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History · Parker

Parker dates to 1864, and 24% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1950 on.

1864founded
0on the National Register
24%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Parker began

When was Parker founded?

1864

Parker dates its founding to 1864 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1894.

2020 census: 158162 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1894.The full story ↓

What stands out about Parker’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Parker are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Parker’s homes were built before 1963.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Parker’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Parker’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Parker came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Parker.

Read it all →

The first plat for the town of Parker was filed January 6, 1909. It was originally settled by William Parker in 1864, and was named for him by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1890.

Parker does not have any form of city government. Police service is delivered by the Yakima County Sheriffs department, and a local volunteer fire station is present. The U.S. Postal Service provides post office box delivery on weekdays and Saturday. The ZIP code for Parker, Washington is 98939. Currently, children attend Wapato public schools in the Wapato School District approximately four miles southeast of town.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Parker, 1864 to 1950

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1864
    FoundingParker is established
  3. 1894Post officeThe Parker post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1950On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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On the map

Parker on the map, 1950 to 1961

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Parker. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Parker on the 1950 USGS mapParker on the 1961 USGS map1950Yakima sheet · 1:250,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Parker.

Famous people

Famous people close to Parker

Nobody well known was born in Parker itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Kyle MacLachlanAmerican actor · b. 1959
Robert LucasAmerican economist · b. 1937
Bonnie J. DunbarAmerican engineer and astronaut · b. 1949
Jim RohnAmerican motivational speaker, businessman and … · b. 1930
Sam KinisonAmerican comedian · b. 1953
Barbara La MarrAmerican actress and screenwriter · b. 1896

Questions about Parker’s history

What year was Parker founded?

In 1864, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Parker’s post office opened in 1894.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.