Notizen zu dieser Person
Hickman Pioneer (Newspaper) 13 May 1887 ONE OF HICKMAN'S PIONEERS A few days ago the Hickman Pioneer office was visited by Mr. JohnParks, a former conspicious character in Hickman county. Mr. Parks wasdeputy sheriff of our county under Jack Huddleston for about six yearsand filled this then important position with much credit. He bears thedistinction of having been the only Whig county officer in our county,old Hickman being always a very strong Democratic county. The sameelection at which Mr. Jack Huddleston was elected Sheriff by so closea vote, Mr. Parks was elected magistrate of his district and hisneighbors wer exceedingly sorry to give him up, even to see him accepta county office. Mr. Parks was born 20 Jan. 1808 in Bedford county. His father,Theopolis (or Thopolis), known as Opie, Parks moved from Bedford toour country, settling on Cane creek when John Parks was only ten yearsold, his father being a Georgian by birth. At that day and time thehardy pioneers, like Mr. Parks, lived in camps and there were few ofthem when he settled on Cane creek. Jan 1, 1828, the subject of oursketch married Miss. Mary Ann Hollabaugh, a Wayne county lady and asister to Jacob Hollabaugh of Buffalo, and the two started tohousekeeping on the knoll of Sinking Creek in what was then Wayne, butwhat is now a portion of Perry county, renting land from Joe Lee.Fourteen children blessed this happy union, five of whom are stillliving. His wife died 18 June 1883. In the year 1837, the father ofMr. Parks went to Arkansas to live, and was followed by his son in1853, who settled in Johnson county where he still lives, his postoffice being Prarie Grove. Last fall learning the whereabouts of his two sisters -- the threebeing the last survivors of a family of twelve children -- he made avisit to their home in St. Joe, Arkansas. The two living sisters arethe youngest and he is the oldest in the family. Their names are Mrs.Mary, Known as Pop, Turney, and mrs Marinda Dudley, the latter beingthe younger and a widow, living at the time of his visit with Mrs.Turney. Arriving at his destination about supper time, he obtainedleave to stay over night and went in, ate supper and by and by retiredfor the night, carefully concealing his identity. Said he wanted toget a good nights rest and wanted them to, and he knew this would havebeen impossible had they known him, for one of them had not seen himfor over forty years and the other for over twenty. At the suppertable they questioned him and said they had a brother in his countywhom they had not seen for many years and one of them remarked that ifhe brothers should come to see themshe did not think she could behaveherself her joy would be so great. On the following morning afterbreakfast, he revealed himself to the family and great indeed wastheir joy. ...He made his first money by selling chestnuts at what is now Mt.Pleasant, Maury county, but what was then Hurricane Store, a tradingpost.
Karl-Heinz
Böttcher
