My Genealogy Hound

GILBERT R. PARISH, one of the earliest settlers and most prosperous farmers and stock-raisers on Prairie Dog creek, in Harlan county, was born in western Pennsylvania April 10, 1842. His father, William J. Parish, one of the pioneer settlers of Michigan, was born in England March 7, 1810, and was one of the first settlers of northern Michigan and helped saw the lumber to build the first buildings on the site where now stands the city of Grand Rapids. He was for a number of years engaged in the lumber business, but finally settled down to farming, which business he carried on somewhat extensively until his death, at the age of fifty-seven years, in 1874. The mother of our subject, Johanna (Rose) Parish, was by birth a native of New York State, born August 1, 1812. There were seven children in the paternal family. Gilbert R. Parish was taken by his parents, when one year old, to Trumbull county, Ohio, where they resided for three years and then moved to northern Michigan, which was then a wild, wooded country, inhabited only by Indians, wild animals of the woods and a very few white settlers. Afterwards he settled in Barry county. Here he continued to reside until fourteen years old, taking advantage in the meantime of the meager opportunities offered for schooling and spending much of his leisure time in the lumber camp and among the Indians, which thronged the country at that time. The next move made by the family was to Henry county, Ills., which was then the Western frontier. Here he resided with his parents one year, when, circumstances not favoring their remaining there longer, they emigrated still further west and finally located in Black Hawk county, Iowa, at that time a wild, barren country, very sparsely settled. Here our subject spent the next five years of his eventful life engaged principally in farming, and in 1860 moved to Buchanan county, Iowa. He remained there two years when, the war of the rebellion having broken out and a call made for reinforcements, he enlisted August 13, 1862, in Company C, Twenty-seventh regiment Iowa volunteer infantry. His first service consisted in guarding an Indian paymaster to a point in Minnesota, for the purpose of paying off the Indians; was then sent South to guard prisoners on exchange. He was taken sick on this journey, but finally joined his regiment at Jackson, Tenn. His regiment started at once for the battle of Corinth, but reached there too late to take an active part in the fight. During the remainder of his service he participated in the battles of Little Rock, Ark., Tupelo and Old Town creek, at which latter fight he was shot in the left breast. His wound, at first reported fatal, proved to be only a flesh wound and kept him off duty only four weeks. He next participated in the Meridian raid and later was in the Red River campaign, during which he did some hard fighting. He was through the Iron mountain campaign and in the skirmishes in western Missouri. He participated in the three days’ fight at Nashville, Tenn., after which he went down the river with his regiment to New Orleans, and April 9, 1865, the day after the war practically closed, participated in the battle of Blakely fort. He was mustered out at Clinton, Iowa, August 8, 1865, having served three years, lacking five days. He returned at once to Black Hawk county, Iowa, and rented a farm. He remained here but a short time, however, when he removed to Buchanan county, Iowa, where he again engaged in farming.

In the spring of 1871 he decided to go still further West and grow up with the country. He accordingly came to Nebraska, reaching Harlan county, June 11. He at once pre-empted a quarter section in section 32, township 1, range 18 west, and homesteaded the same two years later. Prairie Dog creek, which wended its way through his claim and was lined with timber on both sides, furnished the logs for a fourteen by eighteen foot cabin, which he immediately erected and soon had his family quartered and living in true Western style. Prairie Dog valley, as it is commonly known, was a wild looking wilderness at that early day, and the only inhabitants were a few settlers, or rather a few campers, as they were then called, who remained but a short time. Buffalo roamed over the adjacent hills and through the neighboring valleys in herds of thousands, and antelope and deer were not uncommon. The valley along the creek teemed with wild turkey and other small game, and many were the happy hunters who took from the valley their wagon-loads of spoil. Crop-raising proved unprofitable for the first few years, and Mr. Parish not unfrequently killed buffalo, elk, antelope and deer and disposed of the dried meat and hides for flour and other provisions for the family. Indians from Otoe, Pawnee, Sioux and Winnebago tribes roamed through the valley in the summer time on their hunting expeditions and frequently camped on the banks of the creek near his place. Having lived among the Chippewa Indians in upper Michigan when a boy, and having learned their habits thoroughly, he knew well how to deal with them, and in consequence was never molested or made afraid, beyond their begging and stealing trifles at odd times. The first years of his settlement Mr. Parish put out about fifteen acres of crop, including corn, potatoes, squash and melons, and was molested considerably by the Indians pulling off the corn tassels and sticking them in their horses’ bridles for ornament and carrying off the melons and squash through curiosity. Mr. Parish had little or nothing to start with when he came to Harlan county, but by trading around, he managed to get a team, and, having a few cows, he sold milk at ten cents a quart and butter at forty cents a pound to the regular soldiers passing through. In this manner he managed to live. The first year he had to go to Beatrice — a distance of one hundred and seventy-five miles — for his mail, requiring eight days to make the trip. He purchased the first bill of goods ever bought in Republican City, and his son Harlan was the first white boy born in Harlan county which bears his name. During the grasshopper years of 1874-76, Mr. Parish lost a good share of his crop, but after that disastrous blight prosperity dawned upon him and he is to-day the happy possessor of six hundred and forty acres of as fine land as can be found in the Prairie Dog valley, as well as large herds of cattle and horses.

Mr. Parish was married to Margaret A. Gipe, who was born March 25, 1841, in Adams county, Pa. Their union has been blessed with nine children, namely — Jane, born February 22, 1863; Anson, born July 21, 1867; Byron, born September 6, 1869; Harlan, born October 19, 1871; Verne, born August 22,1875; Jed, born February 13, 1877; Lee, born August 14, 1881, and two that died in infancy.

Politically, Mr. Parish is a republican. He was instrumental in the early organization of the county, and was its first treasurer. He has also filled the office of justice of the peace for a number of years in his own township.