William Brown Fulkerson History

THE HISTORY OF WILLIAM BROWN FULKERSON

Compiled and edited by Mary N. Bursik, granddaughter

William Brown Fulkerson was born in Lusk, Pope Co., Illinois on 8 Mar 1838. Lusk is a very small town on the outskirts of Golconda, the county seat. William Brown’s grandfather Richard Fulkerson had received a land grant in Pope Co. for his service in the War of 1812. Richard and his wife, Grissey Cowsert Fulkerson crossed the river from Livingston Co. Kentucky with their four small children and settled in Pope Co. Richard died in 1821 leaving Grissey with five children, with the sixth being born three weeks after the death of her father. William Brown’ father was James Fredrick Fulkerson, the oldest son of Richard and Grissey. He was ten years old when his father died. In 1827 Grissey remarried to a river boat operator named William Brown. William Brown raised Grissey six children and they had seven of their own. Richard’s land grant was by law given to his children as the lawful heirs. After the children were married they signed over the land grant to their step father William Brown.

It is touching that James Fredrick Fulkerson gave his third son the name of William Brown Fulkerson after his step father. It gives us a picture of what a good man William Brown was and the closeness of the Fulkerson family. The Fulkerson family had a great tradition of naming the male children after fathers, grandfathers and uncles.  This tradition continued until after 1900.

William Brown Fulkerson’s parents were then James Fredrick Fulkerson and Priscilla “Martha” Floyd. He grew up with nine brothers and sisters, numerous cousins, uncles, aunts and others. All of his siblings settled in the southern tip of Illinois. There are still Fulkersons in that part of Illinois. It is not known how much formal education William Brown had but he could read and write. He was taught farming by his father, and blacksmithing by an uncle. He married Mary Whiteside 8 Sep 1857 and there are records of land transactions where he bought and sold land. He is on the 1860 census of Pope Co. as a 21 year old with a wife Mary age 20 and a son Johnson age 1. He is on the 1870 census of Pope Co. age 31, wife Mary age 30 and 5 children ranging from 1 year to 12 years. Sometime around 1872 William B. and Mary decided to sell their property in Pope Co. and head for Kansas. Our grandmother Lenora always said she was born in Springfield, Illinois and it could be on the way to Kansas. Their next child Lafayette was born in Kansas in 1874. William B.’s wife Mary died in Jan 1878. It is family tradition that she had her last child William Penn in Sep 1877 and never fully recovered. When she died this left William B. with a family of eight children. He remarried in July 1878 to a widow who had taken care of Mary during her illness. This second wife was Mary Elizabeth Lovell Brockman. She brought to this marriage three children and then William Brown and Mary Lovell had six children of their own. On the 1880 federal census of Rooks, Kansas there are 8 Fulkerson children and 3 Brockman children. The oldest son Richard J. was married and living next door.

William Brown and Mary E. are on the 1885 state census of Rooks Kansas and on the 1895 state census of Graham Co. Kansas. Graham County is next door to Rooks. After moving to Graham county William B. and Mary E. bought a hotel in Bogue/Hill City. On the 1900 federal census of Graham, Kansas only Etta, Ella, Newton and Grover are living at home. William Brown died in 1906 and is buried in Hill City Cemetery.