Photograph of the Texas Historical Commission marker for Thomas Middlebrook Willis (June 27, 1859 - November 27, 1937) in Abilene, Texas. Text: Born in Bainbridge, Georgia, Thomas Middlebrook Willis was an important early leader in Abilene. Willis moved to Waco, Texas with his parents, Dr. Thomas L. and Mrs. Letitia Willis, in 1866. T. M. Willis first came to this area in 1878 to investigate range possibilities. In 1883, after graduating from the law school of Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, he moved here and established a practice. In 1886, Willis married Abilene resident Sallie Parker (1865 - 1954); the couple had eight children. Also in 1886, he was elected city attorney. Willis later also served as city judge. In 1937, the Abilene Reporter-News honored him, among others, as one of the city's founders.

Law license from the Law School of Cumberland University acknowledging that Thomas Middlebrook Willis (1859-1937) has fulfilled the requirements for the degree. T. M. Willis practiced law in Abilene, TX for many years.

Photograph of an miniature oil portrait of Harriett L. Julian Clarke, the daughter of Dr. Charles Julian and Jane Moore Julian and the mother of Sallie Ann Clarke Parker. She married Joseph C. Clarke. She was born September 30, 1798 and died September 21, 1838. According to family tradition, the portrait was painted in France.

Photograph of Dr. John Todd Parker, the father of Robert Henry Parker. He is a middle-aged man in this portrait.

Photograph of Robert Henry Parker, the husband of Sallie Ann Clarke Parker. He was born September 16, 1828 and died on September 15, 1896.

Photograph of Robert Henry Parker, the husband of Sallie Ann Clarke Parker. He was born September 16, 1828 and died on September 15, 1896.

Photograph of the first two-story frame house in Abilene, Texas, located on the corner of South 2nd Street and Butternut Street. It was the home of Robert Henry Parker. A group of people, believed to be the Parker family, are gathered on the covered porch.

Photograph of the first two-story frame house in Abilene, Texas, located on the corner of South 2nd Street and Butternut Street. It was the home of Robert Henry Parker. A white picket fence borders the property.

Photograph of four generations of the Parker family. From left to right are Sallie Ann Clarke Parker, Sallie Ann Parker Willis, Neva Willis Hudson, and an infant, Margaret Ann Hudson.

Photograph of the cover of a leather-bound Holy Bible belonging to the Robert Henry Parker family. The initials R.H. and S.A. Parker are engraved underneath the title, which is set in a decorative typeface. An intricately engraved border surrounds the title.

Photograph of the title page inside a pictorial family bible belonging to the Robert Henry Parker family. The page, which is pink in color, presents the necessary information on the publisher, the editor, and other aspects of the edition.

Photograph of a certificate certifying the marriage of Robert Henry Parker and Sallie Ann Clarke. The certificate features an ornamental, floral border with the image of a couple riding in a boat being led by a robed woman with a torch. According to the certificate, they were married on November 20, 1851. This marriage certificate was found in the R. H. & S. A. Parker Bible.

Photograph of Neva Parker Woodward, who is the daughter of Robert H. Parker and Sallie Clarke Parker of Abilene, Texas, according to handwritten information on the back of the photo. She is a short-haired woman wearing a pearl necklace and a sleeveless ensemble. Held against her chest is a feathery object.

Photograph of D. Proctor Woodward, the husband of Neva Parker Woodward, according to handwritten information the back of the photo. He is a middle-aged bespectacled man wearing a suit and sitting in an ornate chair with a book in his lap.

Photograph of John Todd Parker, a middle-aged man with short hair and a mustache, posed for a studio portrait in a three-piece suit. According to a handwritten note on the back, he is the son of Robert H. Parker and Sallie Clarke Parker.

Photograph of a group of women seated together for a portrait on the porch of Robert Henry Parker's home in Abilene, Texas. Sitting on the first row are Lavinia Parker McDaniel and Nellie Parker Davis Jack. On the second row are Hallie Parker Adams, Sallie Ann Clarke Parker (wife of Robert Henry Parker and matriarch of those around her), and Bettie Parker Kelly. On the top row are Sallie Ann Parker Willis (wife of Thomas Middlebrook Willis), Neva Parker Woodward, and Margaret "Mag" Parker Field Cox.

Photograph of a communion table inside the chapel of the First Central Presbyterian Church in Abilene, Texas. The table was donated to the First Presbyterian Church by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Henry Parker.

Photograph of Lavinia Ward, née McDaniel, standing outside of her brick house with a small hand bell, known as the Parker Bell, that belonged to her grandfather, Robert Henry Parker. It is resting it on the lip of a planter or urn in front of the house. A handwritten note on the back claims that the bell was once "used to call slaves in each day."

Photograph of Sallie L. Willis, right, and John Todd Willis, Sr., left, as children. John T. Willis, Sr. sits in chair with a hat in one hand and a toy in the other. His sister stands next to him.

Photograph of John T. Willis, Sr. in a group photograph of the Abilene Clearing House Association. He stands in the middle of the back row with his hands on the shoulders of the man in front of him. All of the men are dressed in white shirts, and several have money in their pockets or hands.

Photograph of John T. Willis, Sr. in a group photograph of the Abilene Clearing House Association. He stands in the middle of the back row with his hands on the shoulders of the man in front of him. All of the men are dressed in white shirts, and several have money in their pockets or hands. The men in the front row are Kirk -, Herman Pender, and Curtis Weaver. Roy McCollough is on the left in the back row, and Bob Adams stands on Willis' other side.

Photograph of John T. Willis, Sr. in a group Photograph of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank in Abilene, Texas. Willis stands on the right. Herman Pender stands next to Willis. Bob Adams sits in front of Pender, and Ben McAdams sits next to him. All four men are wearing suits.

Photograph of John T. Willis, Sr. in a group portrait with three other men. Willis is seated in the lower left hand corner.

Photograph of John T. Willis, Sr. on a bankers camping trip. He stands in between two other men, Bob Adams on the left and Fritz Fulwiler on the left. Willis wears a hat and holds a pipe in his mouth. The campsite is visible behind the men.