Biographical Sketch of Nicholas Houx Fulkerson, Johnson County, Missouri, Centerview Township. >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Nicholas Houx Fulkerson, a late prominent farmer and stockman of John- son county, was one of the wealthiest landowners in this section of Missouri. He was a member of one of the oldest and best families in Johnson county, a representative of one of the leading colonial famil- ies of Virginia. Mr. Fulkerson was born April 8, 1842, on his father's farm in Johnson county, a son of Dr. J. M. and Elizabeth C. (Houx) Fulkerson. Dr. James Monroe Fulkerson was born in Virginia, March 15, 1811. When he was still a babe in arms, his parents moved from Vir- ginia to a plantation in Tennessee and then later to Missouri, locating in Lafayette county. Although born in Virginia and reared in Tennessee Dr. James Monroe Fulkerson was always regarded as one of Missouri's own sons, for the greatest part of his life was spent in this state. He was one of the beloved pioneer physicians of Johnson county and an active man of civic affairs. Doctor Fulkerson began the practice of his profession in St. Charles county, Missouri. In 1834, he came to Johnson county and for several years made his home with Nicholas Houx, an honored pioneer of Johnson county, whose daughter he married. Dr. and Mrs. Fulkerson settled on the Houx homestead and within a few years after his coming to this county, Mr. Fulkerson manifested his gift for leadership and for three consecutive terms represented his chosen coun- ty in the Missouri State Legislature, the first man in Johnson county to be honored with this important trust. Doctor Fulkerson had been a resident of the county but six years, when his versatile abilities were so well known that he was chosen director of the Lexington Bank of Missouri and assignee of the bankrupts of Johnson county. During the ensuing years, he prospered to a remarkable degree and at the time of his death in 1886 was the owner of 2400 acres of choice land in this and adjoining counties. Mr. Fulkerson, the subject of this review, had enjoyed the advantages of association with highly intellectual and talented parents and of higher education. He was a student at Chapel Hill College two years, at Columbia University one year, and at St. Joe College one year. Nicholas Houx Fulkerson had pursued the medical course in college and was thoroughly fitted to begin the practice of medicine when financial losses, caused by the Civil War, caused him to change his plans and to engage in farming and stock raising. During the Civil War, Mr. Fulkerson enlisted with Company E, 5th Missouri Infantry and served under General Price throughout the long struggle of four years. Twice, he was wounded in battle. After the conflict had closed, Mr. Fulkerson returned to the farm and for four years was engaged in general farming in Johnson county. Following this, he was successfully employed in the Texas cattle business for eight years and then he organized a stock company and operated a cattle ranch in Kansas, becoming later the manager of the same. When Mr. Fulkerson returned to Johnson county, he again engaged in general farming and was thus occu- pied until 1883, when he moved from the farm to Warrensburg in order that his children might have better educational advantages. He moved back to the farm in 1889, after the children had completed their work in the Warrensburg State Normal School, and one year afterward was again the leading man of his community. Apparently, Nicholas Houx Fulkerson had inherited a good share of his father's stock of brains and excellent business judgement, for he, too, became very prosperous and successful in a material way, owning at the time of his death in 1900 more than 1300 acres of land. He was an influential Democrat and served as township assessor for many years. December 25, 1866, Nich- olas Houx Fulkerson and Martha A. F. Fulkerson, daughter of John and Henrietta (Ewing) Fulkerson, prominent pioneers of Lafayette county, were united in marriage and to them were born six children, five of whom are now living: Dr. F. M., Sedalia, Missouri; Dr. John H., Center- view, Missouri; Nicholas Houx, Jr., Warrensburg, Missouri; R. P., Tacoma, Washington; and Mrs. Elizabeth E. Greer, Centerview, Missouri. Henrietta O. Fulkerson died in 1884. Since the father's death in 1900, the widowed mother resides at the homestead with her two sons, John H. and Nicholas H., Jr. and her daughter Mrs. Greer, who is the mother of one child, a daughter, Vivian Ewing. Until the day of his death, Nicholas Houx Fulkerson was a tireless worker. He was widely known to be a man of high moral standing, of pleasant and kindly manners, ster- ling integrity, a gentleman. Like his father, Mr. Fulkerson possessed a marked talent for leadership, which clearly appeared during the war when he was one of the most respected and admired officers in the Southern camp, and again in civil life when he assumed offices of trust and responsibility within the gift of the people. His constant prac- tice of square dealing and gentle kindness won for him a multitude of friends in Johnson county. The Fulkerson brothers have charge of 1,000 acres of valuable land and they are engaged in farming and stock rais- ing on a extensive scale. The farm is well equipped with all needed conveniences for handling stock and it is well watered. Two hundred fifty acres of the place were planted in wheat last autumn, of 1917. This past season, John H. and Nicholas H., Jr., harvested 75 tons of hay and 5,000 bushels of wheat, in addition to having 35 acres of corn land. They are industrious and intelligent agriculturists and young men of high standing in the community, well worthy of the unsullied name they bear. At the time of this writing, in 1917, the Fulkersons were canning beans which were grown from the seed produced by beans planted by the great-grandmother Fulkerson more than a century ago. In the Fulkerson home they are known as "grandma beans." ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. 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