
George Bristol Parkhill
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1879, Attended State Normal School at Oshkosh, WI404 1880, Graduated at Oshkosh Business College404 Book keeper for S. M. Weber in Oshkosh - 4 months404 Clerk in general store in Manitowoc, WI404 Book keeper for Ohkosh Lumber Company in Mitchell, SD - 2 months404 Kept books for estate of Jonah Richards in Manitowoc, WI - 2 months404 1883, Entered law dept. at U. of WI-Madison404 June 18, 1884, Graduated U. of WI - republican - political orator404 June 25, 1884, Opened law office at Thorp, WI - Justice of Peace, assistant Postmaster404 Military Service: Soldier, Company I, Fifteenth New York Infantry404 Occupation: Carpenter, Teacher 14 yrs, Attorney - member Modern Woodmen, Sons of Veterans404
"George B. Parkhill Mr. Parkhill is a member of the Clark county bar and a practising attorney at Thorp. His former residence was Colby, and his occupation that of school teaching. He commenced studying law at Colby, and afterwards took a course in the law department of the Wisconsin State university from which institution he graduated in 1883. He soon after commenced the practice of law at Thorp, where he has since resided, and where he has built up a good practice. He has won quite a reputation as an orator in the political field, as well as at the bar, taking an active part in the Republican campaigns."(Taken from the Abbotsford Centennial book)
February 25, 1919; Below transcribed from a letter in my possession.
George B. Parkhill Lawyer Abbotsford, Wisconsin February 25, 1919
Mr. W. T. Parkhill, Mansfield, Arkansas.
My dear Sir: -
My son, Lieut. Oakley L., who is now working in the Postal Express Service at Bourges, France, has sent me a list of all the boys bearing our family name who are doing "overseas" duty in this war, taking same from the "Locator Cards" in the office where he works as follows:- Parkhill, Oakley L. 2nd Lieut. Co. E 61st U.S. Infantry, (my son.) Parkhill, Eli R., Wagoner, Supply Co., 127th Inf. 32nd Div. (My Nephew) Parkhill, Lester N., Sergeant, 107th Trench Mortar Bar'y 32nd Div. (My Nephew) Parkhill, Day D., SergT. Battery C 319 Field Art'y, (now home) (My Nephew) Parkhill, Allen Corporal, Co. ___? 34th Inf, 7th Division. Parkhill, John J., Private, Co. #2 Camp Pike Autoatic (sic.)Replacement Draft Inf. Parkhill, Homer L., Private, Co. E, 47th Infantry. Parkhill, Leonard C., Private, Co. L, 319th Infantry. Parkhill, Lester E., Private, Battery B 332nd Field Artillery, 96th Div. Parkhill, Ralph M., Corp'l, 335th Field Hospital, 309th Sanitary Train. Parkhill, Ralph L., Private, 1st Class, Radio Mech. Dept, A.P.O . 717; Parkhill, Roland H., Corporal, Bar. F. 142nd F. Art. 39th Div. (Your son) Parkhill, Roy F., Private, Camp Pike Automatic Replacement Draft, Inf. Parkhill, Thomas, Private, Co. H 3rd Battallion (sic.), 21st Engineers. Parkhill, Warner F., Private, Co. F. 25th Engineers. Parkhill, Warren M., Private, Co. D. 60th Infantry, 5th Division Parkhill, Willard H., Sergeant, Co. E 315th Infantry, 79th Division.
As all the "Parkhills" in this country are supposed to be descendants of the 4 brothers, - David, Nathaniel, James and Hugh Parkhill who emigrated from Scotland here about 1745, I am interested in locating these boys and their fathers to ascertain from what branch of the family they are descended; hence this letter to you, who are the only one whose address is given on these "Locator Cards" my son says and none of the others give any "emergency addresses" at all. Wagoner Eli R. is my brother Ruben's son who here; Sergt. Lester N. is my brother Jerome's son who lives at Antigo, Wis.; and Sergt. Day D., is the son of my youngest brother, Fred A. Parkhill, now living at Reno, Washington. Day was severely wounded by a shell on side of head and skull and has been invalided home and is now visiting his parents in Washington, but he was a chauffer at Robbinsdale, a suburb of Minneapolis when he entered the service. Outside of these four and your son Roland who gave your name and address on his card, I am unable to locate any of the other 12, and thought that you might be able to help me as to some of them other than your own son. Major Alonzo B. "Parkell" of Carthage, Missouri, who died a few yrs ago was a brother of my grandfather, Ruben Parkhill and they were both the sons of "Nathaniel" whose father's name was also the original "Nathaniel" who came here in 1745, My father's name was Eli and his seven sons are all living in this state except my brother Fred who is in Washington.
My brother's names in their order of age are: William, Niles, Reuben, Jerome, Geo.B. (myself), Jesse, and Fred, and we were all born in Madison County, New York 25 miles east of Syracuse near Canastota. I have a cousin, W.D. who is a druggist at Oneida, N.Y. and a cousin Oscar J. at La Porte, Indiana. They both spell their names "Parkell" and by dropping the "h" missed having a helluva name. I visited them and other cousins in N.Y. state in 1911. When East I met a James W. Parkhill at Buffalo, N.Y. who owns a laundry there. There are also Parkhills in Pittsburgh, Pa.and a Rev. Elliot D. Parkhill at Look Haven, Pa. who is a Prysbyterian (sic.) minister and another Rev. James W. Parkhill D.D. is a pastor of same church at Storm Lake, Iowa, according to the list given in a recent issue of that church's pastors thruout (sic.) the U.S. A Dr. C.S.P. of Hornellsville, N.Y. was a cousin of mine and there are two doctors of our name that did live at Owosso, Michigan and are supposed to be descendants I believe of "Truman" Parkhill. There was a Dr. Clayton S. Park'l at Denver, Colo. and a few years ago I received a letter from an attorney C.B.P. of Pensacola, Florida who is now or was recently a judge of the supreme court of that state. We corresponded and exchanged pictures some fifteen years or so ago. About 12 years ago I got a letter from a W. W. Parkhill somewhere in Illinois but when I tried to trace his ancestry he failed to answer my letter and I thought he might be a Democrat and did not want the others to know it. The Doctors at Owosso, Mich were prominent democrats and one of them was chairman of the party for that state some years ago. The Pennsylvanians are supposed to be descendants of "David" who settled in that state and lived to be over 100 years old I am informed. Maj. A.B.P. of Carthage sent me his family history also containing some of the data regarding the origin of those of the name in this country. Have you a copy of it, or are you one of Major' Alonzo's boys. My son Oakkley is the only boy I have but have two daughters, one married lives in Chicago and as she has two daughters I am a "grandma". My other daughter is a stenographer and works at Faribault, Minnesota. My son was on the ill-fated "Tuscania" and while in a convalescent camp at Randallstown, Ireland after they were landed at Larne, he says he met a Sergeant Major of the Scottish Black Watch Regiment who asked to have my son look him up after the war and he would take him through Scotland and introduce him to the "Parkhills" of Scotland. My son is married but while not liable to the draft on that account enlisted and was advanced from Private to Sergeant, 1st class, and from that to 2nd Lieutenant and took part in the front line trenches from Oct. 6th to Nov. 11th when the armistice was signed. For "heroism in action" he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross" the citation appearing in the papers about the 10th of January of this year. He was wounded slighlty in calf of left leg by shrapnel at same time as his 1st Lieut was wounded seriously by same shell and my son administered 1st aid and carried the 1st Lieut. back to the field hospital but refused to be evacuated to the hospital himself and returned to his company and as the captain and 1st Lieut were disabled he was in full command of then for 27 days and exposed himself to enemy shell and machine gun fire while leading them and in reconoitering and it was for these acts that he won the D.S.C. You will find his citation in the "Official Bulletin" of the War Department under date of January 16th by consulting same at your local post-office as all post-offices are supposed to keep these displayed or hung in the lobby of their offices. The Parkhills certainly from the list given have contributed their share to winning this war and as there are many of them officers or 1st class privates they were undoubtedly good fighters. I am proud of evey one of them and want to know more about them and their parents.
Trusting that I have not wearied you with this and that I may hear from you with such information as you may be able to give me of your own ancestors and as to these boys in the service, I will close, with my best wishes to yourself and family, Very truly yours, G.B. Parkhill (signed)
Copied from letter from W. T. Parkhill of Mansfield, Ark. to Mrs. Lena Shelton of Honey Grove, Texas. This mans grandfather, whose name was Thomas, and my grandfather (David) were brothers. Toms father was also named David so you can see the old name comes on down, as one of the four brothers who came from Scotland was named David. I've heard grandmother Parkhill call the names of Hugh, Eli, Nathaniel, James, Thomas, David, Reuben, and William, and that was papa's name, as you know, Brook's grandfather. Papa's brothers were named Arthur, James, Bluman, Arthur's sons were Gains and Jack, Bluman's sons were James, Bill, George, Wallace, Henry, and Levi. James had one son who died early, his name was Archie. Papa's sons were Bert, Elmer, Bun, and Alvin. I have tried to learn more of the family history but it has been so long since I have talked to any of the older ones. I have forgotten all of the ancient history. This man who visited me recently is a third degree cousin. He came to see me 41 years ago when I was only a girl and he a very young man. We became aquainted through people who moved to Texas that had known him in Arkansas. He was reared at Webb City, Ark. and he came to see me after visiting a boyhood friend of mine. We corresponded for years but had lost track of each other ntil recently. he has a sister living at Cooper, Texas. Also there is a Bill Parkhill living there who is an old man and could probably give us more family history. he is also a third cousin to me. I know lots of Parkhills but the younger ones are like myself and haven't kept up an ancient history of the family. EWP/