Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 692
OSCAR A. PARKS

The drainage system which has been installed in Harrison county, Iowa, has reclaimed thousands of acres of useless land. Owing to its proximity to the Missouri river the county is very low and swampy in many parts, and is not tillable until well drained. One of the farmers of Little Sioux township, which borders the Missouri river, who has been greatly benefited by the Soldier ditch, is Oscar A. PARKS. Before coming to this county Mr. PARKS lived in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. He started in after coming to this county by working out by the month, and it was not until several years later that he was able to buy a farm. He now owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he is raising excellent crops and making a comfortable living for himself and family.

Oscar A. PARKS, the son of Joseph and Mary E. (PROCUNIER) PARKS, was born March 17, 1867, in Illinois. His parents, who were both natives of Ohio, moved from Illinois to Woodbury county, Iowa, in 1874, when he was about seven years old. They lived in the eastern part of the county and had to drive over fifty miles in order to get to Sioux City, where they paid their taxes and did their trading. It took a whole day and part of a night to make the trip one way.

The mother of Oscar A. PARKS died when he was a small boy and he then stayed at home and helped to take care of the rest of the children, he being the oldest of eight. When he was nineteen years old he started out to work for himself and worked on the railroad and also did teaming. He worked in Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, and on September 5, 1888, came to Little Sioux township, Harrison county, Iowa, where he has since made his home. He drove into the county in a covered wagon, having camped out on the road on his way to the county. He worked out by the month for a time and then rented land for several years. On August 15, 1899, he bought one hundred and sixty acres, eighty acres being in Little Sioux township and eighty acres in Jackson township. There were few improvements on the farm when he bought it and it was low and wet. However, within recent years the Soldier ditch has been dug and now runs about fifteen rods from his farm and affords excellent drainage for all of his land. Since then he has been raising fine crops and has had the satisfaction of seeing his farm yield him much more satisfactory returns.

Mr. PARKS was married May 5, 1892, to Mary E. CROM, who was born near Magnolia, in this county, a daughter of W. S. and Mary M. (REEDER) CROM, the former of whom was a native of Ohio and one of the early pioneers of this county, of which her mother was a native, she having been born near REEDER's Mills, her father, Thomas REEDER, having been one of the very earliest settlers of Harrison county. W. S. CROM was brought from Ohio by his parents to Harrison county when he was but two years of age, the family locating one and one-half miles north of Magnolia. At the time the CROMs came to this county they were compelled to go to Council Bluffs in order to get their groceries and do their other trading, that being the nearest trading point. To Oscar A. and Mary E. (CROM) PARKS two daughters have been born, Lois A., born April 6, 1896, and Cecile A., born September 12, 1897. These daughters are both receiving careful training in music and are preparing themselves for a musical career.

Mr. PARKS and his family are loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He gives his support to the Republican party, but has always preferred to devote his time and attention to his agricultural interests rather than to engage in political affairs. Mr. PARKS and his family are highly esteemed in the community where they live and have a host of friends and acquaintances.

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