John Palmer Parker (rancher)
| John Palmer Parker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
May 1, 1790 Newton, Massachusetts |
| Died | August 20, 1868 (aged 78) Oʻahu |
| Nationality | United States, Kingdom of Hawaii |
| Known for | Parker Ranch |
| Spouse(s) | Rachel Kipikane |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Samuel Parker IV Ann Palmer |
John Palmer Parker (May 1, 1790 – August 20, 1868) was the founder of the Parker Ranch on the island of Hawaiʻi in Hawaii.
John Palmer Parker was born May 1, 1790 in Newton, Massachusetts. His father was Samuel Parker (1742–1822) and mother was Ann Palmer Parker (1753–1841).
Parker arrived in Hawaii around 1809 by jumping off of a ship. John Parker came to the attention of King Kamehameha I, the chief who united the eight separate islands into the Kingdom of Hawaii, and was given important tasks by the king. John traveled to China during the War of 1812, returning to Hawaii in 1815. Having brought back with him a new, state-of-the-art American musket, Parker was given the privilege of being the first man allowed to shoot some of the thousands of feral cattle that roamed Hawaii’s remote plains and valleys. These animals were the descendants of one bull and five cows given by British Captain George Vancouver to Kamehameha as a gift in 1793.
A year after he returned to Hawaii in 1815, he married Chiefess Kipikane (1800–1860), the granddaughter of Kamehameha I and daughter of Kahiwa Kanekapolei. Kipikane took the Christian name Rachel. She bore John a daughter Mary Ann Kaulalani (1819–1859) and two sons Ebenezer (1829–1855) and John Palmer Kamaikaaloa Kalanioku (1827–1900). The Parker dynasty figured in the next two centuries of Hawaiian history. The family first settled at a small farm in the Kohala district. In 1835 he was hired by Honolulu merchant William French to start a commercial operation selling products of the wild cattle near the present town of Waimea. With his New England education, Parker became accountant of French's business and managed a store called Puʻuloa.
...
Wikipedia