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The Rev. Solomon Parsons was born in Morris County, New Jersey, in 1822. In early life, he attended the district school in winter and worked on the farm in summer. Desiring greater educational advantages, he saved his earnings and entered Pennington Seminary, where he prepared for college, in the mean time teaching public school and classes in the seminary to defray expenses. In 1855, he entered the sophomore class of Wesleyan University, from which he graduated with honors in 1858. He joined the Newark conference the same year, and has been a member of that conference ever since. In 1882, he retired from the pastorate and now holds the position of temperance agent in the conference. He has a pleasant home in the city of Paterson and is surrounded by a large family.
Though reared amid Democratic influences, he cast his first ballot for John C. Fremont as a protest against slavery. He continued his connection with the Republican Party until 1883, when he, with others, called for a third-party State convention in Newark. He was unanimously nominated candidate for governor, receiving nearly 5000 votes. Since that time, he has been an active worker in the Prohibition Party ranks. He was a delegate to the national Prohibition conventions held in Pittsburg, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. He accepted the nomination of Member of Assembly in 1893 for one of the districts of Passaic County. He has continued an active member of the Prohibition Club of Paterson ever since its organization. Before he became a Party prohibitionist, he took an active part in enforcing license and excise laws.
Mr. Parsons has been honored by his brethren of the conference, notwithstanding his radical position on the temperance questions, having been twice elected to the General Conference. He has five sons, all Party prohibitionists.
Rev. Parsons died in 1898.
— Data from An Album of Representative Prohibitionists (1895 |