My Genealogy Hound

William Parks, an enterprising farmer of Knox County, was born in Putnam County, sixty miles from New York City, in 1817. His parents, Joseph and Chloe (Bailey) Parks, were both natives of the same county, and immigrated to Kentucky, locating in Jefferson County, near Louisville, when our subject was but two years old; but a few years later Dr. Joseph Parks became dissatisfied, and returned to his native State, where he resided until his death. He was for many years a leading physician of that State, and was well known as a man of integrity and honor. He left eight children, having lost his wife and one child previous to his decease. The only living child born to this highly esteemed couple is our subject, Col. William Parks, who was reared in the Blue-grass State, receiving his education in Jefferson County. When hardly out of his “teens” he engaged in the butcher trade with his brother in Louisville, which business he followed for ten years, when he commenced to farm in Jefferson County, but sold out in about four years, and moved to Union County where he remained six years. At this time the excitement in regard to the gold mines in California was intense, and our subject started for the gold fields. Col. Parks joined a company of about 500 white men organized to fight the Indians, whom they found very hostile, and succeeded in driving 15,000 of them into the United States headquarters. It was for his valuable service rendered on this occasion that our subject received the title of colonel. In 1853 he visited his native State and then started west, remaining a short time in Iowa, and in the summer of 1853 located in Knox County, Mo., and the same year purchased property in what is now Jeddo Township, to which he has continued to add until he now possesses a beautiful farm of about 1,400 acres, which is one of the finest in the county, and one which our subject says he would not exchange for any other in the county. This farm is the result of his own honest efforts and close attention to the business. Col. Parks was a Confederate soldier during the late war, and served in Company K, under Col. Porter; he did not engage in any regular engagements, but was in a number of skirmishes. Col. Parks has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Sarah Ross, of Kentucky, by whom he had one child, which is now dead. In 1853 Col. Parks, having lost his first wife, was united in marriage to Miss Rachel West, daughter of Joseph West, of Missouri, once a prominent citizen of Knox County. To that marriage seven children have been born, six of whom are living: William, Julia, Sallie, Samuel, Daisey and Lyman.