John Parker was born near Irvine, Ayershire, Scotland, August 9, 1814. He married a neighbor, Ann Miller, in 1836 and in 1840 they emigrated to Nova Scotia where John worked as a tailor at Albion Mines. They stopped in Boston before settling in Oakham, Massachusetts. The children were:
 

Adam	b. 1838 Scotland
Agnes	b. 1840 Nova Scotia	d. 1924 Igo, CA
Mary Ann	b. 1842 Nova Scotia
Merren	b. 1843 Nova Scotia	d. 1907 Reno, Nevada
Julia	b. 1844 Boston, MA	d. San Francisco, CA
Maria	b. 1846 Oakham, MA
John	b. 1848 Oakham, MA
William	b. 1850 Oakham, MA

Years later a resident of Oakham wrote, "Mr. Henry, Mr. Packer, and Mr. Parker were a kind of village improvement society. They planted shade trees built in front of their own houses the first sidewalk (wooden) in town."  They started the Oakham Library Association, of which John Parker was the first President and the Oakham Lyceum" a discussion and debating group. John Quincy Adams was a member of both organizations.

In 1849, John Parker came to California with his brother, William. Both returned east with the intention of moving to California. William brought his family from Missouri by wagon train and in 1857, John sent Adam, 19, and Agnes, 17, to California to join Uncle William in Shasta. Agnes became the first teacher at Piety Hill.(Igo)  Mary Ann came in 1862, crossing the Isthmus by train, to teach at Horsetown, Merren, Maria, and John Jr., came in 1863, Merren to teach at American Ranch (Anderson) and Maria at French Gulch.

The family moved to New York in 1855. John was a charter member of the New York Caledonia Club and a member of the Highland Guard. They enlisted at the first call in the Civil War and fought in the first Battle of Bull Run. The company merged with the 79th N.Y.S.M. and John was wounded at Antietam, losing the use of his right arm. He was pensioned and served as a guard at the U. S. Ordinance Dept. in New York.

In 1866, John, Ann and their children, Julia and William came to California by train and covered wagon. The family settled at Piety Hill in a place they named Kilbogie after their home in Scotland.  Julia became the first teacher at Eagle Creek (Ono) and John became known as the Laird of Kilbogie.

In 1874, John and Ann moved to San Francisco to make their home with daughter, Mary Ann Corbus and her family. They died in San Francisco, John in 1878 and Ann in 1891.

Most of the family members moved again, Merren Parker Beck to Nevada and the others to different parts of California. By 1900, only Agnes Kingsbury and Julia who had married John Syme and lived in French Gulch remained as Shasta County residents.

Source:  Shasta Historical Society