Bio of Parrish, Edward B. - Grady County, Oklahoma Transcribed by: Gene Phillips 18 Jun 2006 Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== EDWARD B. PARRISH, who owns a substantial and attractive homestead on the east line of Caddo county near Minco, is a farmer and stock raiser, whose life has been identified with the advancement of this section for nearly twenty-five years. Few facts can be stated regarding his early life. It is known that he was born at Urbana, Illinois, on the 29th of January, 1860, and that his parents, Frank and Nancy (McKay) Parrish, died in the tender years of his childhood. He was first adopted by a Mr. Curley, who as a boy of six took him to Abilene, Kansas, where he came into the hands of Mr. Eldred, who, in turn, brought him to the Cherokee Strip, where he remained until he was seventeen years of age. Still uneducated, he was thrown into the saddle as a cowboy, and remained thus employed near Caldwell, Kansas, until he had attained his majority. The Vail Minor Stage Company then employed him to drive a stage on the mail and passenger route from Spring Creek to Fort Sill, the termini being Caldwell, Kansas, and Henrietta, Texas. As this position necessitated the making out of daily reports the young man commenced to improve his penmanship, spelling and other essentials, and continued to give satisfactory service during the two years of his employment, from 1882 to 1884. He then abandoned the stage route and secured a position with the government as chief herder of the issue cattle at Anadarko, now in Caddo county. He was thus occupied for six years, and on January 26, 1890, at about the conclusion of this period of his life, married Nancy Pedea, daughter of William Pedea, whose father, a Spaniard, had married a full blooded Caddo woman. The children of this union are as follows: Frank, who died at the age of ten years; Maggie, William Edward, Alma, Cora Blanche and Lucile. Mr. Parrish took his family allotments on Boggy Creek, in the southeast corner of Caddo county, where he has made substantial improvements. His residence is comfortable and attractive, with a wide porch and homelike interior furnishings. His energies are chiefly centered there, although he is interested in the Minco Mill and Elevator Company and the People's Gin, of that town. In fact, he was for three years a resident of Minco, and was honored with membership in its city council. Mr. Parrish has achieved a large measure of success in the face of many obstacles. Quite deprived of parental guidance in his young years, neglected in the matter of education and thrown adrift in the critical period of youth, his innate strength of character has kept him in the safe road which leads to honorable advancement and useful accomplishment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html