Thomas H. Parrott

Parrott was born in Kent, England, on 17 October 1836 to Samuel Henry Parrott and the former Maria Everest, both of England.[1] His mother's family were notable musicians in England.[1] In 1854, the Parrott family emigrated to the United States.[1] They eventually settled down in Sherwood, Oregon. However, the family moved without Thomas H. Parrott, who stayed behind to study to become a shoe maker.[1] Two years later, he came to Oregon and worked as a shoe maker.[1]

The Parrott family in Portland, Oregon, undated

In 1862, Parrott moved to East Portland, Oregon.[1] For US$40, Parrott purchased a home on the corner of Fourth and H street.[1] He would go on to operate the business at that location for 30 years.[1] It was noted in the book An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon that Parrott was instrumental in growing the business community of East Portland.[1] He worked as a music teacher and played in many ballrooms across Portland.[1] Parrott could play any musical instrument in a brass band.[1] His specialty was the piano, violin and organ. In 1889, Parrott opened another music store which featured different instruments, including hand-made pianos and cabinet organs.[1] He also sold music sheets and instruction books.[1] Another business venture of Parrotts was landlord.[1] He rented out two farms in Yamhill County, Oregon.[1]

On June 8, 1861, Parrott married the former Eliza A. Rhodes of Illinois who was the daughter of pioneer A. Rhodes.[1] Together they had eight children.[1] All of their children had a thorough education in music.[1] Two of his sons, Jiggs Parrott and Tom Parrott, went on to play Major League Baseball.[2][3] Thomas H. Parrott was independent politically.[1]