Samuel Parrish

Samuel Parrish, founder of the Parrish family in this county, was an Eastern man, a soldier of the Revolution, who settled in Canada and came from Canada to Illinois in 1837, locating on lands which he entered in Gosh en township. One year later he, his wife, one son and three daughters embraced the Mormon faith, moved to Nauvoo, where the parents resided until their death, while their children followed the fortunes of that church to Salt Lake, where, today, one of their sons — Joel Parrish — is a celebrated Mormon preacher. Of his eleven children, who accompanied him from Canada to Stark county, Lydia is wife of Jacob Emery of Galva, and Sulfina is the widow of Edward Mott, also a Mormon (who built the old court-house), are living. Ruloff Parrish, aged seventy-eight years, died in 1882.