In 1961, the old Jenks High school was demolished at Third and Main Street to make room for Parkers Grocery Store. Dewey and Marguerite Parker moved their grocery business from First and Main Street to the new building location in 1963. Parkers Grocery occupied the west half of the building and Wackers occupied the east half of the building. Wackers was basically a TG&Y dime store. Mr. Parkers business doubled in size when he needed the space that Wackers occupied a couple of years later. In 1974, Dewey and Marguerite retired and sold their business to Wells Food Store, keeping the building. They had supplied Jenks residents with groceries and had been a staple on Main Street for 40 years.
Wells Food Store eventually sold out to Super H Foods, and in 1993 when Super H decided to close, Mr. Parker, at age 84 decided to put in either a "vintage/antique" type mall or a retail "fire damaged, overstocked type" business. Steve and Linda Eaton, the current owners, had several discussions with Mr. Parker, and it was decided that in Jenks, the Antique Capital of Oklahoma, a vintage/antique mall would work. Contractors were hired to build booths in the east half of the building.
On April 4, 1994 River City Trading Post was officially open. With an incredible response from Dealers wanting to be in the "new" mall, construction started on the west side of the building almost immediately and RCTP steadily grew to the business it is today.
Dewey and Marguerite were always amazed at the items customers were buying, especially since many of the same "junk" items people were buying had been discarded many times by the Parkers over their lifetime. They were fortunate to witness the shopping frenzy during the first Christmas season at RCTP.
At the age of 84, in January 1995, Dewey Parker passed away, fifteen months later in April 1996, at the age of 85, with a broken heart, Marguerite passed on. They were married 67 years and my beloved Grandparents. They will always be in my heart.
Steve