Parker County, Texas - History - Early Days in Parker County by Hon. D.M. Alexander ******************************************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ******************************************************************************** EARLY DAYS IN PARKER COUNTY by Hon. D.M. Alexander The first settlers in Parker County were the Bakers, Brock, Rurrett, Cole, Brashear, Eddleman, Gilbert, Green, Kidwell, Norton, Littleton, Loving, Prince, Porter, Rider, Tinsley, Turner, Woody, Duke, Sisk and Squyres, prior to 1856, 55 years ago followed shortly by Akard, Davis, Buster, Couts, Lanham, Rickey Milliken, Carson, Lewis, Tucker, Haynes, Frazier, Briscoe and others. Parker County was created by act of the Legislature approved 12 December 1855, Isaac Parkeer being the representative from the Tarrant district and for him the county was named; Jefferson Weatherford of Dallas, being senator, and for him the town was named. At the first election, 2 March 1856, Robert Porter was elected Chief Justice, John H. Prince County Clerk, Joshua Barker, sheriff. The first sale of lots in Weatherford in 1856, brouth $9,700. In September 1856 there were but eight families living in Weatherford. The first store was established in Weatherford in November 1856. The first election held in Parker County, 2 March 1856, resulted in the election of Robert Porter, Chief Justice; John H. Prince, county Clerk and Joshua Barker, as sheriff. The first court house erected in 1856 cost $6,750 and was destroyed by fire 13 May 1874, and George Helfrin, then a young man and deputy surveyor, who was sleeping in the court house, had a narrow escape. The first church organized in the county was the Methodist, organized in May 1854; this was followed by the Baptist and the Christian in 1856; the Cumberland in 1859; the Presbyterian in 1874 and the Episcopal in 1876 and the Catholic in 1876. Thus the study pioneers of the gospel planted the banner of the cross on the fore front of civilization, and the faithful preacher of that day had no easy station nor comfortable parsonage but he covered several counties on horse back with his bible and hymn book in one end of his saddle bags and his six shooter in the other as a protection from the Indians. It is said that one Methodist itenerant, Rev. A.D. Gaskill, in 12 months, traveled 4,000 miles, preached 130 sermons and received as a salary $125 cash, meal, bacon, onions and cabbage. Those were days of work and trial; it was 70 miles to the nearest mill and the lumber to erect the first houses was hauled from Jefferson and Marshall, in East Texas. The first literary society was organized in 1867 with W.W. Davis, president; S.E. Burkhead, vice president, L.W. Stephens, secretary. The raids of the Indians gave the early settlers much trouble and nota few were killed and scalped but amid all their troubles one writer of the times declares that the "poeple of Weatherford had post office facilities equal to Chicago or New York." Parker County did her full duty to the Confederacy, sending out 11 companies of 80 men each, who battled for what they conceived to be right at Shiloh, Seven Pines, Gettysburg and on many hard fought fields. The Weekly Herald Weatherford, Texas Saturday evening - July 6, 1911