniences such as nearby shopping malls, high quality Plano and Allen
schools, fire and police protection, city water, and environmental concerns
for waste recycling.
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