Parrish was indicted but not convicted of transporting liquor between Portland and Victoria, British Columbia in 1866 and 1867 without paying the duties.

With Sarah Winnemucca, Parrish introduced agricultural methods for effective farming and helped establish and operate a school for children and young adults.

Parrish worked as assistant manager of the Monumental Mining Company in Grant County, Oregon, for about four years.

Samuel Ball Parrish,[1] born February 25, 1838, in Pike, Allegany County, New York, was the son of Elizabeth (née Winn) and Rev.

[7] The family sailed for eight months around Cape Horn in 1840 from New York to the mouth of Columbia River of the Oregon Territory.

[4] In 1857, he engaged in the cattle business, driving from Oregon to British Columbia and the Eraser River mines, and continued in that occupation about two years.

[4] Parrish—with Asa Mercer, a deputy collector for the custom house; George A. Ladd, a delivery man; and H. W. Rappeleye, who prepared the fraudulent paperwork—were deemed by prosecutors to have transported liquor between Victoria, British Columbia and Portland without paying duties.

[13] The prosecutors tried the case three times, plagued by witnesses who would not testify, defendants not showing up to court due to illness or otherwise absent, and very limited press coverage.

[1][d] With Sarah Winnemucca, his Paiute-English interpreter, Parrish was able to help the Paiute to farm[15] the land using irrigation.

[16] Upon opening the school in October 1876, and with the leadership of Parrish's sister-in-law, they taught 374 children and 42 young men and women.

[16] Parrish distributed rations,[15] during a time when Native Americans generally did not receive their promised supplies from the government.

[17] Author Michael Farquhar stated that Parrish "treated the Indians with kindness, encouraging them to work the land and to keep the rewards of their labor.

[3][8] In the fall of 1892, Parrish was interested in the German Remedy Company and the treatment of alcohol, morphine, and tobacco habits.

With Captain J. T. Watson and John R. Duff, he purchased the agency for the State of Washington, and established their headquarters in Seattle on January 1, 1893.

[1] Parrish was a member of the Oregon Pioneer Association[23] and the Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW).