Parker C. Underwood From History of Grant County, Wisconsin, 1881, p. 971.

TOWN OF MUSCODA

PARKER C. UNDERWOOD, Muscoda; was born in Delaware Co., N. Y., Feb. 3, 1803; he is a son of Dr. Oliver Underwood and Jemima Parker; Parker C. lived in the State of New York until September, 1834, when he came West and located at Buffalo Grove, Ill.; the following year, he came to Mineral Point, Iowa Co., Wis., and his home has been in Iowa Co. since that time; he engaged in mining lead ore at what they called Upper Mines; he sold his ore to Col. W. S. Hamilton, who had smelting works at Wiota, in what is now La Fayette Co.; his first sale of ore was 50,000 lbs., at $20 per 1,000 lbs.; it was the first ore sold; he then sold out his interest in the mines, and went to what is now called Centerville, and discovered what is now called the Drybone and Black Jack Vein, which yields zinc ore; the place was then known as the Underwood & Billings Diggings, he having given Mr. Billings an interest in the mine; he remained in the mines about three years, then engaged some in farming. He was elected Constable, also Under Sheriff of Iowa Co., which then embraced what is now Grant, Richland and La Fayette Cos. He was married, March 11, 1824, to Miss Anna Parker, a native of New York State; she died in 1848; they had four sons; the two oldest, Joseph and Oliver P., are living on the old homestead, in Iowa Co.; Madison, the third son, died Dec. 8, 1880; Irving, the youngest, entered the army, and was wounded at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and killed at the battle of Corinth.

 


This biography generously submitted by Roxanne Munns.