California Biographies
Fulton, James

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

Fulton, James. The subject of this memoir, whose portrait appears in this work,
was born in Lawrence county, Indiana, on January 28, 1827, remaining at his
birth-place till 1839, and where he received his primary education. His parents
moved to Buchanan county, Missouri, where they resided until May, 1849, when the
family emigrated across the plains to California, arriving in what is now Nevada
county, on September 13th of that year. They immediately proceeded to San Jose,
where, in connection with his brother Thomas Fulton, he embarked in the lumber
trade, which they carried on one year. After disposing of their business, they
went to Nevada county, there followed mining one year, then returned to San
Jose, and was engaged in farming. In 1852, Mr. Fulton visited Missouri, and
while there, purchased a drove of cattle, which he brought to their ranch near
San Jose. In 1855, accompanied by his brother and father (his mother died when
he was quite young), he came to this county, bought a tract of land north from
Santa Rosa, which was known as Fulton's Cross Roads until the building of the
railroad, when a town-site was laid out and named Fulton Station in honor of
this family. On their arrival in what is now Fulton Station, they pitched a tent
under the branches of a tree until lumber could be procured from the redwoods,
with which they built a house. This was the beginning made by these brave
pioneers who have been spared�except their father�to see a nourishing town built
near the place occupied by their tent twenty-four years ago. Mr. Fulton married
Malessa Wilson, a native of Indiana, on January 9, 1853. She died in Santa Rosa
February 22, 1877. Mary, James Wilson, Retta, Summers B., Albert L. and Laura
A., are the names of their children. This family are now residents of Santa
Rosa, to which they moved in 1873.

Source: HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, Alley, Bowen & Co. 1880