Samuel Parker (missionary)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Parker was an American
missionary in Oregon Country
. He scouted locations for missions, including a location for the Whitman Mission in present Washington state
and traveled with Marcus Whitman
. He was the first Presbyterian missionary in Oregon.
, to Thankful Merchant Parker and Elisha Parker. He was educated on the East Coast where he graduated in 1806 from Williams College
, and in 1810 from Andover Theological Seminary. Parker was ordained as a minister in 1812, and then taught and preached in New York
until 1833. There he married his first wife, Miss N. Sears, and in 1815 he married a second time to Jerusha Lord, with whom he would father three children. One son’s name was Samuel J. Parker.
tribesmen asking William Clark for religious guidance, Parker answered the call for missionaries to move to the American West in 1834. In 1835, he traveled to Oregon Country with fellow missionary Marcus Whitman
. After preaching at the Green River rendezvous of the American Fur Company
, Parker continued west while Whitman returned east. During the winter of 1835 to 1836, Parker was a guest at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s fur trade outpost on the Columbia River
, Fort Vancouver
. He was then the first Presbyterian missionary in what would become the state of Oregon
.
Parker would then seek out locations for the establishment of missions in the region. He traveled through the Willamette Valley
and Lower Columbia Valley to select sites that were later used by the missionaries of the American Board for Foreign Missions
. Samuel Parker then left the region by ship, sailing first to the Sandwich Islands
and then around Cape Horn to the Eastern Seaboard.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
missionary in Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
. He scouted locations for missions, including a location for the Whitman Mission in present Washington state
Washington State
Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...
and traveled with Marcus Whitman
Marcus Whitman
Marcus Whitman was an American physician and Oregon missionary in the Oregon Country. Along with his wife Narcissa Whitman he started a mission in what is now southeastern Washington state in 1836, which would later become a stop along the Oregon Trail...
. He was the first Presbyterian missionary in Oregon.
Early life
Samuel Parker was born on April 23, 1779, in Ashfield, MassachusettsAshfield, Massachusetts
Ashfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,737 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, to Thankful Merchant Parker and Elisha Parker. He was educated on the East Coast where he graduated in 1806 from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, and in 1810 from Andover Theological Seminary. Parker was ordained as a minister in 1812, and then taught and preached in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
until 1833. There he married his first wife, Miss N. Sears, and in 1815 he married a second time to Jerusha Lord, with whom he would father three children. One son’s name was Samuel J. Parker.
Missionary
After the famed incident involving four FlatheadConfederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation are the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreilles Tribes. The Flatheads lived between the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountains. The Salish initially lived entirely east of the Continental Divide but established their...
tribesmen asking William Clark for religious guidance, Parker answered the call for missionaries to move to the American West in 1834. In 1835, he traveled to Oregon Country with fellow missionary Marcus Whitman
Marcus Whitman
Marcus Whitman was an American physician and Oregon missionary in the Oregon Country. Along with his wife Narcissa Whitman he started a mission in what is now southeastern Washington state in 1836, which would later become a stop along the Oregon Trail...
. After preaching at the Green River rendezvous of the American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
, Parker continued west while Whitman returned east. During the winter of 1835 to 1836, Parker was a guest at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s fur trade outpost on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
. He was then the first Presbyterian missionary in what would become the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Parker would then seek out locations for the establishment of missions in the region. He traveled through the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
and Lower Columbia Valley to select sites that were later used by the missionaries of the American Board for Foreign Missions
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. It was proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812. In 1961 it merged with other societies to form the United Church Board for World...
. Samuel Parker then left the region by ship, sailing first to the Sandwich Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
and then around Cape Horn to the Eastern Seaboard.
Later life
Parker returned to New York and informed the Board of the best sites for missions. He was then rejected for missionary work for the board due to his advanced age. He published a book in 1838 describing his journey to Oregon in, Journal of an Exploring Tour Beyond the Rocky Mountains. Samuel Parker died on March 21, 1866, and is buried in Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
.