parke was born in coatesville, chester county, pennsylvania, to francis g. and sarah parke. he graduated from the united states military academy in 1849 and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the corps of engineers. as an engineer, he determined the boundary lines between iowa and the little colorado river, surveyed routes for a railroad from the mississippi river to the pacific ocean, and was the chief surveyor of the party charged with the delineation of the boundary of the northwest united states and british north america, 1857–1861.