John Lyman PARISH (PARRISH)

                   Will of John Parish Jr. Watertown, N.Y., Bk. 1, p. 271-4;
DAR #185581, #164204; #63500
Randall Genealogy Family Bible of John Lyman Parish (Pamelia)
Records from Temple Baptisms Gen. Soc Bk., p. 51, 71, 76; Bk 2 Ge p. 292-308
Family Bible of John Lyman Parrish
History of Jefferson County, NY, p. 471
Randall Family Genealogy, B3, C4 1

From Old Watertown and Vicinity in Pictures:
       One of Jefferson County's earliest pioneer settlers was John Parrish, who took up a large farm in the town of Pamelia in 1803.  Mr. Parrish, distantly related to George Parish of Ogdensburg, was born in Columbia County in June, 1777, son of John Parrish, a Revolutionary soldier.
       The Jefferson County settler married Ruth Farr, a native of Massachusetts, and together they left their home in Fort Ann, Washington County for the 60 acres purchased in the town of Pamelia.  There John Parrish became a successful farmer and noted humter as weoo as a . . .Methodish Episcopal church. . .
       Among their ten children was John L. Parrish, born May 1, 1819.
(PIcture taken in 1960 shown in Watertown Daily Times No. 505, John L. Parrish with his wife, Eliza Ann and five children.)
       All of the family are buried in the Parrish Cemetery in Pamelia.

OLD PARRISH HOME ON PERCH LAKE ROAD (Watertown Newspaper):

       The Parrish family was among the early settlers of the own of Pamelia, and the old Parrish home and farm on the Perch Lake Road in the upper part of the town is one of the most picturesque ones in those confines.  Owned by Mrs. Alice Shimel Reese, who with her husband, the late George A. Reese formerly of the town of Theresa, purchased it Feb. 1907, it is maintained in good order.  Mr. and Mrs. Reese acquired it from Mrs. Scott W. (Diana B. Parrish) Blodgett, then of this city.  The farm consists of 183.05 acres.
       Built of native limestone obtained on the property about 111 years ago, the eleven-room house of simple Georgian colonial architecture is neat and attractive.  The rooms are low and the interior doors display the witches' cross in their construction.  There is one fireplace.  Upon the farm is an excellent sugar bush and for many years John L. Parrish, who was a prominent farmer and cattle dealer as well as justice of the peace, operated a limburger cheese factory with a capacity of 40,000 pounds a year.  Son of John and Ruth Farr Parrish, John L. Parrish was born in Pamelia May 1, 1819 and in 1841 married Eliza Ann, daughter of Ruel and Margaret Randall, early Rutland settlers.  She was born Feb. 19, 1819.
       The Parrish family emigrated from England to new England long before the American Revolution.  In 1793 John Parrish, a Revolutionary soldier and grandfather of John l. Parish, settled in Washington County, new York.  His son John, Jr., father of John L. was born in Columbia County in June 1777 and resided on the farm with his father until he was 23, when he was married to Ruth Farr.
       Ruth Farr, native of Massachusetts, was born in July, 1783.  In the spring of 1803 she and her husband, John Parrish, left their home at Fort Ann and located in Pamelia where he had previously bought 60 acres of wilderness.  With their two small children, all their worldly goods and two ox teams, they made their way here, erected a log cabin and resided in it for several years.
       On October 8, 1833 this John Parrish purchased of Washington and Stephanie Coster of New York City through attorney Samuel C. Kanady for $977.11 an acreage of 132.72, which formed the main part of the property now owned by Mrs. Reese.  Upon this he erected his stone house where he brought up eight of his ten children.  On Feb. 26, 1847 he sold the property to his son, John L. Parrish for $3000.  From his brother, Chester Parrish, John L. Parrish acquired an additional tract of 36.3 acres, and another of 11.75 acres for $1,300.  These two plots were part of land bought by John Parrish Nov. 1, 1838 from Abraham Varrick and willed by John to his son, Chester.  On March 5, 1858, John L. Parrish bought another 3.55 acres for $100 from Rufus W. Keith making a total of 181.32 acres in the farm.  Al of this with the exception of .37 of an acre, which embraces the Parrish family cemetery, was bought by Mr. and Mrs. Reese from mrs. Blodgett for $7,000 in 1907.