Cowley County Map by L.H. Everts & Co, 1887.
Parkerfield, Kansas, in Creswell Township, is the newest town in Cowley County. It was incorporated in 2004 and had a population of 406 as of the 2020 census. It has a total area of 0.94 square miles, all land. It is an eastern suburb of Arkansas City.
Elisha Bates Parker, a blacksmith and farmer from Ohio, was one of the first settlers in the area. In about 1870, he claimed property east of Arkansas City after filing a claim on the former Osage land became legal. His oldest son, Charles Parker, claimed 160 acres across the road to the south.
In April 1874, Elisha Parker sold the east half of his claim, 80 acres, to John P. Leach for $400. Four days later, John Leach sold one acre to School District #32 for $10. Before the school was built, one of Elisha Parker’s daughters taught students in their home. From 1874 until school consolidation in the 1950s, at least three different schoolhouses stood on the site for almost 80 years.
On July 23, 1874, Charles and Rosetta Parker sold 20 acres across the road from the school to Elisha Parker. This included two acres on the corner, where the cemetery was located. Elisha Parker deeded two acres to the Prairie View Cemetery Association in April 1876. Though the cemetery’s official name was Prairie View, everybody called it Parker Cemetery because it was across the road from Parker School.
In the next years, numerous people settled in the area, but a town was never formed.
Before the incorporation in 2004, Parkerfield was a cluster of rural homes and agricultural land south of U.S. Highway 166.
Parker School, 1928.
Township residents took notice when an Arkansas City Commission meeting agenda was published in the Arkansas City Traveler outlining a plan to annex four areas on the city’s outskirts, including a large portion of present-day Parkerfield. Residents were concerned about property north of Chestnut Avenue and East of Country Club Road, which were included in the annexation plan. Word soon spread, and a plan was formed to attend the commission meeting on November 18, 2003, to oppose the annexation of the parcels.
However, despite concerns voiced by the residents affected by the proposed annexation, the Arkansas City Commission voted to hold a public hearing on January 20, 2004, to proceed with the intent to annex.
Worries about zoning regulations spurred concerned citizens to seek legal opinions and guidance, and attorneys were hired to represent them. It was then decided that a city needed to be incorporated, which was called Parkerfield for its first settlers.
On January 20, 2004, the night of the Arkansas City public hearing, legal counsel filed a petition requesting a public hearing to consider incorporating Parkerfield. Though only 50 valid signatures were required, the petition was signed by 181 Creswell Township residents. The county commission set a public hearing date for February 24, 2004.
Parker Cemetery
At about the same time, Parkerfield attorneys filed a petition with a Cowley County judge and were granted a restraining order blocking the Arkansas City Commission from voting on the annexation of the property, which would make up one-third of the proposed Parkerfield city limits. The Commission continued to vote that night to annex the other three areas, but no action was taken regarding Parkerfield.
A Cowley County Commission public hearing occurred on February 24 at the Cowley County Courthouse. Residents’ concerns included an anticipated increase in property taxes and the effect of city zoning regulations on agricultural property use, rural lifestyles, livestock ownership, and land use. On March 9, 2004, the Cowley County Commission reconvened and voted unanimously to allow the incorporation of Parkerfield.
The first election in Parkerfield was held in a resident’s garage on April 13, 2004, to elect a mayor, city clerk, treasurer, and city council members. At that time, Parkerfield encompassed 560 acres with 153 acres of agricultural land, and the census was 378 residents and 147 residencies. Within a year, due to the voluntary annexation of properties, the population increased to 403 citizens and 156 residencies.
Parkerfield, Kansas Community Center, courtesy of Google Maps.
In 2010, the city constructed a building for a community center and city office at 29271 91st Road at its intersection with Vine Avenue. At that time, Parkerfield’s population was 426.
Today, Parkerfield prioritizes maintaining a rural lifestyle, affordable property taxes, and road repairs while governing by its motto, “Where Every Person Matters.” This small community has approximately 156 residences, numerous housing choices, and a friendly, rural character. Its proximity to Arkansas City allows minimal commutes to employment, dining, shopping, services, and schools. It is comprised almost exclusively of private homes and agricultural land and doesn’t have a post office.
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated July 2024.
Also See:
Sources: