CHILDREN'S CHILDREN

CHAPTER XVII

I GIVE here the names and addresses of my children, with the dates of birth, names of their children, and their present addresses:

I was first married to Mary Brown Hudson, Sept. 6, 1866. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, Feb. 10, 1847. Her father was William Hudson, of the firm of Hudson, Byron and Co., later Hudson, Miller and Co. Her mother was Mary Brown, who attended school at Mesopotamia, now Eutaw, Ala. The Hudsons bought a home near Scooba, Mississippi. Mary Brown Hudson attended school at Gainesville, Alabama. A correspondence sprung up between her and myself through my stepsister, Mary Hanna Anderson, while I was with the army of Virginia. On my return from the war this romance matured into marriage, and we began life together at Scooba. Later we moved to Emelle, in Sumter County, Alabama, thence to Stewart, Ala., afterwards to Springville, Ala. From there we moved to Shades Valley, now a part of Birmingham, and later to Woodlawn, where this first companion of my life died, July 26, 1882, after having presented me with five sons and one daughter. She and the little (Page 152) daughter lie buried, in the private cemetery already mentioned.

Of the sons mentioned above, James Hudson Fulton was the oldest. He was born at Scooba, Aug.42, 1867. In early boyhood he learned the printer's trade, and rose to a responsible position with the Birmingham Iron Age. He later became connected with the Philadelphia North American, in which city he died, June 8, 1911. He married in Philadelphia and had one child whom he named Mary Julia.

William Brown Fulton, the second of the boys, was born in Mobile, while his mother was on a visit, Oct. 24, 1869. He graduated from Howard College and, later from the Birmingham Dental College and the Birmingham Medical College. He practiced dentistry for some time in Birmingham, but his health becoming impaired he moved to Dadeville, Alabama, where he now resides. For several years he has been principal of the Dadeville Public School. While living in Birmingham he was married to Miss Neva Barnes. Their home has been made happy by three fine boys, Adelbert, William, and Charles. The eldest has graduated from the A. & M. College of Auburn, Alabama.

The third one of the boys, Weston Miller Fulton, was born at Stewart, Hale County, Alabama, August 3, 1871. He too, attended Howard College, but later graduated from (Page 153) the University of Mississippi with first honors in 1892. On leaving the University of Mississippi he entered the employ of the government as assistant observer in the Weather Bureau Observatory at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He served in this capacity several years, when he was promoted to a more responsible position in the Weather Observatory at New Orleans, La., where he remained for one year. He was then promoted to the position of Observer in charge of the U. S Weather Bureau Observatory at Knoxville, Tenn., in 1898. Through a co-operative plan between the government and the University of Tennessee (located at Knoxville) he served as Instructor in Meteorology in the University, and as Meteorologist for the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, and carried on this work conjointly with his work in the Weather Bureau. This afforded him an opportunity to do some post-graduate work in mechanical engineering, and the degree of "Master of Science" was conferred upon him by the University of Tennessee. He was a charter member of the University of Tennessee chapter of the "Phi Kappa Phi" Scholarship Fraternity.

As Observer in charge of the U. S. Weather Observatory at Knoxville, Tenn., he had charge of the local work then being done by the government in investigating the meteorological conditions of the upper atmosphere by (Page 154) means of box kites, and the results of his observations were published as a part of a collection of scientific articles issued by the University of Tennessee during the years 1899-1902.

He worked out numerous improvements in the scientific instruments used in the Weather Observatory, and, in one instance, designed and perfected an entirely new instrument for automatically recording river stages. This instrument was so successful that the government adopted it, and published a description of it in a pamphlet entitled "The Fulton Automatic River Gage", and gave a less detailed account of it in The U. S. Monthly Weather Review, published monthly by the Weather Bureau, Vol. 31, No. 4, April, 1903, pp. 185-186.

His intimate contact with the observation of weather conditions led him to devote special study to the recording and regulation of temperatures. His investigations in this field led to his discovery of new principles and devices which proved to be of so much commercial importance that he severed his connection with the Weather Bureau in 1904 and organized The Fulton Company for the purpose of manufacturing his inventions. Since that time more than one hundred and twenty-five United States Patents, been granted him on his inventions, and The Fulton Company has grown to such magnitude that it is (Page 155) now generally recognized as the largest concern in the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of thermostatic devices. He has served as President of The Fulton Company from the date of its organization in 1904 to the present time (1925).

He has always taken an active interest in local philanthropic and civic affairs. He is at present a member of the Board of Directors of the Associated Charities; a member of the City Council and Vice-Mayor of Knoxville; member of the Board of Directors of the Knoxville Board of Commerce; member of the Advisory Committee of the Young Women's' Christian Association; sustaining member of the Young Men's Christian Association; past President of the Knoxville Rotary Club; member of the Board of Directors of the City National Bank of Knoxville and President of the Knoxville Home Building and Loan Association.

He married Miss Barbara Murrian of Knoxville, Tenn., and to this union four children have been born, Weston Miller, Jr.; Barbara Alexander; Robert William, and Jean Hudson.

The fourth son was Harvey Graham Fulton. He too, was born at Stewart, Nov. 11, 1873. He graduated at Howard College, following which he studied pharmacy with Dr. A. S. Murphy of Eutaw, Alabama. Upon the death of Dr. Murphy he became a mem (Page 156) ber of the firm of The Murphy Drug Company. Later he established The Fulton Drug Company, afterwards known as Fulton and Eatman. After several years of successful business he disposed of his interest to his partner, Mr. A. B. Eatman, and opened a drug business in Townley, Alabama. However, it became necessary for him to abandon this kind of work entirely. So he invested in some Jersey cattle and with his -brother, Will Fulton, he began a stock and dairy business near Good-water, Alabama. After a few years here he was smitten with a serious illness which ultimately proved fatal. He was carried to Johns Hopkins for treatment and finally died at the home of his brother in Knoxville, Nov. 9, 1922, in which city he is buried. He never married.

The fifth son was Robert Edwin Fulton, born December 27, 1877, in Shades Valley. He graduated from Southwestern Presbyterian University, Clarksville, Tenn., in both the college and the theological departments, and began his first pastorate at Newton, Mississippi. After two years he was called back to his alma mater as assistant professor of history. He then became adjunct professor and finally was elected to the full professorship. Here he remained eleven years, during which time he supplied temporarily in other departments, and it was while supplying in Systematic Theology that the insti (Page 157) tution conferred upon him the degree of "Doctor of Divinity." The last two years he was transferred to the chair of Biblical Languages and Literature. After this period he returned to the pastorate, becoming pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Eutaw, Ala., where he still resides. While in Clarksville he was married Sept. 8,1910 to Miss Kathchen Gibon of that city. They have a little girl, Anna Katherine Fulton.

The daughter of my first marriage was Lucinda Kate, Nov. 1, 1880 to July 16, 1881.

I was married the second time to Miss Mary Virginia Keene, Aug. 2,1883. The date of her birth is March 16, 1858. To her were born nine children, as follows:

Martha Julia Fulton, born June 17, 1884. She married Marvin Keener and they have four children, Ross, Barbara, Ruth, and Betty Jean. They live at Woodlawn.

Elizabeth Dial Fulton, July 27, 1885. She married Rev. Henry L. Aldridge of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. They have three children, Mary Elizabeth, Howard Culver, and Frank. They live at Guntersville, Alabama.

William Frierson Fulton, Jr., Jan. 21, 1888. He continues the stock and dairy business referred to above, near Goodwater, Alabama. He has never married and from present indications shows no tendencies in that direction. (Page 158)

Mary Florence Fulton, May 22, 1890. She married F. S. Forrester and they now reside in Montgomery, Alabama. Three children were born to them, Eugenia, Eddyth, and Carl. The first died in early childhood.

Nannie Jeannette Fulton, Nov. 19, 1891. She married Rev. Claude G. Partridge, a Presbyterian minister, now Superintendent of Home Missions of North Alabama Presbytery, with headquarters in Birmingham. They have two children, Virginia, and Mary Jean.

Jane Esther Fulton, Nov. 7, 1893 to May 4,1914.

Franklin Keene Fulton, July 23, 1895. He spent two years at the Southwestern Presbyterian University and then entered the University of Tennessee. He is now connected with The Fulton Company, of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Neva Marion Fulton, July 14, 1897. She married Dr. Lewellyn Ledbetter, a specialist of Beaumont, Texas. They have two children, Marion, and William Robert.

Ruth Gladding Fulton, Oct. 18, 1900. She married George Gilliland and they live in Birmingham. (Page 159)

Family Record and War Reminiscences
by William Frierson Fulton, Jr.
Livingston, AL, 1919
Transcribed by James W. Martin