20 Mile House Monument, Parker Rd and Mainstreet (Photo PAHS)

Founded in 1864, Parker, CO was originally known as Pine Grove. Ancient peoples once roamed the area, followed by Plains-Woodlands Indians and other Native American tribes including Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute.

White men began exploring the area as early as 1803.  When gold was discovered in Colorado, thousands flocked to the state and many made their way to the Parker area.  Eventually a structure known as the 20 Mile House became a way station for travelers, providing good, lodging and goods.

By 1874, James Sample Parker owned the 20 Mile House, located at the corner of Parker Road and Mainstreet.  According to the Town of Parker’s official website, “under Parker's ownership, the 20 Mile House grew and prospered. A blacksmith shop with equipment to shoe oxen and a general mercantile store were added to the facility, and it became the first official post office.”

George Parker, brother of James, owned land east of the highway and was largely responsible for eastern town expansion. He established a saloon and assisted other business growth including two hotels, a post office, a creamery, a bank and several others.

Parker’s current cemetery is located on land donated by James Parker for burial of his first wife, becoming the final resting place for most of the town’s early settlers. James died in 1910 and is buried near another famous local name, Jonathan H. Tallman.

Interested in finding out more about the history of Parker, CO?  Here are some history resources to check out.

• Parker Area Historical Society - In addition to website information that includes a historic site index and links to useful information, PAHS is open to the public every Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – noon.  It is located in the historical Parker School House at 19650 E. Mainstreet.
• Town of Parker official website – Lists historical information and shows a few vintage photographs of the Parker area.  The town established the Parker Historic Preservation Commission in 1998 as an effort to safeguard the town’s historic heritage.  Details are also available on the website about this commission.
• Douglas County History Research Center – This wonderful resource is located at the Phillip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock, CO.  The center “collects and preserves the history of Douglas County” and offers a vast array of  historical materials for patron use including print materials, photographs, census records, personal notes from early settlers, and more.

Articles of interest about Parker:

• Parker #4 on Forbes list 'America's 25 Best Places to Move'
• Neighborhoods 101: Where can I find information about Parker, Colorado?
• Neighborhoods 101: What are the crime statistics for Parker, Colorado?
• Poll: What do you love about Parker, CO?

Melody Jones is a Parker resident.  Check out her home page for more Parker articles, follow her on Twitter, and join her Parker Examiner Facebook Fan Page!