Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-03-29
a Brief History of Dwight T. Parker
and his Business Enterprises.

We copy the following from the
Boscobel Journal:
Dwight T.Parker was horn IN ,ha
village of Malone, N. Y in the wear
1923 he is the oldest of eleven chill
dren, six of whom are still liviny
at an early age he was taught to he
industrious and frugal, aud has re.
tanned the teachings he received in
his youth. In the year 1914, he
came to Wisconsin, and halted at
at Mineral Point, but not succeeding
in obtaining employment, he came to
Lancas ter, his funds having dwin-
died down to S12 Nothing daunted,
he struck out for the mining. business,
at that period,5t the leading avocation
in that section but not having had
sufficient experience he met with
poor success
Abandoning the rick and shovel
for the book and rod, we next find
him teaching the young ideas how
to "shoot" in one ofour smaller coun-
ty towns. In 1848 we first hear OF
him in the mercantile business. az
ono Of the firm Kendall & Parker. To-
Gated at Lancaster. Here he first be-
came acquainted with ]. G. Cover,
since Of the Hero'd, and under the
following circumstances Coverwas
in the book peddling business, but
no gaining fast in this worlds goods
applied to Parker and received a sit
uation as clerk, and shelf room for
the small stock of books he had left
over. The wages were small, but
with the aid received from the sale
Of his books, Cover made live Of it.
One day Cover went to The store
with face elongated and informed his
employer that he was in trouble finan-
ciaIly. Parker havingfull confidence
in his clerk, rendered him the neces-
sary assistance, and got him on bis
feet once more. We are also inform
ed by those who seem posted that il
was through Mr. Parker's generosity
that Mr. Cover was enable to embark
in the printing business.
In 1850 Mr. Parker bought out all
the interest his partner, Kendall, had
in the stock OF goods, and for seven
years stood alone, when, in 1857, he
opened another store in Boscobel, be-
ing one Of the FIRST settlers of our
town. He then bought the so acre,
Of land cornering on Wisconsin av-
enue and Bluff street, for the small
sum Of $500, on which corner erected
the building known as Peoples Store,
which building was last spring NOV
ed on the lot south TO make room for
the building heretofore described. OF
this 80 acre tract Mr.. Parker has al
ready sold about 500, 900 worth of lots,
and nearly one-half remains in his
hands. 1t was,this piece of land which
saved Mr. Parker in the great finan-
cial crash of 1857 in which so many of
our leading men went down, and at
which time the all absorbing question
with him was, whether he was
worth $4,000 or nothing" His
wealth has all been accumulated since
that time. Up to five years ago Mr..
Parker's time and fortune were main
ly devoted to merchandising, in
which, twith specializing in live stock
and grain, he was always successful.
He still furnishes capital for the store
in this village, and also for two more,
at Fennimore and WauzeKa. He en-
ploys for assstants-as laborers and
clerks-only the truest and most
trustworthy persons. He possesses
rather an instructive than cultivat-
ed Judgment Of character, and rush
es at conclusions instead of going at
them by way of calculation. He is
therefore a safe judge of character,
although he would be called erratic
as a Spectator, yet as such he sell
dom makes mistakes.
During the last five years he has
devoted almost his entire attention
TO farming and stock raising. He is
the owner of about 1890 acres OF
wood and tillable land in this Co.
His home farm contains seventeen 50
acre lots, which is divided in man
ner that will best secure to him q
healthy return for the time and labor
which is bestowed upon it. OF stock
he is wintering 500 head of sheep
90 head Of horses, mostly unbroken
$50 head Of fat cattle, (rather less
than the usual number, , so head OF
stock cattle stock hogs and pigs in
Vulnerable.
Mr. Parker is as liberal as he is
hospitable; we could enumerate macy
instances of his generosity, had wo
time and space to spare suffice it to
say that ne gave the ground upon
which she Lutheran Church was built
in this village, and that no has been
equally liberal toward churches and
school houses in other localities.
Long may he and his amiable wife
live.to enjoy the fruits of their labors,
which there are some to envy, many
to be proud of; and may they in their
good old age, teel that, while possess
ed OF sufficiency of the dross of this
world, that they have always en-
deavored to make that use of It
which should benefit the human fam
ily."
RnaVAsrrp