Parker, Morris B., 1871-1957

Morris B. Parker (1871-1957) grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and spent his summers in Penn Yan, New York. His father purchased the South Homestake located in White Oaks, New Mexico in 1879 and the family moved there in the summer of 1882. He went back to New York for high school, where he studied chemistry and assaying. He then attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado from 1889-1892 as well as the University of Missouri from 1892-1893 to study at the School of Mines and Metallurgy. Once his studies were complete, Parker returned to White Oaks to begin assaying. During that same year he married Olive Genevieve McCourt. Parker first visited Mexico in 1895 and after staying in Nacozari, Mexico until 1903, moved his family to El Paso, Texas. Until 1932, much of Parker's time was spent in Arizona, Mexico, and New Mexico. In each place, he worked for various mining companies assaying ore and predicting the prospects of mining claims. He retired in Hermosa Beach, California and with the help of his daughter, Lina Parker Matthews, was able to write about his experiences in Mexico and White Oaks, which were subsequently published after his death in 1957.

From the description of Papers of Morris B. Parker, 1886-1947. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 122332626

Morris Brown Parker came to White Oaks, New Mexico, with his family in 1881. He married in 1893. He worked as a mining engineer in New Mexico and Mexico. He and his wife left New Mexico in 1907.

From the guide to the Morris B. Parker Family Papers, 1847-1945, (Museum of New Mexico. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library.)