Luther Parker

Luther Parker (December 18, 1800 – June 16, 1853) was an American pioneer, teacher, and politician. He served as a justice of the peace for the Republic of Indian Stream, located in what is now Pittsburg, New Hampshire. He later was an early settler in present-day Muskego, Wisconsin.

Luther Parker
Born(1800-12-18)December 18, 1800
Temple, New Hampshire
DiedJune 16, 1853(1853-06-16) (aged 52)
Muskego, Wisconsin
NationalityAmerican
OccupationShoemaker, teacher, politician
Spouse(s)Alletta French
ChildrenCharles D. Parker

Biography

Born in Temple, New Hampshire, Parker was a shoemaker and taught school in Coos County, New Hampshire. After his marriage in 1827, he and his wife, Alletta, moved to what would become the Republic of Indian Stream, where he operated a store. Parker helped to draft the Indian Stream Constitution and served as justice of the peace, a role that made him one of the primary leaders of the Republic of Indian Stream. In 1835, the Canadian authorities arrested Parker. In 1836, he and his family moved to Muskego, Waukesha County, Wisconsin Territory. In 1846, Parker served in the Wisconsin Territorial House of Representatives,[1] first as a Democrat and then as a member of the Free Soil Party. In 1851, Parker served on the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors. He died in Muskego in 1853 at the age of 52.[2][3]

Legacy

Parker's son, Charles D. Parker, served as the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from 1874 to 1878. In Muskego, Wisconsin, the cemetery where Luther Parker is buried is named in his honor.[4] In Pittsburg, New Hampshire, a marker on the southwestern shore of First Connecticut Lake commemorates Parker's contributions to the Republic of Indian Stream,[5] while a metal stele featuring a silhouette of Parker was erected in the town park in 2016.[6]

  • Marker for Parker at First Connecticut Lake
  • Marker, and view across a section of the lake
  • Detail of Parker stele in Pittsburg town park
  • Metal stele erected in 2016

References
  1. R. M. Bashford (comp.). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin. 16th ed. Madison: R. B. Bolens, 1877, p. 147.
  2. Muskego Historical Society. Luther Parker.
  3. Donna Jordan. New Hampshire's Connecticut Lakes Region. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003, p. 7.
  4. Riccioli, Jim (September 5, 2018). "Long-running dispute over cemetery upkeep between local Civil War group and Muskego continues in court". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  5. "The Course" (PDF). Enchanté! Coaticook River Valley. p. 13. Retrieved August 15, 2019 – via tourismecoaticook.ca.
  6. "Luther Parker (1824-1892)". voiedespionniers.com. Retrieved August 15, 2019.

Further reading
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.