Click on the picture for a larger view.
The city of Parker was laid out on November 12, 1888, and was named for J.W. Parker, who owned large tracts of land in that vicinity. The stockholders of the townsite company were J.W. Parker, A. Taft, Michael Thompson, Dr. J.G. Rabb, Joseph Kimball, and William Chesnut, all of whom were solid and substantial men.
Parker is located on the M.K.&T. Railroad. The first train that passed through the city was on January 1, 1889, and it was a gala day for Parker.
The first business house erected in the town was built in November, 1888, by William Chesnut. After this J.S. Payne opened a general merchandise store and then came B.F. Blaker & Company with a lumber yard, followed in a short time by Henry Tucker who built the first hotel. In 1889 Dan Underhill started a hardware store in the new town. Hosea Gatlin was the next man to cast his business future with the pioneer merchants. He started a drugstore.
Parker's first bank was organized October 1, 1890, with W.O. Fuller as president, C.L. Long vice president, and Webb Smith cashier.
On April 12, 1893, a tornado destroyed most of the town. Read the story in "Parker Community Histories and Stories", available at the Parker Museum.
Parker Mayors and City Councils
Pictures of Parker Businesses are in the Photo Album.