San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOSEPH D. PARKER
A native son of the state, who has
served his community for the past twenty years as constable, is Joseph D.
Parker, who possesses in a large measure those qualities which have been the foundation
of the upbuilding of the West, enterprise and
determination, qualities which he no doubt inherited from his father, Thomas B.
Parker, a pioneer settler of California.
Thomas B. Parker was a native of
Kentucky and grew to young manhood in his native state, and there married Miss
Margaret Givens, also born in that state.
Their families moved to Missouri and the young couple came across the
plains in the customary ox-teams in 1851, locating at Mokelumne
Hill, Calaveras County, where Joseph D. Parker was born on December 20, 1852,
one of a family of nine children, four of whom are still living. Thomas B. Parker engaged in the livery
business in Mokelumne Hill; then in 1860, he
purchased a ranch of 240 acres above Lockeford, to
which he moved his family. Later the
family removed to Nevada, where the father died at the age of forty-two years,
the mother surviving him until she was sixty-three years old. She married M. E. Bryant after Mr. Parker
died.
Joseph D. Parker began his education
in the Athearn school of the
Lockeford district.
Upon his removal to Nevada, he went into the Central Cortes mines and
for the next twenty years was engaged in mine work of all kinds, and as he was
mechanically inclined, took readily to construction work. Returning to Lockeford
he engaged in carpenter work, and for many years has been active as a
contractor and builder, erecting many of the business blocks and residences of Lockeford and vicinity.
As constable of Lockeford, he has faithfully
and creditably served for twenty years, and the community is indebted to him
for his honesty of purpose in matters of law and order.
Mr. Parker’s marriage occurred in Lockeford on November 20, 1895, and united him with Miss
Minerva Hartley, a native of Arkansas, daughter of H. G. Hartley. Mrs. Parker came to California with her
married sister in 1891. They are the
parents of two sons. Ralph, while
attending the Lodi high school, was awarded a trip to various parts of the
United States as a reward for his excellent scholarship; later he was graduated
from the University of California in the mining engineering department, and at
the present time is in Ontario with the Cherry Hydraulic Mining Company. Ray, the other son, is attending the University
of Nevada, pursuing a course in electrical engineering.
Forty-eight years ago, Mr. Parker
became a member of the Esmeralda Odd Fellows Lodge of Nevada. Upon removal to Lockeford
he was demitted to Progress Lodge No. 134; he has passed through all the chairs
of the order and is now serving as secretary.
He and his wife are active members of the Lockeford
Rebekahs, and Mrs. Parker is the secretary of the
organization. Mr. Parker was active in
the Knights of Pythias at Battle Mountain, Nevada,
and has passed through all the chairs of that order many times. In national politics he is a Democrat, but he
does not allow narrow views of any kind to interfere with his support of every
measure or movement likely to build up the community with which he is so
vitally and so honorably associated.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
613-614. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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