Parrish is named for Crawford Parrish, one of its first settlers, who came to Manatee County in 1869. He bought land at Oak Hill from Major William Turner and farmed food crops, tobacco, citrus, cattle, and hogs there. He also homesteaded many acres, and in 1885 received a 40-acre land grant signed by President Grover Cleveland. Crawford and his wife, Mary, had 8 children, and many of their descendants still live in Parrish; both are buried at Fortner Cemetery. Their son John Parrish was influential in the community’s early years. Like many neighbors, he earned much of his income from citrus, which was hauled by mule and wagon to boats in Bradenton. Knowing that a railroad stop at Oak Hill was crucial to the town’s development, he persuaded railroad and government officials to build a depot there and donated land for the depot, water tank, and miles of track. The depot attracted packing houses, grocers, doctors, druggists, and merchants, and Parrish thrived until the Great Depression destroyed much of its commerce, forcing farmers and ranchers to leave for work in big cities. Packing houses and grocers closed, and many families needed decades to recover, but dozens of Crawford Parrish’s descendants still live in the area and remain active in local government, churches, rural health, and civic associations.