1848 - 1911
Attorney.
Judge Watts Parker was born on February 23, 1848 in Athens, Fayette County, Kentucky. In 1869, he entered the mercantile business in his hometown and in 1870 the legal profession. Two years later, he moved to Lexington to practice law and attend the University of Kentucky Law School, from which he graduated in 1873. In 1874, he became law partner with Jeremiah Morton, which lasted until 1883, when Judge Morton was appointed to the bench.
During this period, he served on the School Board, as the City Attorney and a Commissioner of the Eastern State Lunatic Asylum. In 1890, Judge Parker became the founding President of the Central Bank and helped establish the Fayette Safety Vault and Trust Company. Two years later, he resigned his banking positions to succeed Judge Morton on the District Court. He served as District Judge for eighteen years, until his death in 1911.
