History of the Upper Ohio Valley Brant & Fuller, 1890; Vol. I, pages 630-631.
Capt. Thomas C. Parke, of Wellsburg, was born at Pittsburgh, Penn., August 14, 1824, the son of John and Elizabeth Parke. His father, a
native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1789, and died August 13, 1868. He was a silversmith, goldsmith and watchmaker by occupation, and in the war of 1812 was a gallant member of the Pittsburgh Blues. At the battle of Fort Meigs he was wounded so severely that he suffered from
its effects until his death, and received a pension from the government. His wife, a native of Virginia, born June 22, 1801, died March 25, 1875. Of their eight children, four are now living. In 1841 Capt. Parke left his home at Pittsburgh, and came to Wellsburg, to learn the cabinet trade with his uncle, Samuel L. Marks, which completed, three years later, he returned to Pittsburgh, where he lived two years. He was subsequently a fireman and assisted in
fighting the great fire of April 10, 1845. He then came again to Wellsburg, and worked with his uncle until the rebellion broke out, when he was among the first to render signal service to his country. He raised the first company in the county for the three months' service, and went out as its captain. He was subsequently made adjutant of the One Hundred and Third regiment, "Home Guards," and he re-enlisted March 22, 1864, in Company K, First West Virginia
infantry, with which he served until discharged on account of close of war, July 16, 1865. He participated in the battles of Phillippi, Newmarket, Piedmont and Lynchburgh, and many dangerous skirmishes in the Hunter raid, in which he marched for four days without food.
After this raid he was in hospital eight months. Capt. Parke was a gallant soldier, ever ready for duty, and is one of those heroes ever deserving his country's gratitude. Since the war he has been working at cabinet-making and carpentry, and is an industrious and highly
esteemed citizen. He is a member of Pierpont post, G. A. R., and in politics is a republican. He was married May 10, 1848, to Jemima Wingate, who died July 5, 1873, leaving one son, Thomas A. The latter is now a prominent man of Pittsburgh, a member of the firm of Logan, Gregg & Co., in the hardware trade, and is a man of considerable influence in that city, now holding a seat in the city council. He married Letitia Howard, daughter of Rev. Dr. Howard, deceased, of revered memory, late pastor of the Second Presbyterian church. They have one son, William Howard Parke. On September 10, 1874, Capt. Parke was married to Mary, widow of Benjamin McHenry, who lost his life in the war of the rebellion. She had four children: Nancy, Jennie, Joseph and William, and by her marriage to Mr. Parke has two children: Clara and Fanny.
