The Parker Story

The US army built a line of forts along the border between the settlers and the Native American territory. Unfortunately, the need for expansion resulted in settlements west of the forts into Comanche territory. In 1836, John Parker crossed that line and built a settlement, Fort Parker, just west of what is now the town of Mexia. Unwisely, John and the extended family did not take the threat of war parties as serious and planted their crops outside the confines of the fort enclosure. Nor did they take weapons outside when tending their crops. A Comanche war party, seeing that once again a settlement was encroaching on their land, attacked the undefended fort with a vengeance. Many of the settlers were killed. Two women, a young boy and a nine year old girl were captured. Cynthia Ann Parker was the nine year old girl and her name became a household name. She would later refuse to return to the settlers and become the wife of Peta Nocona. She bore him three children. The oldest child was Quanah.