Barnett Josiah Parker (1859 - 1942)

Born 5 Apr 1859 in Guilford, North Carolina, United States

Husband of Louiza Jane (Wagoner) Parker — married 31 May 1891 in Claiborne, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Sep 1942 at age 83 in Caryville, Campbell, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

Barnett J. Parker was born on April 5, 1859 in Guilford Co., N.C. In 1871 at the age of 12, it was said that Barnett (Barney) Parker ran away from home "because of his bossy sisters." The 1870 census suggests he had no sisters living at home, so this may or may not be true. He is said to have worked on the railroad with his first job as a cook for a section gang. We know that he married Roxanne Hull on Oct. 26, 1879 in Guilford Co., N.C.^[1] The marriage record indicated that both his father and mother were still living, but we're confident his father had died before the 1870 census and likely as a result of injuries suffered during his service in the Civil War. Not much else is known about the years between 1871 and 1888. The story is told that he and Roxanne had a son named Gurney, but there is no record of this. Some family members say that the child died at birth. The 1880 census indicates that Barney and Roxanne Parker were living in Guilford County. Roxanne (Hull) Parker died in 1888.^[2]

We do not know where Barney and Roxanne Parker lived when Roxanne died. However, at some point after the 1880 census and possibly after 1888, Barney Parker moved to Claiborne Co., Tenn. where he married his second wife Louisa Jane Wagoner on May 31, 1891.^[3] Louisa Jane Wagoner was the daughter of Richard Wagoner and Millicent Willis. She was born in March 1866 in either Kentucky (according to the 1880 and 1920 censuses) or Tennessee (according to the 1900 and 1910 censuses).

Children of the marriage of Barney and Louisa Jane Parker were:

• James Roscoe Parker, b. December 24, 1895 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m1. Cora Ellison on August 5, 1917 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m2. Cordelia (Axie) Cox Baldwin, d. June 7, 1973 in Zanesville, Muskingum Co., Ohio
• William Bryan Parker, b. September 1896 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m. Teresa Webb, d. March 8, 1958 in Knoxville, Tenn.
• Milton Kasper Parker, b. May 23, 1898 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m1. Margaret Jane Seal on July 4, 1919 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m2. Agnes Louise Rutherford on May 14, 1926 in Campbell Co., Tenn., d. July 27, 1977 in Lincoln Co., Ky.
• Roxanne (Roxie) Parker, b. Dec. 29, 1899 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m. Silas Treece in Jacksboro, Campbell Co., Tenn. in 1919, d. Dec. 30, 1983 in Campbell Co., Tenn.
• Cora Louella Parker, b. Aug. 4, 1902, d. 1909
• Carralee (Carrie) Parker, b. Aug. 8, 1904 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m1. Otis Miracle in 1927, m2. Turley Lay in 1935, d. Jan. 11, 1940 in Monroe Co., Mich.
• Stella Dean Parker, b. Dec. 25, 1906 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m. William Arby Russell, Sr. in Campbell Co., Tenn. in 1936, d. April 23, 2002 in Caryville, Campbell Co., Tenn.
• Ditmus Thomas Parker b. May 16, 1908 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., m. Laura Presnell on Dec. 24, 1924 in Campbell Co., Tenn., d. Aug. 10, 1978 in Jacksboro, Campbell Co., Tenn.^[4]

After spending at least 20 years in Claiborne Co., Tenn., Barney and Louisa moved further west to Campbell Co., Tenn. where, in 1915, Barney took a job as superintendent of the Free Soil Farm in Caryville. They lived there about 14 years. The farm consisted of around 1200 acres of grazing and agricultural lands. Barney and Louisa lived in the big house and there were several smaller houses on the property for other families including many of their children. A few clues as to the location of the Farm are contained in a 1900 newspaper article^[5] which indicates it was "near the town of Caryville, thru which passes the greater Southern trunk line Railroad" and that 600 of the 1200 acres "lies in the beautiful valley at the base of the rugged Cumberland Mountains that picturesquely stands in the background." Based on this article, we were able to find the 1910 deed of sale (Harry S. Rothschild to James G. Sterchi and J. L. Deaver) in Tennessee archives.^[6][7] That led us to the 1882 deed of sale (Wilhelm and Marie Boeing to Sigmond Rothschild)^[8][9] along with an 1882 plat^[10] associated with both the 1882 and 1910 deeds. Based on the plat and deed descriptions, we are confident that the Free Soil Farm encompassed a great deal of the land west, north and east of the old Caryville Depot and Hotel. Here's an outline of the extent of the farm on an 1885 map^[11] and a 2020 map.^[12] The main "Residence" of the farm, described in the deeds as Carey mansion, was located within the bounds of the cleared land northeast of Caryville. In addition, the plat shows an "Old House" just to the west of the Residence with a cemetery near it. That appears to be the present-day Carey Cemetery^[13] just off Bruce Gap Road where William Carey, Thomas Wheeler and many family members are buried.

While the Free Soil Farm initially covered over 1200 acres in and around Caryville, its various owners had sold off some of the land over the years to coal companies and residents of the town that grew up along the Southern Railway. By the time of the 1910 sale, the Farm encompassed just over 1100 acres and sold for $30,000, a tidy sum in those days. At first, the town was called Wheeler's Station and then Careyville. The name got shortened to Caryville after the Civil War. Eighty-six (86) percent of the cleared agricultural land was north and east of the town. William Carey had been a significant landowner in Campbell County, but his ownership of the Free Soil Farm began after the death of Thomas Wheeler in 1851. William Carey had married Thomas Wheeler's daughter, Melinda Emily Wheeler, in 1832.^[14]

The Free Soil Farm employed up to 50 people, had a blacksmith shop, saw mill, coal mine and a store for the employees. This 2015 article^{[15][16][17][18]} from the Oak Ridger provides more details about the early days of the farm. According to the author (see page 3), the Wheelers had freed their slaves before the Civil War and had set aside 1000 acres where their freed slaves could live and work. This provenance for the name of the Free Soil Farm makes more sense than the one contained in the earlier 1900 newspaper article.

Under Barney Parker's supervision, the Free Soil Farm was a family business. Here's a picture from 1926-1927 showing several of the children and their spouses working the farm including, from left to right, Milton Parker, Silas Treece, Dit Parker, Jim Presnell, Carrie Parker, Stella Parker and Bryan Parker.^[19]

Over the years, many of the Parker children moved on to other jobs and some moved out of state. Barney retired as supervisor of the farm in 1929 and he and Louisa moved to a smaller house in Caryville with Stella Parker and Milton Parker's infant son Charles, where they lived until Stella married William Arby Russell. At this time, Barney sold this house and bought the house in which Stella later lived with her family.

Louisa Jane (Wagoner) Parker died on March 19, 1936 in Campbell Co., Tenn. Barnett J. Parker died on Sept. 5, 1942 in Campbell Co., Tenn. Both are buried at Sharp Cemetery, Campbell Co., Tenn.^[20]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/BarneyParkerMarriageRecord1879GuilfordCoNCopt1200.jpg
2. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker.php
3. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/BarneyParkerLouisa1891MarriageRecordopt1200.jpg
4. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker.php
5. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/TheFreeSoilFarm.jpg
6. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/FreeSoilFarmSale1910Pg1and2opt1200.jpg
7. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/FreeSoilFarmSale1910Pg3and4opt1200.jpg
8. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/FreeSoilFarmSale1882Pg1and2opt1200.jpg
9. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/FreeSoilFarmSale1882Pg3opt1200.jpg
10. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/FreeSoilFarmPlat1882Opt1400.jpg
11. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/FreeSoilFarmCaryville1885opt719.jpg
12. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/FreeSoilFarmCaryville2020opt719.jpg
13. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/10168/carey-cemetery
14. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker2.php
15. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/TheFreeSoilFarmdeTavernierPg1.jpg
16. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/TheFreeSoilFarmdeTavernierPg2.jpg
17. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/TheFreeSoilFarmdeTavernierPg3.jpg
18. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker/documents/TheFreeSoilFarmdeTavernierPg4.jpg
19. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/memories/images/FreeSoilFarm1200.jpg
20. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/parker3.php