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Parks Family
PARKS. The Parks family, whose name is perpetuated in the list of
townships–the one in which the founder of this line is Armstrong county
settled being called after him, belongs to that class of reliable, responsible
citizens who go to make up the real backbone of true American citizenship.
Representatives of this family are to be found among the substantial people of
the various communities to which they have gone, and none has failed in civic
or private duty. The family history is interesting, and worthy a place in the
records of Armstrong county.The great-grandfather of Robert G. and John W. Parks, of Parks township,
served as a valiant soldier in the Revolutionary war.Robert Parks, their grandfather, born in Mifflin county, Pa., came to
Armstrong county in 1814, making the trip with his wife and six children
overland. Their entire earthly possessions were contained in a covered wagon,
drawn by one horse. Arriving in the county, Mr. Parks took up 200 acres of
land in what was afterwards to become his namesake township, and 150 acres in
another tract. The first one is now owned by his grandson, Robert G. Parks,
and lies along the Kiskiminetas river. The hardy pioneer cleared his land, on
which he put up the log cabin in which the family resided until it was
replaced, in 1841, by a substantial brick house, still the homestead
residence. This house is in excellent condition, as is the barn, which is
still in use, though erected in 1835. These buildings are a monument to the
quality of work done in those early days, when materials and labor were much
cheaper, and plenty of time was taken for the construction of work which was
designed to last for generations. Robert Parks rounded out a long and useful
life, attaining his ninetieth year, dying in 1858. His remains were interred
in a private burying ground on the farm. He was a member of the Presbyterian
Church, and an upright, good man, one of the leading residents of his
district, whose word could be relied upon implicitly. Politically he was a
Democrat. His wife, Jane (Bratton) Parks, died Oct. 21, 1847, aged
seventy-eight years. Their children were: John; James Bratton; William George;
Margaret, who married Joseph Shields; Isabella, who married Andrew Arnold;
Phoebe, who married James E. Brown; Elizabeth, who married Thompson Crawford;
Sydney, who married Samuel LeFevre; Maria, who married James Fitzgerald; and
Sarah, who married Alexander Gordon.James Bratton Parks, born Nov. 1, 1810, in Mifflin county, Pa., was brought
to Armstrong county by his father when he was four years old. After the demise
of his father he took charge of the family, rearing the children, and lived on
the farm the remainder of his days. His death occurred in 1892, when he was
eighty-two years old. He married Lucinda Hill, born Nov. 19, 1824, died Jan.
27, 1878, daughter of Jacob and Hannah (Ulam) Hill. Both Mr. and Mrs. Parks
are buried in the private cemetery upon the farm. Mr. Parks was a Democrat,
and served as school director of Allegheny and Parks townships, tax collector
and auditor, always taking an active part in political matters. When the
public schools were first established, he taught school, and succeeded as an
instructor, for he was a well-read man and intelligent thinker. A fine penman,
he made his own copies for his pupils to follow, and was often called upon to
engross various public papers. For many years he served as elder of the
Presbyterian Church, of which he was a consistent member. He and his wife were
the parents of children as follows: Jane died unmarried at the age of
twenty-four; Robert G. is mentioned below; Hannah U. died unmarried in 1909;
Jacob H. is a druggist at Leechburg; Isabella, who married T. J. Elwood, died
at Leechburg; John W. is a resident of Parks township; Phoebe married Samuel
C. Boale, of Leechburg; Thomas J. is living at Apollo; Ella died young; Dr.
William F. lives at St. Louis, where he is practicing dentistry; Sydney P.
married and is living in Allegheny county; Ellis died young; Blanche died
young; Edmiston died in Pittsburgh.ROBERT G. PARKS, a retired farmer of Parks township, residing on the
homestead taken up by his grandfather, was born July 9, 1843, on this farm,
and was reared a farmer. After the death of his father he took charge of the
property, where he has always had his home. A strong Democrat, he was elected
justice of the peace in 1897 and reelected in 1902, serving in all a period of
ten years. For twenty-eight years he has been school director of Allegheny and
Parks townships, and president of the board for many years. Mr. Parks was one
of those who secured the division of Allegheny township to form Parks, Gilpin
and Bethel townships. Like his father and grandfather, he is a Presbyterian,
and is now acting as trustee of his church.Mr. Parks married Margaret J. Cline, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth
(Jack) Cline. Six children have been born of this marriage: a son, born 1866,
died in infancy; Frank B., who married Elizabeth Stegner, is now farming the
homestead and conducting a milk business; Harry, who married Ida Truby and
(second) Robrena Riggle, resides in Leechburg, where he is a roller in the
Hyde Park mill; James C. died at the age of twenty years; Ellis G., who
married Rebecca Riggle, sister of his brother Harry’s wife, lives at
Leechburg, where he too is a roller in the Hyde Park mill; a daughter died in
infancy.JOHN WALTZ PARKS, a farmer of Parks township, was born on the Parks
homestead Sept. 11, 1850, son of James B. and Lucinda (Hill) Parks, and
brother of Robert G. Parks. During his boyhood he attended local schools and
Leechburg academy, and then during the winter of 1868-69 taught the home
school, known as the Hills school. Following this Mr. Parks went to the oil
fields in Clarion county, Pa., where he spent ten years. Upon leaving there,
he worked along different lines until his marriage, when he located at
Leechburg. In 1896 he returned to Parks township, and taking one half of the
homestead has operated his 100 acres ever since, with profit to himself and to
the further development of his valuable property, which is regarded as one of
the best farms in his locality.Mr. Parks is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Politically he is a
Democrat, and has served as school director of his township, giving the board
the benefit of his practical knowledge of educational matters.On March 10, 1887, Mr. Parks was married to Enna M. Bladen, daughter of
Thomas Bladen of Armstrong county. They have had seven children: Melva C., a
teacher in the Leechburg schools; Tai Ulam; James Bratton; Pauline Waltz;
Marie Bladen; Harry B.; and Gladys D.No men of Parks township are better known than Robert G. and John W. Parks.
They have always been in favor of progression along all lines, especially
those which would tend toward a betterment of educational advantages and the
general moral uplift.Source: Pages 454-456 Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J. H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 1998 by James R. Hindman for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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