- Alexander Fulton
Alexander Fulton (
August 29 ,1805 –January 17 ,1885 ) was the founder of theIowa State Agricultural Society .Fulton was born in
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania to James and Ann Fulton. He was their fourth child. In 1807, the Fulton family moved toBaltimore, Maryland , and in 1814 toRoss County, Ohio .In 1822, Fulton joined the
Methodist Episcopal Church . OnJune 22 ,1826 , he married Eliza Jones. Shortly after, they moved toDelaware County, Ohio , where they had five children: Robert J. (1829–1857), Gilbert Lafayette (1831–1853), Joseph Warren (1833–1903), William C. (1836–1857), and Martha Amelia (1838–1855). During this time, Fulton worked as amillwright .In 1843, the family moved to Fairfield, Jefferson County, in the
Iowa Territory . On May 29 of that year, Fulton purchased 40 acres (0.2 km²) of land from the government and built alog cabin in the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 26, township 72, R 10 W. OnDecember 8 ,1845 he purchased another 40 acres (0.2 km²) of land, in section 10 of township 71; and onOctober 15 ,1846 , another 40 acres (0.2 km²), in section 34 of township 71.While in Fairfield, Fulton was the proprietor of the first drug and book store in the area. He also organized and was the first member of the Jefferson Lodge No. 4, a branch of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows . He and Eliza were also foster parents. One of their many foster children took the name Morris Fulton. Fulton is said to have had a "celebrated truck garden".Fulton was one of the founders of the Iowa State Agricultural Society. This organization was a forerunner of the
Iowa State Fair .Fulton represented Iowa Governor
Cyrus C. Carpenter at theUnited States Centennial celebration inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876.He died in his Fairfield home on
January 17 ,1885 . His tombstone is number 492 in lot 52 of the Old Fairfield City Cemetery.External links
* [http://yawp.com/fulton/pages/alexander.html A listing of biographical facts from yawp.com]
* [http://www.oddfellows.co.uk/history/loss_american_order.htm The origins of the Independent Order of Oddfellows]
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