As in any worthwhile project, the development and creation of Parker Community Park took many people, and much hard work. Although time dimmed memories and records weren't always available, a brief history of how this lovely park came to be was pieced together in 2007 before Parker Community Park's 50th Anniversary.

J. Howard Parker dreamed of creating a community park that could be used for sports, recreation, and relaxation. Mr. Parker, along with his sister, Miss Ollie Mae Parker, were joined by many people who dedicated themselves to this same goal. In addition to Mr. & Miss Parker, the Park Development Committee was comprised of Elmous “Mose” Mowrey, Bob Fisher, Harry Berger, Lige Davison, Arthur Pitts, Wendell Tharp, Irma Hawkins, and Zora Mowrey.

Betty Duke, Alexandria's unofficial "park historian", shared some history of how the park property was originally purchased. The original plot of property encompassed not only the current acreage, but also the large house and yard where Betty and her late husband, Kenny Duke, resided for decades…the house and property belonged to the Horace Graves family at one time. Due to some financial insolvency, the Graves family sold the entire property to a relative named Elizabeth Rogers Porter, who resided in Chicago, IL. Betty recalled that members of the Park Development Committee traveled to Chicago more than once to negotiate purchase of this property…the owner, Ms. Porter, was not initially willing to sell. Eventually, the park purchase committee convinced Ms. Porter to sell—Howard Parker and Ollie Mae Parker purchased the property. The Parker siblings did not want the house to remain with the actual park, so they sold the house and its surrounding yard space to Kenny and Betty Duke for, as Betty put it, “a little bit of nothing”. That house sale worked to everyone’s advantage…Betty took park reservations for both shelter houses and ball diamonds for many, many years.

Once the actual property was purchased, the hard work began…there were many, many volunteers from Alexandria and St. Albans Township who helped create the park. There is no way to know or name everyone who worked at creating Parker Community Park, but memories from Jean & Bob Fisher, Irma Hawkins Perry, Lige Davison, and Molly Ann Elliott help paint a picture of its creation.

Memories that seem appropriate to be told first come from Lige Davison. Lige reflected that creating Parker Park “took a lot of planning, meeting, and working, but it is wonderful that it has served the community all of this time.” He also remembered "there were lots of people with shovels, axes, and tractors clearing trees and digging stumps.” Lige also recalled that he "ran over a stump and dented the oil pan on the John Deere B” and he “had to take it to Johnstown to get it fixed.” As Lige’s daughter, Pam Hills, stated, “Isn’t that just like a farmer to have that as his most vivid memory?” And just for general knowledge…Lige kept that John Deere B, entering it in the annual Fun Days Tractor Pull for decades.

Another story comes from Molly Ann Elliott about her late husband, Joe Elliott. Joe was a senior at the old Alex High School in 1957…he always vividly remembered how the senior boys were let out of class to come help the men cut and stack brush while Parker Park was being cleared. Joe's memories serve as nostalgic reminders of the old high school, the hard physical labor it took to clear the park, and a very different way of life.

Jean & Bob Fisher shared memories of the park’s creation, dedication, and early use. Bob remembered he and Bus Hawkins going together to get lumber, then Bus getting “a bunch of guys together to build picnic tables and benches.” Jean had the fond memory of her daughter, Patricia Fisher Price, being a Children’s Representative during the Park Dedication and getting her picture taken with Congressman John Ashbrook. Jean also remembered with amusement that during one of the early Little League games at Parker Park “a little kid went up to the ump and whispered…the ump held up his hands, stopped the game, and the little kid ran down over the hill to the outhouses.”

Irma Hawkins Perry remembered the many hours her late husband, Bus Hawkins, worked to clear and put finishing touches on Parker Park. She remembered Bus rounding up volunteers like Bob Fisher, John Lower, Bud Hickman, and Yacky Phalen to build the picnic tables…Irma also recalled "lecturing Bus to not make the tables too high and the benches too low!" Irma fondly remembered Bus was instrumental in developing the first area Little League, and how important that was for all the area kids. During the Park Dedication, Bus accepted the park for the Little League…Irma helped Bus write his speech, "and kept cautioning him not to mispronounce anything!" She thought "it was a big deal that my husband got to speak at the same ceremony where Congressman John Ashbrook made a speech.” Irma also remembered how excited John Lower was about the park’s creation…John built the rock flower beds around the trees and also put in the millstone memorial.

John Lower was not the only person excited about the new park…at the original 1957 Park Dedication, at least 250 citizens and one congressman attended. The dedication ceremony was preceded by a community worship service and a potluck dinner, followed by the official dedication and a round of speeches. When J. Howard Parker officially presented the park’s deed to Village Clerk Mildred Phalen, he was quoted as saying “few people ever realize their dream in a lifetime. This has been my dream and today it came true.” Other representative acceptances were made by Supt. Gilbert Johnson for the Alexandria Schools; Mrs. Kenneth Nash for the Adults; Bus Hawkins and John Cody for the Little League; Ellen Fisher for the Girl Scouts; and Miss Patty Fisher for the Children. Miss Ollie Mae Parker presented the Park Committee with a large swing and a merry-go-round.

Congressman John Ashbrook made the dedicatory address, which was followed by a championship Little League game between the Alexandria Lions and Alexandria VFW teams. The teams were presented with gold baseballs by their managers as mementoes of a successful season.

During the ceremony, Program Chairman Elmous Mowrey stated, “The hundreds--thousands of hours donated by our citizens have turned a thicket of saplings and brush into a beautiful park which will be used forever.” The Johnstown Independent predicted “that Alexandria has a park that would be suitable and adequate for a city of 25,000 people.”

Parker Community Park has not had to serve a city of 25,000 people to date…but in Mose Mowrey’s words, the Village of Alexandria has a beautiful park which has been "used forever” since its dedication on September 1, 1957. Parker Community Park is an absolute gem …a new generation is discovering its importance to the fabric of this community.

As new generations of Park Board Trustees step up to continue building on Parker Community Park’s heritage, words seem inadequate to express gratitude to those who worked untold hours to bring something so wonderful to generations of children and adults…deepest thanks to living or late neighbors or friends that made this dream a reality and this community a better place.