Samuel Reynolds Parke (Parkesburg, PA)
Samuel Reynolds Parke (Oct 9, 1833 – Jan 12, 1899)
Biography
- Name: Samuel Reynolds Parke
- Birth: October 9, 1833 Highland Township, Chester County, PA
- Death: January 12, 1899 Parkesburg, PA (Buried Chester County, PA)
Samuel R. Parke, president of the Parkesburg National Bank, treasurer of the Parkesburg Iron Company, director and vice president of the Parkesburg Building and Loan Association was prominently identified with the growth and prosperity of his borough. He was a son of Arthur and Mary (Reynolds) Parke and was born in Highland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania on October 9, 1833. The name was originally spelled Park, but the later generations changed it to Parke. The family was of Scotch-Irish origin and traced their American ancestry back to Arthur Parke (Great-Great-Grandfather), a native of Ballybagly County, Donegal, in the north of Ireland who came with his wife, Mary, and four children, Joseph, John, Samuel and a daughter who married William Noblette and settled in Chester County prior to 1724. Arthur Parke took a warrant on a large tract of land lying along the Limestone Road in West Fallowfield Township near Parkesburg.
Samuel R. was reared on his father's farm in Highland Township. He attended Blair Hall at Fagg's Manor, Chester County, graduating in 1852. After completing his education he remained on the farm until he was 28 when he came to Parkesburg and engaged in the grain, coal and lumber business. In 1869 he organized his private banking firm of Parke, Smith & Co. and began a general banking business at Parkesburg. In 1880 this bank became the Parkesburg National Bank and Mr. Parke was made president.
In 1858 Mr. Parke married Annie E. Martin, a daughter of Thomas Martin of London Grove, Chester County. She died in 1862 leaving two sons, Arthur T. a practicing lawyer of West Chester; and William E. who was engaged in the practice of medicine in Philadelphia.
On October 26, 1882, Mr. Parke was again married, wedding Ida S. Wilson, a daughter of Amos G. Wilson, Burgess of Parkesburg.[2] By this second union Mr. Parke had two children, Mary R. and Samuel R., Jr.[1]
On January 12, 1899, Samuel R. Parke died at the age of 65. The funeral was held from his late residence in Parkesburg with burial in Octorara Presbyterian Church Cemetery founded many years earlier by his ancestors and where he was a member and deacon.[3][4]
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, Samuel R. Parke was involved with the following banks:
- Parke, Smith & Co., private bankers: organizer and Cashier 1869...1873, elected president April 22, 1873...1880
- Parkesburg National Bank, Parkesburg, PA (Charter 2464): President 1880-1898
- Parkesburg Building and Loan Association: Vice President
Sources
- Samuel Reynolds Parke on Findagrave.com
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County Pennsylvania by Samuel T. Wiley, Gresham Publishing Co., Richmond, IN (1893), p. 505.
- ↑ Daily Local News, West Chester, PA, Mon., Oct/ 30, 1882.
- ↑ Daily Local News, West Chester, PA, Fri., Jan. 13, 1899.
- ↑ The Philadelphia Times, Philadelphia, PA, Sat., Jan. 14, 1899.