Background
Parks was born to James and Mary Leach (Ferguson) Parks on May 29, 1883 in Denver, Colorado. He was educated in public schools before graduating from the Colorado School of Mines in 1906. After graduation he worked as a mining engineer in Canada, Mexico, and the Western United States before arriving in Alaska in 1907 as part of an engineering team tasked with making evaluations for a group of investors.
In 1908, Parks worked for the United States Land Office in Denver as a mineral examiner for two months before taking a similar position in Alaska. Following the American entry into World War I, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers. Rising to the rank of captain by the war's end, he returned to the Land office after his military service.
In 1920, Parks was appointed Chief of the United States Land Office in Juneau. Four years later he was in Anchorage working as Assistant Supervisor of Surveys of Public Lands for Alaska. During his time with the land office, he traveled extensively throughout the territory, gaining an intimate knowledge of the geography and becoming acquainted with both the white and indigenous populations of Alaska.
Read more about this topic: George Alexander Parks
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