Parker Street was named after Provost Charles Parker, a native of Bentham, Yorkshire, who was born in 1796. He came from Darlington to Dundee, in 1849, and started an engineering work and iron foundry. He entered the Town Council in 1857, was Treasurer in 1859, and raised in 1861 to the position of Provost. The last-named office he held for the double term of six years, but did not survive to complete that period, as he died in 1867 while in office, being then in his 71st year. He took an active part in many reforms of municipal affairs.
He was specially interested in the founding of the Free Public Library and it was mainly through his advocacy that the Public Libraries Act was adopted in September, 1866, though he did not survive to see the completion of the work.
Adapted from: ‘Glimpses of Old and New Dundee’ – A.H. Millar, January 1925