Obit -

PARKS, James

Died of pneumonia in Ellettsville on Wed., Apr. 4, 1883. Born in Wilkes Co., North Carolina on Sept. 26, 1781. Age: 101 yrs., 6 mos., 8 days.

Republican Progress, Apr. 11, 1883.
Newspaper Archives, I.U. Library.
[Note: Monroe County Early Obits, copied by Dorothy Hamm from microfilm prepared by the Newspaper Archives, Indiana University (IU), available at the Monroe County Historical Society (MCHS). Note: There is no longer a newspaper archives at IU and the microfilm cannot be located. The cards from which the microfilm was made is part of the clipping file available at the MCHS. The cards may or may not contain the entire obituary.]
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Statesville (Iredell County, North Carolina) Record & Landmark, April 20, 1883, p. 6.

James Parks died on Friday at his home in Ellettsville, Indiana, in the 102 year of his age. He was born in Wilkes County, N. C., September 26, 1781.

He went West in 1815 and voted for Thomas Jefferson and for
every Democratic candidate with the exception of Greeley. He lived on his farm 62 years. He had 11 children, 56 grandchildren 80 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren. Mr. Parks had been a member of the Baptist Church since 1807. On his last birthday a celebration was held at his house. Special trains carried people from the neighboring cities and towns, and the crowd present numbered thousands. The exercises consisted of a speech by the Hon. C. C. Matson, congressman from the 5th Indiana district, and a talk from the old man himself. North Carolinians hold high social and political positions in the West.
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Misc Newspaper Clippings:

1.) Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Saturday Courier, October 1, 1881, p. 1.

AGED 100!
James Park's Centennial Birthday.
Its Celebration at Ellettsville.
10,000 People Greet Indiana's Eldest Son.
A Good Time All Around.

The 100th birthday of Uncle Jimmy Parks was celebrated at Ellettsville on Monday last. The occasion brought together a crowd of people estimated from eight to ten thousand in number. There were ten acres of a moving mass of human beings, horses and vehicles. People came from all of the surrounding counties, and Monroe County turned out en masse. The morning train took 450 people from Bloomington, and the noon train 150 more, while many went in private conveyances. There was an immense but orderly crowd in Worley's grove, but nothing occurred to mar the pleasures of the day. On the grounds were many refreshment stands and venders of "invigorating but not intoxicating" lemonade. "Cheap John" was there as was also the owners of various games. Down in town the only saloon keeper did a thriving business, yet there were but a few cases of intoxication and no boisterous ones. A "wheel of fortune" did a thriving business outside of the limits of the grove and a number of the boys left a considerable spare charge with it. This feature was contributed by a gentleman of leisure from Martinsville. A special train from Martinsville and intermediate points brought six coaches loaded with people. The Bloomington people were not so high-toned. They took their ride in stock cars. Of course, Uncle Jimmy Parks the Centennarian, and his aged consort, were the observed of all observers. They were greeted with many a hearty handshake and warm kisses, Uncle Jimmy especially coming in for a large share of the latter which, when administered by a cherry-lip damsel, he seemed to relish as in the days of yore. Once we thought that Mrs. Parks looked a little bit jealous, but, probably, that was a mistake of ours. There were men on the ground 70 years of age who looked as old as Uncle Jimmy. Time has been good to Uncle Jimmy, yet traces of feebleness were plainly visible. His intellect, too, was not very clear, but it was very good for one of his years. After having been given the name of a visitor Uncle Jimmy said, "I would have recognized him if it had been daytime." This was in the afternoon. Alas! Uncle Jimmy's daytime has passed. It is all night to him now. When our night time comes, how many of us can point back to as honorable and proud a record as Uncle Jimmy. Fifty years ago he was a Commissioner of our county, and was called an old man then. Since that time he served as a Judge of our Court, and at another time represented our county in the legislature. His life has been a long season of usefulness and honest ways. Uncle Jimmy came into this world one hundred years ago; such men are not born now-a-days.

A grand stand was erected in the grove but not one-tenth of the people could get near enough to hear the speeches. Many drew their vehicles up close to the stand so as to provide themselves seats and a good view of the proceedings, thus making almost a complete blockage around the stand. Dr. Lemuel Moss, President of the State University, made a very good speech before dinner, and the Rev. Mr. Hadlock, of Ellettsville, delivered the prayer. At the dinner hour many embraced the opportunity to pay their respects to Mr. and Mrs. Parks, Gov. Hendricks and Dr. Moss being among the number. The venerable couple were introduced by Prof. Fletcher. Gov. Hendricks then spoke for about half an hour, and was followed by Judge Franklin, and others. Sixty-one years ago the Judge was born near the grove. The Rev. Mr. Parks read an interesting record of the aged couple. There was some good singing by the Galloway family, and a number of children of the Parks family sang some of their Sunday School songs. It was reported that there were two bands on the ground, but their tunes were few and far between. Dinner was provided in the grove for the prominent guests by Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Worley. Mrs. Worley took a very active part in the arrangement of affairs, and much credit is due her for the success of the great meeting. The lady is a niece of Jefferson Davis, ex-President of the Southern Confederacy. There were many old people on the grounds; fully one thousand who were over sixty years of age.

Uncle Jimmy Parks was born in Wilkes County, N. C., on the 26th day of September, 1781. He moved to Indiana 64 years ago, the same year the then territory was admitted into the Union. His wife is 86 years of age. At this meeting there were present members of the family from thirteen states, the largest portion of them, however, came from Morgan County, this state. The meeting broke up at a seasonable hour and the large crowd dispersed to their various homes in good order. Many wondered if they would have an opportunity of joining in the celebration of Uncle Jimmy's 101st birthday.


2.) JAMES PARKS, SR., LEADING PIONEER CITIZEN, TELLS HIS OWN LIFE'S STORY
(UNCLE JIMMY LIVED TO BE 1011/2)
Source: "THE ELLETTSVILLE STORY 1837-1987" page 13-14 / Article provided by: Mike Cosner, Fairfax, VA

(Editor's note: The following autobiography was dictated by James Parks, Sr., at the age of ninety-seven to Jonathan Ray, an early Ellettsville school teacher and principal. It appeared in one of the Ellettsville newspapers during the late 1870s.)

I was born in Wilks County, North Carolina, near the Yadkin River, September 26th, 1781. My grandfather, John Parks, moved from Virginia to this place before the Revolutionary War, but how long before I do not know. My grandfather was of Irish descent, and my grandmother of Dutch. They raised to be men and women 14 children; 7 boys and 7 girls.

My father, George was raised and married in the same settlement. My mother's maiden name was Milly Davis. They had 6 children; all lived to have families except one. I lived in that neighborhood until I was 15 years old, when my father, with his family, moved to Burk County, North Carolina. I lived with my father, until I was about 25 years of age, when I married Nancy Moore on the 30th of November, 1806. We settled and lived in Burk County for several years. We had 10 children, all of whom lived to be men and women except two. Nancy, my wife, died June 26th, 1828, and I married Frances Kendrick August 27th, 1830. By her I had one son, James.

Now for some of the incidents of my early life. Commence 90 years ago, just after the close of the Revolutionary War. I remembered grandfather had a roan horse. He went for his horse one morning, to find that he had been stolen. Great lamentations followed, but a few mornings afterwards the old horse stood at the gate well rigged out with new saddle and bridle -- all complete.

When grandfather's property was sold, after his death a family of his slaves were exposed for sale, which, by his will I , were not to be sold out of the family. That was humane in those days. Father bought a boy named Moses, and he and I were raised together. The people of those days were thrown upon their own resources. No labor saving machinery. All came out of the ground -- both eating and wearing. The men would raise cotton and flax; the women would card, spin and weave clothing for themselves and children. They had dresses of different colors and stripes. They got their colors from indigo of their own raising, cooperas and various kinds of blossoms. The first calico dress I ever saw, father bought for my sister, then about 16 years old. He gave a three year-old steer for six yards, which completed the dress! I suppose if the ladies nowadays were confined to six yards for a dress, they would think it rather tight.

Education was quite limited. Our school house was made of round logs, with a dirt floor. Split logs with legs put in served for seats. Large cracks were left to admit the light. Our books consisted of, first, a primer, then Dike's spelling book, the Dillworths, then Webster's first edition completed one list of spelling books. Our first reader was called a Psalter, some old English concern, then the Testament and Bible. These completed our reading books. No grammar, geography, or history, was in use that I ever heard of till my education was completed. I learned to cipher as far as the rule of three and some in fractions; could write a tolerable hand, and was considered a fair scholar for those days. Our school house was also used for a church. When young people walked to meeting together, the girls would tie their shoes and stockings in their handkerchief, and carry them on their arm until within sight of the church, when they would put them on, and go marching up in style. (We boys were spared that trouble, from the fact we had none!) The girls' dress in winter was of woolen goods called linsey, in summer, cotton stripe. Boys' dress for winter was buckskin breeches and shoes, no boots. The custom was for almost every farmer to tan his own leather, and make shoes for himself and his family. Our diet was hog and hominy for breakfast, vegetables for dinner and a hearth full of roasted sweet potatoes for supper. Sugar and coffee only for special occasions. Fruit abundant. Peach brandy and honey tolerably plenty. Whiskey scarce. There were few drunkards. No doctors or lawyers. I never saw either, that I know of, until I was 15 years old.

Soon after the War of 1812, when things had somewhat settled, my father and family with enough others to make a right smart colony, concluded to emigrate to some new country.
The Territory of Indiana was the place chosen, and we landed in Lawrence County, on the east fork of White River, October 1815. The land was not yet in market, but was surveyed off ready to be sold. We chose our lots, and settled on them, built our cabins, and cleaned a considerable amount of land. As the sale was to come off the next season at Jeffersonville, a dozen or more of us went down. The land was to be sold to the highest bidder. When the sale took place a man by the name of Bulslitt, had a longer pole than ours, and "knocked the persimmons," sweeping the entire, settlement. Not the first man saved his land or improvements. So we marched home, feeling as if we had lost a friend. I had about eight acres cleared, surrounded by a good fence. The part of the Territory where we now live did not come into market until the next summer, so we concluded to make another trial. So we moved and again selected our lots. The next sale took place at Vincennes in October 1816. By this time we became acquainted with fever and ague. I was the only one able to attend the sale, and I took chills while there. I purchased for nearly the entire colony; about a dozen lots in all I . After the sale, we went that winter and built cabins on our lots, and cleared some ground. I got in about six acres of fine corn, which was our sole dependence for the year. But lo, in October there came a frost, which bit the last ear! (so with the whole settlement) Then we were in a fix. We had no mills to grind our corn, so we were compelled to pound it into meal . There was one hand mill in the settlement. But the corn was so soft, it would neither beat or grind, until it was kiln-dried. I made a scaffold up in the chimney and dried mine; then I had my choice, to go a mile to the hand mill, or to pound it. Many a time I have worked hard all day, and at night taking one-half bushel of corn to the hand mill and ground it.

I had myself, wife and five children to feed. That would be thought pretty hard these times. Nevertheless, we never suffered from hunger. I was considered a good shot. In a few hours I could bring in venison or turkey. We also had plenty of milk and butter. So we passed through the season safely. When we first moved here, Delaware and Pottawatomie Indians were plentiful. They were quite friendly, and would often come with their squaws and papooses to stay all night with us. They had a trading house within a half mile of where I now live. In early days, we had grand times at log rollings. When we got our ground ready for rolling, we would invite our neighbors to the frolic. Choosing our captains, they would in turn choose their hands, and at it, we would go. If ever you saw logs come together it was about that time. Before we commenced work, we had to take a little of the "critter!" It is not worth while to say we did not feel what we drank, for that was what we drank it for! We had none who might be called drunkards, but such a gathering nowadays might all be counted as drunkards. Such was the custom of the country at that time. Oh, what a thing custom is when rightly considered, whether good or bad.

The year after we moved to the Territory, delegates were elected for the purpose of forming a State constitution. Counties were then laid off and established. Before Monroe County was organized an election was ordered to choose three Commissioners, a Clerk and a Sheriff. B. Woodward, Michael Buskirk and myself were elected Commissioners. We proceeded to organize the county. We purchased a half section of land where the Court House now stands. We laid off the public square, and had a court house and jail built thereon. Lots were surveyed and sold bringing a considerable revenue. We were now ready to hold court, and the county machinery ready for action. It now became necessary to have a school commissioner. I offered my services and was elected.

In order to put the school in operation, it became my duty to sell all the 16th sections to the highest bidder. By this means a large fund was raised, and the school placed upon a firm basis (I have to make long strides on account of my records being burned up.) In the year 1832 1 offered for the legislature (lower house), and was elected. I served my time at $2 per day; and boarded myself. Finding that there was not much money in such warfare, and perhaps less credit, I would not offer anymore. Some years afterward, I was elected school commissioner for the county. At the expiration of my term of office, I retired from public life. (I never was beaten for any office I offered for.)

The first President I ever voted for was Thomas Jefferson for his second term of office. I have been a straight forward Democrat ever since, voted for all the candidates for office except Greely. I thought the Democrats got off the track there and I would not follow him. I have lived on the farm where I now live, sixty-two years. I have been the ancestor of 11 children, 56 grandchildren, 80 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren. Thus, being at this time the representative of five generations.

I joined the Baptist church in North Carolina about the year of 1807. 1 was one of the charter members of Old Vernal church, the first congregation organized in this county, Monroe, and was deacon of the church for quite a number of years.

I have endeavored to live peaceably with all men, and to live in accordance with the will of my heavenly Master, to the best of my knowledge. I have fought the good fight, have almost run my race, and am now, patiently, waiting for the good Lord to call me home, where there is a heavenly mansion prepared for me not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

James Parks