David Fulton
Born: 14 Feb 1850
Born Where: Wadesboro, NC
Died: 05 May 1927
Died Where: Titusville, PA
Mother: Eliza Fulton
Spouse: Eliza A. Millard
b: 11 Aug 1849 Harmony, NY
d: 08 Jan 1914 Titusville, PA
Marriage Date: Jan 1869
Married Where: Titusville, PA
Children: Luther David, Joseph Newton, Robert Howard, Minnie (b: 1891?, d: 1891?)
General info:
David was born in Wadesboro, North Carolina on 14 Feb 1850. As a young man he traveled with his family from Wadesboro to Alleghany, NC, and then on to Philadelphia, PA. In 1867 he was attracted to the Pennsylvania oil fields and moved with the Fulton family (mother, sisters, & cousins) to the Titusville area. Their household in 1870 was in Cherrytree, Venango County, PA, about a mile and a half south of Titusville. In the early days of oil development, he was engaged in contracting and producing various oil fields, under the name David Fulton and Sons.
His wife Eliza A. Millard, daughter of Israel Millard and Delila Wellman Millard, was born in Harmony, NY and spent her early years in the Ashville, Town of Busti in New York. Eliza's stepfather, Seymour Washington Millard (married Delila after Israel), also became an oil producer in Titusville. We don't know how David and Eliza met but it was probably due to their families both being in the oil business. We also don't have an exact date for their marriage but according to Eliza's obituary it was 1868. Their first child, Luther David, was born in 1869. They may have also had an unnamed female child born abt 1871 who died young (Millard family records). They had two more sons, Joseph Newton born in 1873, and Robert Howard born in 1889.
David and Eliza's three sons - Luther, Robert, and Joseph
David and Eliza's three sons - Luther, Robert, and Joseph
(Picture courtesy of Susan Fulton Vaughn)
David's and Eliza's three sons were all born in Cherrytree at their home which was only a few hundred feet from the Drake Oil Well. Luther David Fulton became noted in his own right as an oil man, inventor, and mayor of Titusville from 1936 to 1940. Luther was also a plant supervisor for the Pennzoil Refinery in nearby Rouseville for a number of years.
As a young man, Joseph Newton Fulton also participated in the oil business and held a joint patent with Luther for oil producing methods. Joseph later moved to Buffalo and opened an auto repair and service station business (later-on in partnership with his son Clarence David Fulton). Joseph died in 1917 after contracting typhoid fever during an exploratory trip to Oklahoma to help open a gasoline refinery there.
The third son, Robert Howard Fulton, also became involved in the oil business. He had a large family and eventually moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the next "oil excitement" occurred.
David's oldest sister Sarah stayed with the extended family (David's mother Eliza, nephew Ellis D. Fulton, and George & Mazy Powell) until about 1870 and then seemed to disappear. We have no marriage, death or burial record for Sarah. David's other spinster sister Apheanen/Effie lived with David's mother Eliza and later with David and family till her death in 1920. We found no record of a marriage or offspring for her. A fellow genealogy researcher from Titusville found her obituary for us which indicated a death date for Effie of 03 Oct 1920. Effie is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Titusville, in the same plot as her brother David.
David died 05 May 1927 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Titusville. There is no separate headstone with his name, just the large Fulton monument. David's will registered 21 May 1927 set aside $250 for his gravestone, $500 to his housekeeper Mrs. M. E. Wilcox. The balance of his estate was distributed as follows: 1/4 to grandson Clarence David Fulton, 1/4 to granddaughter Hazelle Fulton Pierce, and 2/4 to the children of son Robert Fulton.
1850 Census: Wadesboro, NC
1860 Census: Alleghany, NC
1870 Census: Cherrytree, PA
1880 Census: Cherrytree, PA
1900 Census: Titusville, PA
1910 Census: Titusville, PA
1920 Census: Titusville, PA
1927 Death Record: Titusville, PA
image: David Fulton as a young man.
David Fulton as a young man.
(Picture courtesy of Susan Fulton Vaughn)
image: David Fulton as a young man.
David Fulton as a young man.
(Picture courtesy of Paul Nichols)
image: David Fulton Family Group
Back: Eliza Millard Fulton (David's wife),
Middle L-R: Effie Fulton (David's sister) & David Fulton,
Front L-R: Robert Fulton & Clarence Fulton about 1904 at 47 South Drake Street in Titusville. PA.
(Picture courtesy of Ruth Oberg)
image: David Fulton
David Fulton, Mrs. Wilcox (David's housekeeper), Clarence Fulton, Maude Locke Fulton, Dorothy Fulton and Evelyn Fulton (in front). (Picture courtesy of Kathy Mieczkowski)
Gravesite: Greenwood Cemetery, on right side of access road, about half way back; Lot No.: 23; Section: B; Grave: