The Parker House

Alfred Parker was born in Maine in 1824, the son of a Methodist clergyman. He served in the Mexican-American War, participating in the campaign from New Orleans to Matamoros. In 1849, Parker joined the California Gold Rush, during which he was part of the group that captured the bandit Joaquin Murrieta and witnessed his execution.

After returning east, Parker traveled to Galena, Illinois, by rail and then journeyed up the Mississippi River to St. Paul. In 1854, he settled in what is now Robbinsdale, Minnesota, where he homesteaded a farm south of 42nd Avenue, including the site of a future railroad depot. His first home was located near the area that later became the Howard Lumber Company office.

In 1855, Parker married Elizabeth Malbon, daughter of Jonathan Malbon. His father-in-law built a new home for the couple at 4109 Lakeland, later turning it over to them. The Parker residence became a stopover for travelers and teamsters hauling goods along the Bottineau Road, now known as West Broadway.

Parker passed away in 1905, but his home continued to serve the community as a landmark and gathering place. During World War I, the Robbinsdale Circle held fundraising events on the home’s spacious front lawn. After Parker’s daughter moved out in the early 1920s, the home was used as a sanitarium. During the Depression, the house purchased by Irvin Voss converted into rental units.  It remained in use until it was demolished in the 1960s to make way for a Pizza Hut.

 

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