After the railroad arrived, Odessa became a livestock shipping center. In 1935, leading rancher Jim Parker located his headquarters in a rock house on the outskirts of town.
After the railroad arrived, Odessa became a livestock shipping center. In 1935, leading rancher Jim Parker located his headquarters in a rock house on the outskirts of town. Today the restored Parker House Museum tells the family’s story and ranching history through period furnishings and exhibits. Parker’s downstairs bedroom (so he could leave early without waking the family) stands intact, including the elaborate 1908 wedding clothes of Parker and his bride Bessie. Upstairs bedrooms are galleries of early 1900s photos and memorabilia including leather leggings, six-shooters and rifles, barbed wire and spurs, and a McClellan saddle. The sitting room reflects the lifestyle of prosperous pioneers, including a hand-crank Victrola record player. - See more at: http://texaspecostrail.com/plan-your-adventure/historic-sites-and-cities/sites/parker-house-ranching-museum#sthash.QI2mtUjU.dpuf
