WI BIO - Dane Co - PARKER, Amasa
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 614-615

Amasa PARKER, one of the early settlers of Dane County, Wisconsin, was born 
in the town of Weatherfield [Windsor County], Vermont, 15 March 1843, and now 
resides in the town of Rutland [Dane County], Wisconsin. His father, Dexter 
PARKER, was born in the same place, 29 May 1799, and he was a son of Isaac 
and Esther PARKER, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of 
Connecticut, but both passed away in Vermont.

Dexter PARKER learned the trade of shoemaker and for a time worked in a 
woolen mill, also residing in Vermont until 1844, at which time, accompanied 
by his wife and four children, he emigrated to the Territory of Wisconsin. 
They started with a team and drove as far as Troy, New York, and then went by 
canal to Buffalo [Erie County, NY], then by the lakes to Milwaukee [Milwaukee 
County, WI] and from there by team again to Rock County, Wisconsin, renting a 
house about three miles from Evansville, where the family resided until 
September. During that time he had visited Dane County [WI] on a prospecting 
tour, was pleased with the land and bought a tract of Government land in 
section 31, of what is now Rutland. Here Dexter PARKER erected a log house 
into which the family moved, and here he improved a farm, remaining at this 
place for eleven years. Then he [Dexter] sold the first tract and bought 40 
acres, where our subject [Amasa] now lives and here Mr. [Dexter] PARKER died, 
23 May 1853.

Dexter PARKER had married in Hancock [Addison County], Vermont, 21 January 
1829, Esther PIPER, who was born 06 August 1797, in a town in western 
Vermont. She died 16 November 1868, aged ninety-one years. She had reared a 
family of children: Mary E., Loran D., William H. H., and Amasa. Dexter 
PARKER was a Whig but on the organization of the Republican party [1854] he 
joined that.

Amasa PARKER was but one year old when he was brought to Wisconsin by his 
parents. At that time there were but few settlers in the State and the 
forests were filled with deer and other wild game. For years after their 
location there were no railroads and no roads of any kind over many parts of 
the State. Milwaukee was the nearest market town. Dexter PARKER had a wagon 
built to hold 100 bushels of wheat and then would hitch it to six pairs of 
oxen and make the round trip in six days. Amasa PARKER attended the pioneer 
schools and always assisted on the farm; he now owns the old homestead and 
had added to it by purchase until his land amounts to 160 acres.

Amasa PARKER wedded, 20 March 1864, Mrs. Sarah J. (LOCKWOOD) SPEAR, a native 
of the town of Sherburne [Rutland County], Vermont, and a daughter of William 
and Hannah (BARNES) LOCKWOOD, and widow of John D. SPEAR. She [Sarah] died 
02 September 1889. Her mother [Hannah nee BARNES] was born at North 
Springfield [Windsor County], Vermont, 15 May 1816. She was adopted in 
infancy by her maternal grandparents, Benjamin and Sophia BARNES, natives of 
Providence [Providence County], Rock Island [Rhode Island], and pioneers of 
Springfield [Windsor County, VT], where she was reared and married Mr. E. G. 
LOCKWOOD at the age of nineteen. He was born in Springfield [Windsor 
County], Vermont, a son of Abel and Anna (ADAMS) LOCKWOOD.

The father of Mrs. PARKER [William LOCKWOOD] was young when his parents moved 
to Chautauqua County, New York, and there his mother [Anna (ADAMS) LOCKWOOD] 
died when he was seven years of age, and he returned to Vermont to live 
with his maternal grandparents in Springfield. At the age of seventeen he 
[William LOCKWOOD] returned to Chautauqua [p 615] County, where he learned 
the trade of stonemason, which he followed in addition to farming. He 
[William LOCKWOOD] returned to Vermont and was married 28 February 1836, and 
then bought a farm in the town of Sherburne, Rutland County, where he resided 
until 1855 when he again returned to Chautauqua County [NY] and bought 40 
acres of land. One year later he sold his farm for a good price and removed 
to Wisconsin, settling in the town of Rutland [Dane County], and with the 
exception of thirteen years in Rock County [WI] resided here until his death.

The mother of Mrs. PARKER [Hannah (BARNES) LOCKWOOD] married a second time, 
Joseph DE JEAN, and resides in Rutland [Dane County, WI]. Two children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. [Amasa] PARKER: Waterman and Jay. In politics he 
is a stanch and uncompromising Republican.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly