Jacob Parker
Copied from An Atlas and History of Indiana
Copied from An Atlas and History of Indiana
Enlisted in Cincinnati, Ohio at Fort Washington under Captain Kibby in 1793 serving in the campaign against the Northwestern Indians; was wounded in the Battle of Falling Timber near Fort Miami in Ohio on the 20th of August, 1794; he served through that war which ended at the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. He soon afterward emigrated with his family to Preble County, Ohio.
Wayne's Campaign against the Indians - Battle of Fallen Timbers. "Among the earliest settlers of Preble Co. was Jacob Parker, who was a soldier of Wayne's army, and had encamped during the campaign on the very ground which he afterward owned, and on which he spent the greater part of his life.
As Wayne was advancing toward the Indian country in the spring of 1793 and when in that part of the wilderness whcih is now Butler Co., a man by the name of Newman deserted. Wayne, fearing that he would do harm by carrying information tho the Indians, sent out a party of men to capture and return him to the camp, where, doubtless, it was Mad Anthony's intention to have him shot. Jacob Parker was one of the men detailed for this arrest...followed the fugitive's trail until darkness fell, had reached Twin Creek. Upon the west side of the stream and about half a mile from the site of W. Alexandria, and perhaps 80 rods from the present site of the Dayton and Western Pike, the party encamped. In the morning, while some of the men were engaged in preparing breakfast, in a ravine running back from the stream. This was about the 20th of April,.. and nature wore a very attractive garb. Upon returning to the camp he delared "if I live and get safely through this campaign, I mean to own this very piece of ground, and open a farm here, and live and die on it." .....After Parker was discharged from Wayne's army, he began to think longingly of the beautiful valley on Twin Creek, where he and his comrades had camped. He had saved his pay as a soldier, and added to this labored as a cooper in the village of Cincinnati. About 1798, before the lands were in market, he visisted the cherished site and built there a log cabin. From that time until the lands were surveyed he remained there off and on, and as soon as he was permitted, he purchased the quarter section, 160 acres, including the very spot he had encamped on. Here he lived until his death. He was the humble hero of this little incident of Wayne's campaign, was one of the most worthy and well-liked of Preble's pioneers.
The largest cemetery in Lanier Twp is that at West Alexandria. In this graveyard are buried many of the earliest pioneers of Twin Valley. The cemetery was laid out in 1817, one acre of ground being donated by Jacob Hell, and one-half acre by Jacob Parker. The ground was deeded to the Reformed and Lutheran churches, to be held by them as a public cemetery.
The first burial was that of Isaac Loy, a lad of ten years, which took place in the fall of 1817. The second, was that of Moses Parker, a little son of Jacob Parker, the third that of Jennie Meloin.
The first burial was that of Isaac Loy, a lad of ten years, which took place in the fall of 1817. The second, was that of Moses Parker, a little son of Jacob Parker, the third that of Jennie Meloin.
The first child born in the township was a daughter of Martin Ruple, early in the year 1804, exact date unknown. A short time after-ward, Feb 11, of the same year, Peter Parker, oldest child of Jacob and Mary (Loy,Ley) Parker was born. He is believed by many to have been finally removed to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.