WOODSTOCK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Sir, — In response to your request for some 

 sketches of prominent members of our Societj', 

 with views of their homes and gardens, I send 

 you one of Mr. T. H. Farkei, and his home, 

 together with a sketch of his life, kindly writ- 

 ten up by Mr. K. W. Sawtell. 

 Yours truly, 



.Tas. S. Scarff. 



Fig. 1398.— Mr. Thos. Harrison Parker. 



The subject of this sketch was born in Cum- 

 berland, England, on the 10th day of Febru- 

 ary, 1828, and came to Canada, with his par- 

 ents in 1831 His father settled on a farm and 

 engaged in the lumber business, near Peterbo- 

 rough, where he remained 15 years. During 

 that period this son worked with him, going 

 occasionally to a school in the neighborhood. 

 In 1846 the family moved to the County of 

 Oxford and purchased a farm on the 16th con. 

 of East Zorra. 



Two years thereafter Thomas left home and 

 returned to Peterborough, where he engaged 

 in the lumber business, at a saw-mill on the 

 river Otonobee In the winter he attended 

 the Grammar school of Rev. Mr. Taylor, an 

 eminent scholar, and while here a desire for 

 mercantile life possessed hire. He fortunately 

 found an opening in a large dry goods es-tab- 

 lishment in Brantford. where he apprenticed 

 himself, and for further experience entered a 

 larger house in Hamilton. With the drill 

 and experience of five years' steady labor in 

 two such houses, he felt equal to the task of 

 managing a business for himself, and selected 

 Woodstock as the centre of his labors. The 

 choice was well made. There was but little 

 competition, and with his energy the business 

 prospered from the beginning. At the end of 

 the first year he admitted into partnership 

 Mr. J. D. Hood, an experienced book-keeper 



from England — whose sister he subsequently 

 married 



The firm of " Parker & Hood " was known 

 in every household in the county, and beyond. 

 It was also well known and trusted in the 

 English markets, where one of the firm went 

 annually to purchase supplies, and they were 

 the first direct importers here. Such was 

 their phenomenal success, that in eighteen 

 years (1873) they sold their business, and 

 each retired with a competency. But after 

 s>uch an active life, neither could long remain 

 idle. Mr. Hood became the efficient Town 

 Treasurer (and died some years ago), and Mr. 

 Parker opened an office for insurance broker- 

 age and private banking. He now owns a 

 large number of buildings here, which toge- 

 ther with other matters, keep him still in 

 harness. 



Mr. Parker has travelled a great deal, both 

 on this continent and in the older countries ; 

 hence has been always well informed in busi- 

 ness matters — as well as of things beautiful. 

 His general knowledge and systematic meth- 

 ods have made him a valued citizen in public 

 matters, and but few, if any, public enter- 

 prizes have failed to benefit by his counsel 

 and financial help. 



In the P. D. and L. H. R. R. he took a 

 deep interest and was a large stock and bond- 

 holder. In the Board of Trade. Mechanics' 

 Institute, Agricultural and Horticultural 

 societies. Loan companies Hospital and kin- 

 dred institutions, he has held office and ren- 

 dered personal service. As early as 1861 he 

 represented his ward in the Town Council, 

 and later, as first and second Deputy Reeve, 

 and in 1878 and 1879, as Mayor of the town. 



The special reason for writing this sketch, 

 however, is to show his love and long-con- 

 tinued interest in Horticulture and Floricul- 

 ture. Vausittart Avenue, in this town, is 

 now acknowledged to be one of the most 

 beautiful in the Province, for its length. It 

 is 132 feet wide and nearly a mile in length, 

 with a double row of maples on each side the 

 roadway, under whose arching branches a 

 concrete sidewalk extends, making beauti- 

 fully shaded promenades to the small shaded 

 parks, and a cross street of similar width. 

 At the north end of the avenue three pubhc 

 cemeteries are situated, and their well kept 

 law ns, plots and trees attract many visitors. 



When Mr. Parker first selected two half- 

 acre lots on this street, it was not considered 

 a fashionable locality, and but few dwellings 

 of the better class thereon. He erected the 

 buildng, which is represented at the head of 

 this sketch, and laid out the whole space in 

 lawn, shrubberies, hedges, fruit and kitchen 

 gardens, in an artistic style, and for more 

 than twenty five years it was unequalled 

 either in convenience or beauty ; and there 

 are very few of the modern and up-to-date 

 residences in the town which surpass it now. 



As an amateur flower and fruit grower, Mr. 



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