Dr. CEPHAS PARK, the oldest physician of Henderson county was born in Rutland. county, Vermont, November 8, 1819. His parents, John and Sophia (Broughton) Park, were natives of Vermont, but finally emigrated to Essex county, New York ; then to Trumbull county, Ohio. John Park fought in the war. of 1812

. He yet survives at the age of eighty-six years. His wife died in 1854 and he was again married. There were five children in his first family and three in his second. His father was an Englishman. Cephas Park, the second child of the first family, was raised on the farm till nineteen years old. To that time he had attended the common schools. He then attended the high school at Warren, Ohio, about two years. He spent three years as assistant in a postoffice.

In 1846 he began reading medicine with Dr. E. Blachley, of Niles, Ohio, but finished reading with Dr. T. B. Wood, of Warren, Ohio. The winter of 1848-9 he attended a course of lectures at Cleveland, Ohio, in the medical department of Western Reserve College, and received a recommenda­tion as a practitioner. He started west, and April 1, 1850, arrived in Oquawka. Not being desirous of practicing to any extent till having completed his course of study, and being limited in means, he opened a small drug store.

In the winter of 1853-4 he again attended college at Cleveland, graduating. He returned to Oquawka, disposed of his drug business, and gave all his time to practice, which soon became lucrative and successful. In 1852 he was associated with Dr. Snelling, and in 1879 with Dr. Postlewait, but neither partnership continued very long. The doctor is a man schooled by his own efforts and is what is known as a "self-made man." He has accumulated a large farm.

Dr. Park was married in Ashtabula county, to Minerva Patterson, daughter of Lewis and Lucy Patterson, and a native of Ohio. They have one child. Ida.

 

History of Mercer and Henderson Counties.

 

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