Luther Parker
Settler
Luther Parker, son of Joshua & Polly (Taylor) Parker was born 18 Dec 1800 in Temple NH. He died 15 June 1853 in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He received his early education in the common school at Temple NH. About 1816 he learned the shoemaker's trade at Stoneham MA. He returned to Temple and attended the New Ipswich Academy. Completing his studies there, he taught district school in Albany, New York.
In 1825 and 1826 he taught school in Stratford NH in Coos County NH. Here he met and married 1st) 18 Feb 1827 to Alletta "Lettie" French, a student in the Stratford school where Luther taught, and one of ten children of Thomas Giles French of Brunswick VT. She was b. 11 June 1803, and d. August 1849 of typhoid fever in Wisconsin. She was buried in the Durham Hill cemetery, south of the Parker estate.
Soon after they married, they settled in what was then known as the Indian Stream Republic. (Aletta French was a descendant of John French of Essex County England and Dorchester & Braintree MA.) Luther probably ran a small store from his residence in Indian Stream Republic. He was one of the framers of the Indian Stream Constitution, and preferred New Hampshire allegiance to that of Canada.
In June of 1835 he was arrested by the Canadian authorities, which increased the tensions between New Hampshire and Canada. In 1836 he drove a team of of animals from the Indian Stream Republic to the shores of Lake Michigan when he moved to Wisconsin and settled with his family in Muskego. In 1845 Luther was chosen a member of the territorial legislature of Wisconsin representing part of Milwaukee county. In October 1846 he served as a grand juror in Waukesha county. He was a Democrat, then a member of the Free Soil party.
In 1851 he was elected a member of the county board from Muskego. In April 1850, Luther Parker married 2nd) Susan G. Goodman. Luther and Alletta Parker are buried together with the tombstone reading: "LUTHER PARKER died June 15, 1853, Aged 58 years. What thou art, I was. What I am, thou soon wilt be."
Also his wife ALLETTA died August 26, 1849, Aged 47 years. Those who knew her best loved her most."
U.S. Census > 1850 United States Federal Census > Wisconsin > Waukesha > Muskego
Luther Parker 67 M Farmer 5000/N.H.Susan Parker 25 F CT
Persis Parker 19 F N.H.
Ellen Parker 18 F N.H.
Benjamin Titus 18 M Laborer Wisconsin
Children of Luther & Aletta (French) Parker:
- Charles Dunham Parker, b. 27 Dec 1827 Indian Stream Republic, Coos County NH
- Persis Euseba Parker, b. 24 August 1830 Instead Stream Republic NH; attended Mrs. Baker's Female Seminary at Waukesha Wisconsin.
- Ellen Augusta Parker, b. 16 March, abt 1831 NH; attended Mrs. Baker's Female Seminary at Waukesha Wisconsin.
- Amanda Melvina Parker, b. 8 Sep 1835 Indian Stream, d. 8 August 1838 Muskego, Wisconsin
Child of Luther & Susan G. (Goodman) Parker:
- Mary S. Parker, b. 17 January 1852
- Charles Dunham Parker, son of Luther & Alette (French) Parker, was b. 27 Dec 1827 in Indian Stream Republic, Coos Co NH. In 1836 he removed with his family to Wisconsin. He died in 1925. In 1849 he was sent east to attend the New Ipswich (NH) Academy where his father had also studied. He married 8 Nov 1853 to Angeline Flora Southworth at Muskego Wisconsin. She was born July 1831 in NY. In 1859 they settled at Pleasant Valley, St. Croix Co., Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin assembly in 1869, Lieut. Governor 1874-78, served 12 years on the state board of control and 3 years as a university regent. He lived in River Falls after 1895.
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