Eye on Parker
Oberlander Announces Upcoming Parker City Satellite Office Hours
NUMINE—State Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong) would like to announce her upcoming satellite constituent office hours at the Parker City Fire Department located at 204 South Wayne Avenue.
Satellite office hours will be held on the following dates from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:
· Tuesday, July 14
· Tuesday, Sept. 8
· Tuesday, Nov. 10
Armstrong County residents who have any state government-related questions, form assistance requests or would like to schedule an appointment to meet with Oberlander (depending on the 2009-10 legislative session calendar) or a staff member during these hours, are encouraged to call her NuMine district office at 1-814-226-9000.
Oberlander’s legislative district includes all of Clarion County and the Armstrong County communities of Boggs, Bradys Bend, Cowanshannock, Hovey, Madison, Mahoning, Perry, Pine, Plumcreek, Sugarcreek, Washington and Wayne townships and Atwood, Dayton, Elderton, Rural Valley and South Bethlehem boroughs, as well as Parker City.
A Call for Help
by Julie Powell
It always amazes me when someone is in need in our small community the out pour of help is overwhelming. I am asking you to check out this website about a young girl that lives in Parker.
Please check out Addison's Story at
www.addisongrace2009.giving.officelive.com/default.aspx
From Boom to Bust: The Making of “the Smallest City in the U.S.A.” – Parker, Pennsylvania
In the brief space of 10 years, the Pennsylvania villages of Parker’s Landing and Lawrenceburg (which became the City of Parker during this period) ascended from simple villages with a combined population of merely 1,000 to the heights and depths of a bustling city with a population of more than 20,000 during peak oil production, and back again to a population of merely 1,000, earning Parker its unique distinction as “the Smallest City in the U.S.A.”
The City of Parker played a pivotal role in western Pennsylvania’s incredible journey into the world’s first commercial oil enterprise. From railroads, to pipe lines, to the city’s busy Oil Exchange, Parker’s pioneers contributed greatly in making the oil industry what it is today.
In From Boom to Bust. . . , the author, Marilyn McCall, takes the reader on a journey from the area’s prehistoric inhabitants, to early exploration and settlement, the excitement of the oil discoveries, the great decline of the City of Parker, and finally the City of Parker as it is today. Along the way, the reader will be introduced to the prominent people and families of the past who lived the Parker experience; and will visit the area’s commercial, industrial, and cultural developments that have significantly contributed to where “the smallest city” has been and what it has become.
Ms. McCall completes this fascinating history with a timeline from 1748 – July 2008, an extensive bibliography, and index. With 295 photos, maps, and illustrations, this book makes it clear why this tiny dot on the map is a special place in western Pennsylvania.
Books are available for purchase at Bob’s Place restaurant, Black Forest restaurant, Jackson’s Barbering, and from the author (all locations in Parker). Price is $34.95 plus sales tax ($37.00).
Coming Soon . . .
Ben Hogan’s Wild Ride
By Marilyn McCall
Ben Hogan, the legendary bad man of the Oil Region, proclaimed himself to be the Man from Hell and the Wickedest Man in the World. He was, without a doubt, the most infamous character in the early days of oil. During his incredible life, Hogan was reputed to be a boxer, gambler, hoodlum, thief, smuggler, pirate, blockade runner, spy, bounty jumper, pimp, dive-keeper, counterfeiter, and most everything else that constitutes the character of the Wickedest Man in the World.
From 1852 – 1878, Hogan’s wild ride took him throughout the eastern and mid-western portions of the United States. Most notable was the western Pennsylvania oil region where crime and vice ran rampant and disreputable characters gravitated to the oil fields. Ben Hogan and his many adventures fit right in with the bawdiness of this period where law and order were the last things on the minds of the settlers in the up-and-coming oil towns.
Ben Hogan’s wild ride ended on August 22, 1878 when he . . . . I will leave that story to unfold in the chapters of my upcoming book.
Ben Hogan’s Wild Ride is a story of Ben Hogan’s life. As you will see, Ben Hogan was a despicable person. If you are distressed at the things Hogan did in his life, you need only to hold on long enough and I am sure you will agree that his story is well worth reading.
The book’s genres are historical, boxing, and religion. Anyone interested in these 3 areas will delight in Hogan’s many adventures.
Watch this site for updates on when the book is available for sale!
We are looking for news, information and events for Parker. If you have any news please email us @ thevalleyecho@yahoo.com. Make sure include your name and town.
Thanks!
The Mayor Speaks...
I would like to welcome you to the City of Parker. Parker is a 3rd class city with a population of just under 800 which is why we are the smallest city (chartered) in the USA. Parker has a website, www.parkercity.org, but we do not have any traffic lights.
We have many fun opportunities here in Parker. You can picnic at the Postage Stamp Park overlooking the Allegheny River while watching the eagles soar overhead. In 2008, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission made improvements to the city’s boat launch by installing a concrete ramp and a floating dock. They also increased the size of the parking lot. The city added a picnic table and a trash can so the fishermen could have a place to eat. In the fall of 2009 to the spring of 2010, the city will be installing a unisex restroom near the entrance.
Parker also has a beautiful community park, located at 321 N. Euclid Avenue. There is a tennis and basketball court, restroom facilities, 2 baseball-softball fields (one lighted), playground equipment, a bicycle-skateboard jump area and 2 pavilions. The park is one of the city’s prize possessions and the Parker Recreation Committee does a wonderful job at the park.
Parker is a community on the move. We are fortunate to have a fire department and fire police, a police department, a group of 8 council persons that volunteer their time to run the city, organizations like the Parker City Revitalization Corporation whose mission is to improve our main street, organizations like the Masons, the American Legion, the VFW, the Eastern Star, and others that bring the joy of volunteerism to our citizens.
The Parker Senior Center is a great place for our seniors to enjoy a nourishing lunch and share a lifetime of adventures and thoughts and new photos of the grandkids. People like Mary Hill, Eleanor Confer and Esther McCall make sure your experience at the center will be a memorable one.
If you are looking for a reasonably priced getaway, come to the A-C Valley region. From Emlenton to Parker, by canoe, boat, bicycle, or walking, you will enjoy yourself. If you are already in our area, come and join us. We have a place or group that’s looking for you.
William R. McCall, Jr.
Mayor
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Weather
Parker, PA
Updated Saturday, July 31, 2010 6:55 PM
Cloudy | 70°F | High: 78°F
Low: 57°F
Wind: 8 mph
Humidity: 78%
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