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| P. A. Cummings, ca. 1897 Buncombe County Library Special Collections |
Parish Alexander Cummings (b. March 1, 1846; d. July 8, 1929)
New York. White.Occupation: lawyer, merchant.
Father's occupation: merchant, preacher, professor, teacher.
Parish (or Parry) A. Cummings was born on March 1, 1846 in Wellsville, New York to Anson W. and Florilla Alexander Cummings. Both parents were from New York, although Anson had been raised in Canada. Anson is described in greater detail in his own entry.
At the time of Parish's birth, Anson was working as a Methodist Episcopal minister in Fairfield, New York. However, later that year the family moved to Lebanon, Illinois so that Anson could assume a professorship at McKendree College.
Parish's mother died when he was six years old (in 1852). The next year Anson married Isabelle, a widow. Isabelle ultimately gave birth to Parish's three half-brothers Charles W., Francis, and Olin. They are described in separate entries.
In 1853, the Cummings family left Illinois for the south. The family may have briefly lived in Missouri (records are unclear), and they spent a year in Rogersville, Tennessee, but around 1854, they settled in Asheville, North Carolina. There the father served as principal of the Holston Conference Female College.
Parish was fifteen years old when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted in the Confederate army around the time he turned eighteen (the age limit for enlistment). He served in Company F of the 14th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry from February 1, 1864 to June 30, 1864. He began as a private and was promoted to quartermaster sergeant by the end of his enlistment.
After the Civil War (in fall 1866), the Cummings family moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina. There Parish worked as a merchant, possibly helping run his father's business. He also attended Wofford College and graduated with an A.B. degree in 1869.
The Cummings family moved a third time in the summer of 1872. They moved to Columbia because the father Anson was elected professor at the University of South Carolina. Parish enrolled as a law student at the university for the 1872-73 academic year. He graduated with an LL.D. degree in 1873. He was one of the last students to graduate before the racial integration of the university.
After Reconstruction, most of the Cummings family left the south and moved to New York state. However, Parish remained behind. By 1879, he had returned to Asheville, North Carolina and received a license to practice law in the state. He remained in Asheville, working as a lawyer, for the next two decades, until around 1896. He served as deputy clerk for the federal court in 1885.
In Asheville, Parish was active in city and county affairs. He was especially active in the Republican party. His support for Republicanism is especially notable as he had fought for the Confederacy. Despite his political beliefs, Parish appears to have been proud of his army service as he participated in Confederate veterans events. For example, in 1926 (when he was eighty years old), he traveled from his home in Virginia to Alabama to participate in the United Confederate Reunion.
Shortly after returning to North Carolina (in October 1879), Parish became editor for the Republican newspaper the Madison County News. The newspaper was based in the town of Marshal, and it was the first paper to serve Madison county (a county neighboring Asheville's county).
Parish ran for elected office in 1886. That year he was the Republican candidate for superior court judge for the 12th district (the district containing Asheville). He lost by a large margin (246 votes to 1192) to the Democratic candidate J. H. Merrimon. Parish's loss was representative of the elections that year. North Carolina Republicans suffered a crushing electoral defeat that year, failing to win a single election.
Parish also served as a delegate to the county Republican convention, for example in 1890 and 1896.
During the rise of Populism in the 1890s, Parish supported fusion between Republicans and Populists. For example, at an 1896 meeting of the local Republican club, he proposed a resolution inviting North Carolina Populists to cooperate with Republicans in the 1896 election. In general, many Asheville Republicans supported fusion as a way to challenge Democratic political power.
Beyond his work in politics, Parish was active in the Northern Settlers Immigration Society. The society promoted immigration to North Carolina by northerners. Parish served as the society's Secretary and Treasurer in 1886. Some insight into Parish's views on northern immigration can gleaned from a resolution he proposed at a 1891 meeting of the Society. He appears to have valued strengthening ties between North Carolina and northern states as a way to stimulate manufacturing and promote regional economic development. His resolution approvingly acknowledged support that had been offered for an upcoming manufacturers' exposition: northern railway lines had offered low excursion rates to participants and "the people of the south" had invited manufacturers from the north. His resolution concluded by emphasizing national unity: "we hope the manufacturers from our state will make such a display as will show . . . that no nation can surpass the American people in manufacturing."
Parish left North Carolina in the 1898. He left to move to Washington DC because he received an army appointment around the time the Spanish-American War broke out. He remained in DC, working as a lawyer and (in 1901) in the US Census office.
By 1918, Parish had retired to Richmond, Virginia. He later moved to Danville, Virginia.
In June 1929, Parish began experiencing poor health and was confirmed to his home. His health worsened, and on July 8, he died. He is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville.
Sources
1. 1850; Census Place: Lebanon, St Clair, Illinois; Roll: 126; Page: 505b
2. 1860; Census Place: Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina; Page: 245
3. 1870; Census Place: Court House, Spartanburg, South Carolina; Roll: M593_1508; Page: 410A
4. 1880; Census Place: Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina; Roll: 954; Page: 129A; Enumeration District: 034
5. 1900; Census Place: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia; Page: 19; Enumeration District: 0050; FHL microfilm: 1240160
6. 1920; Census Place: Richmond Clay Ward, Richmond (Independent City), Virginia; Roll: T625_1909; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 72
8. The Alamance Gleaner [Graham, N.C.]. January 14, 1879. p. 3.
9. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina. Publication Number: M270. National archives catalog id:586957. Record Group: 109. State: North Carolina. Roll: 0045.
10. Asheville, North Carolina, City Directory, 1896
11. Richmond, Virginia, City Directory, 1918
12. Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Deaths, 1912-2014. Certificate Number: 1929018594.
13. Wofford College. Office of the Registrar, "Wofford College Catalogue, 1870-71" (1870). College Catalogues. Paper 9
14. "The 'Madison County News'" The Asheville Weekly Citizen [Asheville, NC] October 23, 1879. p. 1.
15. "State News." Raleigh News [Raleigh, NC]. October 29, 1879. p. 1.
16. The Semi-Weekly Asheville Citizen [Asheville, NC]. October 31, 1885. p. 1.
17. "A Good Move." Greensboro North State [Greensboro, NC]. April 29, 1886. p. 6.
18. "Republican Candidates." Greensboro North State [Greensboro, NC]. September 23, 1886. p. 4.
19. "The Vote for Judges." The Gastonia Gazette [Gastonia, NC]. November 5, 1886. p. 3.
20. "Republican Convention." Asheville Democrat [Asheville, NC]. AUgust 14, 1890. p. 8.
21. "It Will Bear Good Fruit."Asheville Weekly Citizen [Asheville, NC]. June 4, 1891. p. 7.
22. "From President to Constable." Asheville Weekly Citizen [Asheville, NC] February 14, 1896. p. 1.
23. "Republican Delegates." Asheville Weekly Citizen [Asheville, NC] September 1, 1896.
24. "Around Town." Asheville Weekly Citizen [Asheville, NC] November 29, 1901. p. 2.
25. "Cummings Improving." The Times Dispatch [Richmond, Virginia].May 9, 1923. p. 3.
26. "Veterans Leave for Confederate Reunion." The Bee [Danville, Virginia]. May 18, 1926. p. 2.
27. The Bee [Danville, Virginia]. June 26, 1929. p. 2.
Look up P. A. Cummings , " Early Reminiscence of Asheville , ” Asheville Citizen , March 20 , 1923
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