California Biographies Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from its earliest settlement to the present time. Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905 Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176 BASIL G. PARKER. This California pioneer of the early '50s was born in Ray county, Tenn., September 20, 1825, and in 1834 accompanied his parents to Arkansas, settling on a tract of cane land in Carroll county. There with a grubbing hoe he assisted in clearing off the cane and underbrush and endured all the privations of life in the midst of the most primeval conditions. Educational advantages there were absolutely none. All the knowledge he possessed was acquired in the school of experience. While still less than twenty-one, July 20, 1846, he mar- ried Malinda Charlotte Kelly, and the two began housekeeping without any capital save af- fection and hope. Hardships gathered thick and fast ; the loss of their little home by fire proved a distressing occurrence; and the strictest frugality and hardest labor did not enable them to provide their children with the comforts they desired. Believing he might be more successful in another section, Mr. Parker secured the consent of his wife to remove to California, and April 1, 1853, they started on the long journey through an unknown desert and over trackless plains. They crossed the Arkansas river with a large party, then traveled up the river to Fort Smith, next journeyed through the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw Indian nations, crossed the Red river at Preston, traveled across the frontiers of Texas to the Rio Grande, which they followed about sixty miles before crossing, and from there pursued their way into New Mex- ico, a land then abounding with rattlesnakes, horned toads, centipedes and tarantulas; next entered the most desolate part of Arizona, and traveled on through Santa Cruz, Tucson and Pima. After crossing the Gila river they began the journey through the desert of ninety miles, on whose glistening surface lay the bleaching bones of many travelers. The journey was full of perils. Water was so scarce that death from thirst threatened the entire party, and at one time Mr. Parker was about to give up in despair when his father, a man then about sixty years old, walking on ahead, soon returned to tell of a running brook of pure water. With the discovery of this stream their worst troubles were over, for they were then within sixteen miles of the end of the desert. While the family were spending the winter at Los Angeles, one of the daughters died of the scarlet fever. In the spring Mr. Parker brought the other members of the family to Tulare county, stopping at Visalia, where they camped under an immense oak tree occupying the present site of the court-house. The town consisted of a few board shanties, but the cli- mate seemed excellent, wood, water and grass abounded, and all the butter Mrs. Parker could make found ready sale at seventy-five cents a pound. These inducements were sufficient to cause the family to settle here. Mr. Parker obtained a tract of land five miles north of town, and there put up a shanty about twelve feet square, this being the first roof they had slept under for twenty months. From the first he was interested in raising stock, those he brought with him forming the nucleus of a large herd. After a few prosperous years word came from Arkansas of the death of his oldest brother, so Mr. and Mrs. Parker decided to return there for the widow and her three little boys, also for a widowed sister of Mrs. Parker with her two girls. Proceeding to San Francisco, they bought first-class tickets on the Oriziba, which sailed November 20, 1856. At Central America they encountered trouble owing to the filibustering expedition of Walker and were forced to go without food for such a long period that, when pro- visions came, many of the passengers ate too heartily and died of cholera. From Greytown they proceeded to New Orleans and there took a Mississippi river steamer for Arkansas. Meet- ing old friends did not form all of Mr. Parker's activities while there, for he also bought a herd of cattle to drive overland ; with these and a number of Arkansas acquaintances he started on the return trip, traveling via the Arkansas river and on to the South Platte, over Cripple creek to Green river, thence to Salt Lake City, where they procured a reinforcement of provi- sions, on to Ogden, thence to Bear river, and the head waters of the Humboldt river, thence across the desert of forty-five miles to the Carson river, after which they found an abundance of water, grass and wood all the way to the Sierras, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. October 1, 1857, they reached the summit of the mountains, and then traveled along the Big Tree route past Angel's Camp and Murphy's, and on the 26th of October arrived at his ranch with a herd of three hundred head of cattle. Shortly after his return Mr. Parker built a two-story brick house. For some years he was prospered, but with the passage of the law regarding fences he saw that cattle could no long- er be raised with profit, and so turned his attention to sheep. However, these proved an ex- pensive investment and caused him heavy losses, finally obliging him to sell his ranch to meet his debts. At this time a nephew, Thomas Kelley, came to his aid, offering him equal shares in all that he could raise on a ranch on the Tule river. The proposition was accepted and in less than three years uncle and nephew divided over $7,000 and had more stock on the ranch than at first. With the money thus gained Mr. Parker bought a ranch near Portersville, but there he became a sufferer from malaria, and was forced to move out on the plains, where he soon regained his health. On account of his two grandchildren who lived with him wishing to find work, he and his wife moved into Tulare, and there ten years later his beloved wife passed away, leaving him alone in the world. His last days were spent in the home of his grandchildren at Tulare, where the loneliness of age was mitigated by their companionship and cheerful ministrations. He passed away May 19, 1903.