San Joaquin County
Biographies
ROYAL BELLOWS PARKER
R. B. PARKER.--Few of the
California, pioneers now living have had so varied experience as the gentleman
whose name heads this sketch. He is a native of New Hampshire, born at
Charlestown, Cheshire County, December 14, 1818, his parents being Stephen and
Mary (Bellows) Parker. Stephen Parker was born at Winslow, Maine. He grew up in
that State and followed lumbering there. He also followed that business after
removing to New Hampshire, until timber became scarce, after which he turned his
attention to farming. He died in New Hampshire in his ninety-fourth year. The
mother of our subject was a daughter of Peter Bellows, and granddaughter of
Colonel Benjamin Bellows, who was granted a large amount of land for his
services during the French and Indian war and who was the founder of the
settlement about Bellow’s Falls, which place took its name from him.
R. B. Parker, the subject of this sketch,
was reared mostly at his native place to the age of fifteen years; and then
went to Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he engaged as clerk for Orrison Adams,
brother of the founder of the great Adams Express Company. There he remained
until removing to California, and for several years had an interest in the
business. When the news of the great gold discovery in California reached the
East he was one of the first to catch the fever, and 1849 he became one of a
company of twenty-four, organized to go to the new El Dorado. They bought the
whale ship, Fannie, of 400 tons’ burden, purchased provisions for two years,
and taking on a cargo of lumber sailed from Nantucket in August. Running short
of vegetables they attempted to put in at the Azores islands to replenish, but
were prevented from landing as there was cholera in the United States. They
then shaped their course to the Cape Verde islands, where they put into port.
Their next stop was at Valparaiso, and this was the last until they reached San
Francisco, where they landed on the 22d of February, 1850. Mr. Parker remained
there until the middle of April, waiting for the settling up of the affairs of
the company to which he belonged. It had been their intention to remain
together, but they were universally advised to disband, which they concluded to
do. Lumber had so depreciated that Mr. Meigs advised Mr. Parker, who was
secretary of the company, to fit up the ship with a general cabin, three tiers
high, occupying the entire deck, and then go to Panama and sell the lumber, and
return with passengers. Some of the other partners did not wish to do so,
however, and Mr. Parker then started to buy up as many of their shares as he
could. He purchased 7-24ths in all, the plan was set in motion, and the vessel
sent to Panama. They were offered a load of passengers by Mr. Garrison for a
quick return, but the captain of the ship, wishing to sell the lumber himself
instead of leaving it to be sold on commission, would not take the load offered
him there. He waited at Panama a week and then started for San Francisco in
ballast. On arriving there the outfit was sold at seventy-five cents on the
dollar. Meantime, Mr. Parker had gone on to Stockton, paying $25 passage on the
steamer General Sutter. He engaged a team from Thomas Cochran, and paid him ten
cents a pound to haul himself, party and supplies to Coyote creek, Calaveras
County. He attempted mining there, but being dissatisfied with the prospect,
sold out his interest to his companions and returned to Stockton on foot. He
then boarded a sail vessel for San Francisco, being six days on the trip. In
the city he met an old shipmate named Capen, and at his suggestion they took a
three-ton, half-deck boat from the ship, and started for Stockton, Mr. Parker
doing the piloting. They tied up the first night to an old hulk at Benicia, and
the second night to the Lone Tree at Wakefield.
The next morning they reached Stockton. They had brought along a load of
merchandise, which they attempted to sell as soon as they arrived, meeting with
fair success. Among others they called upon a merchant from Louisiana named T.
S. Robert, who was in feeble health, and asked him if he wished to buy any of
their goods. He replied bluntly that he did not wish to buy anything, but
preferred selling what he had. He had a $900 galvanized iron building, stocked
with liquors and wines in packages. Mr. Parker informed him that he had no
money to buy the stock with, when the man replied: “I have no use for money. If
I can get up to Robinson’s Ferry, where I have a friend, I can keep my health
and live, which I cannot do here; take the establishment and pay for it when
you get the money.” His proposition was readily accepted, and he turned over
everything to the young purchasers, at invoice prices, and went away, even
leaving his trucks with them. A year later he came back with health
recuperated, received the money for the goods and building he had sold, and
then went to Lower California. The next year, which was 1851, they moved upon
Main street. They were making money rapidly. They had just got fixed nicely in
their new store, however, when a fire commenced at Branch Hotel, swept the
entire town west of Hunter street, and burned up all they had. They rebuilt and
started up again, and were fairly successful, removing to where Mr. Parker is
located on Hunter street square, in the fall. The firm continued as R. B.
Parker & Co. until the winter of 1853-54, but since that time Mr. Parker
has carried on the establishment there alone.
In the meantime, however, in the winter of
1851-’52, Parker & Co. bought the stock of Brown & Adams, at Columbia,
with all their teams for the transportation of goods, and carried on business
under the firm name of Arnold & Co. In the following year Mr. Brown,
formerly of Brown & Adams at Columbia, came back from Louisiana and bought
Parker & Co’s interest at Columbia, paying $2 for $1 on their investment,
and changing the name to Brown & Co. The following summer the latter was
burned out, Parker & Co. furnishing them means to stock and rebuild with a
fine brick block. Mr. Brown’s health failing and his indebtedness being very
large, he told Mr. Parker he had no other way of paying him than to transfer
the building and stock to him. This was done, and the business was continued
under the firm name of H. N. Brown & Co. In the meantime Mr. Parker went
into business at Sonora, his partner there being C. E. Gorham. He carried on
both establishments as well as his business in Stockton, without noteworthy
incident until 1857, when another fire occurred in Columbia and the entire town
was destroyed with the exception of two or three stores, one of which was Mr.
Parker’s. Mr. Brown telegraphed to the latter that the town was nearly
destroyed, but they were all right, and added for him to send all kinds of
staples at once. Mr. Parker started out to engage teams, and while crossing
Center street on his way back to the store, a dispatch was handed him from his
partner in Sonora, C. E. Gorham, saying, “All gone - Brown and Rudolph both
killed.” When all danger from the conflagration had seemed at an end, in some
way their stock of powder had become ignited, blowing the building and its
contents to atoms. Not only that but their books were destroyed, and therefore
large outstanding accounts were never collected. Mr. Parker at once started for
the scene with D. J. Oullahan, and after riding all night they arrived at
Sonora early next morning. They were joined by Gorham, and all three went to
Columbia. On the same day they contracted for a new building, and rented
temporary quarters for the resumption of business. The Columbia business has
since been sold out. Mr. Condit, of Stockton, afterward bought in with Mr.
Parker at Sonora, and they carry on the hardware business there.
While a business man of rare judgment and
sagacity, Mr. Parker has always been governed by generous impulses. He has now
in his possession notes, the face value of which alone reaches way up into the
tens of thousands. Many of these he could have collected had he been disposed
to have been exacting, instead of allowing them to go to protest without making
any trouble for the parties whom he had accommodated.
Mr. Parker was alone in California at
first, but in the fall of 1852, had commenced building a residence, finishing
it in October, and everything was in readiness for his family when they arrived
via Cape Horn, in March, 1853. Mr. Parker was married in August, 1841, to Miss
Nancy Miller, a native of Nantucket. Seven children have been born to Mr. and
Mrs. Parker, viz: Alfred, who died in July, 1889, in his forty-fourth year;
Althea, wife of Joseph Lamdin, of Napa; Nettie, wife of P. B. Frazer; Ada, wife
of N. M. Orr; Avery, a resident of Denver, Colorado; Alice and Albert at home.
Mr. Parker is a member of the San Joaquin
Society of California Pioneers, of San Joaquin Lodge, F. & A. M., and
Charity Lodge, I. O. O. F. In politics he is a Republican.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 270-272. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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