Sandra Jane Whelchel

Parker Sandra Jane Whelchel

The town of Parker underwent several name changes before adopting its current title. First called Pine Grove for its setting in a copse of ponderosa pines at the northern edge of Colorado's Black Forest, that name lasted through the final days of stagecoach travel. When the US Post Office officially began operations in the 1880s, officials requested that Pine Grove be renamed, as another town with that name existed on the Platte River, causing the mail to be mixed up. James Sample Parker requested that the town's name be changed to Edithville, in honor of his young daughter. Again, the US Post Office denied the request, renaming the town Parker to recognize James Sample Parker and his brother, George. From these early beginnings, Parker faced spurts of growth and recession, more recently becoming a significant Denver suburb.