Fred Parker, a prominent farmer and stockman in Washington Precinct, Nemaha County, Nebraska, was born in Somersetshire, England, in 1841. He settled in Brownville, Nebraska, in 1866, and over nearly four decades developed a successful farming operation on sections 4, 5, and 13 near Johnson. Starting with a quarter section of raw prairie, Parker expanded his farm to include multiple residences, barns, and extensive groves and orchards. Known for raising thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, Parker was also active in civic affairs, serving as justice of the peace, town councilman, and school board member.
Fred Parker is one of the most prominent farmers and stockmen of Washington Precinct, Nemaha County, Nebraska. His farm, located on sections 4, 5, and 13, with his post office at Johnson, stands as a testament to what enterprise, capable management, and thrifty industry can achieve in making agriculture and stock-raising a successful venture in Nebraska. Having arrived in Brownville, Nebraska, in May 1866, Fred Parker has spent nearly forty years improving his land and establishing a successful farming operation.
Fred Parker’s farm began from a quarter section of raw prairie, purchased for eighteen hundred dollars cash. It now boasts two large barns (one 40 by 58 feet and the other 56 by 32 feet, with a stone basement), a corn crib (30 by 40 feet with a stone foundation), a wagon house (20 by 16 feet), a shop (14 by 16 feet), and a shed (12 by 80 feet). There are three residences on the farm. The first house, built in 1870 and measuring 24 by 24 feet, was the family home until the current large and modern dwelling was erected. This substantial residence is two stories, measuring 32 by 30 feet, with an addition of 24 by 14 feet and a commodious basement. The first home is now occupied by a friend, and another house is occupied by Mr. Parker’s son. Additionally, Mr. Parker planted six acres of groves and three orchards of about twelve acres, one being a young fruit orchard. The ample lawn around the house is adorned with shade trees, evergreens, Scotch firs, and larches, with about fourteen varieties of trees and shrubs. A tall windmill supplies water for all the needs of the farm. There is a quarry of fine building stone on the property, which has furnished materials for many houses in the neighborhood. Mr. Parker specializes in thoroughbred, pedigreed Shorthorn cattle, with many animals being registered. He has invested significantly in his livestock, with some animals costing between one hundred and forty to two hundred dollars, and has sold some of the best cattle in the county. He typically kept about one hundred head of cattle before a drop in prices and now maintains around forty, providing them with excellent shelter and care. He also markets about one hundred hogs each year.
Fred Parker was born in Somersetshire, England, on August 19, 1841. His father, Samuel Parker, also born in Somersetshire in 1819, was a bricklayer who died at the age of fifty-two, leaving a widow and three children. His wife, Maria Payne, died in Brownville, Nebraska, at about fifty-three years old. They lost three children in their youth, including Anna Maria, who died at eighteen. The surviving children are Fred, Walter Samuel (near Auburn), and Elizabeth Dominey (in Nemaha County).
Fred Parker had limited schooling and began learning the tinner’s and plumber’s trades at the age of fourteen, serving for seven years at small pay. After coming to Brownville, Nebraska, he was the leading salesman and manager of the large hardware, grocery, and implement house of Stephenson and Cross for twelve or fourteen years before beginning his successful farming operations.
Fred Parker married Miss Elizabeth Gange on August 1, 1870, in Brownville. Elizabeth was born in Somersetshire, England, on April 10, 1845, the daughter of William and Martha (Stagg) Gange. William Gange was a carpenter who had a strong and vigorous build, dying in 1871 at nearly ninety-four years old. Martha (Stagg) Gange died in England in 1862. Elizabeth had three siblings: Mrs. Mary Denmon (a widow in Dorsetshire, England), Mrs. Amelia Forsey (who died leaving three children), and Albert (unmarried and a blacksmith in the English navy). William Gange’s first wife was a Miss Guppy, with whom he had sixteen children.
Fred and Elizabeth Parker have four children: a daughter who died in infancy; Albert Gange (born in Brownville on May 4, 1874, a tenant farmer near his father with a wife and one son, Fred); George Denmon (who lives on his father’s farm and has a wife, a son, and a daughter); and Carletta Eliza (aged seventeen, at home, and pursuing piano music). Fred Parker is independent in political and religious beliefs. He has served as justice of the peace for four years, was on the town council of Brownville for five years, and has been on the school board for twenty-five years. Mrs. Parker is an Episcopalian. Mr. Parker is a Mason of thirty-seven years’ standing and has taken the Royal Arch degrees. He and his wife are known for their hospitality and charm in their beautiful home and in their relations with friends and associates.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company, A Biographical and Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska, 2 volumes, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904.