Richard FULKERSON

11 Feb 1806 - 24 Nov 1887

Father: Fulkard FULKERSON
Mother: Sarah DAVIS

Family 1 : Sally Shepherd CLAWSON

  1. +Ruth FULKERSON
  2. +Phoebe F. FULKERSON
  3. +Mary F. FULKERSON
  4. +John W. FULKERSON
  5. +Stephen Trible FULKERSON 
                                           Folkert FULKERSON  
                      _John FULKERSON __|
                     |                  |  Marie BOGERT  
 _Fulkard FULKERSON _|
|                    |                   __
|                    |_Margaret BRUNER _|
|                                       |__
|
|--Richard FULKERSON 
|
|                                        __
|                     _Theodore DAVIS __|
|                    |                  |__
|_Sarah DAVIS _______|
                     |                   __
                     |_--- (DAVIS) _____|
                                        |__

Notes:

Richard Fulkerson c. 1860 The 1850 Census for Perry Township, Davis Co., Iowa, lists Richard Fulkerson's family living in dwelling #56, he is 44 years old, born in Kentucky, and worth $2500. Also listed was Sarah, a. 39 bp. KY; John, a. 14 bp. KY; Stephen T., a. 9 bp. KY; Merril Mize, a. 21; and Mary Mize, a. 18.
The Sonoma County 1860 Census information on Richard Fulkerson is incorrect: it lists him as being only 32 (b. 1828). Personal property in 1860, was $4500 -- Real Estate, $2500. A 6 year old Abner Fulkerson (b. 1854, IA) and 1 year old Silas (b. 1859, CA), was living in this household in 1860. John and Rachael Fulkerson had a son named Abner -- Silas not listed. A James Morris, 25 year old, day laborer from Iowa, also lived in his household in 1860. The family living in the dwelling site next to them in 1860 were named Morris.
In the Sonoma County 1870 Census, his Real Estate is listed as $4100 and personal property is $5000. Lilly Fulkerson, a. 11 is listed living with them in 1870 (as well as with John and Rachel Fulkerson). A 28 year old farmhand, William Mitchel, is also listed living with them.
The Sonoma County 1880 Census lists, Mary Henderson, his son-in-law, Hardin W. Henderson, and his granddaughter, Julia Mize, living with Richard and Sarah. They are enumerated (#223) next to Louis and Maria Hawkins (#224) and Albert and Aditha Mize (#225).

There are two early biographies about him in the local Sonoma County histories: An Illustrated History of Sonoma County, California (Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1889), and History of Sonoma County California with Biographical Sketches, by Tom Gregory (1911).


Was said to have brought throughbred horses out from Kentucky and built Santa Rosa's first race track. The dates for this indicate that it was rather late in life that he may have done this. From The Sonoma Democrat (Vol. XXI, #51), 12 Oct 1878, p. 5:
  ---------<oOo>----------  
  RACE COURSE. -- We are informed that the plans are matured for the construction of a mile track on R. Fulkerson's place, just north east of Santa Rosa, and that the work of constructing the same will begin shortly. This is a consummation devoutly to be wished, as the climate here is the best in the State for horses -- neither too hot nor too cold, and not subject to those sudden changes that are so injurious to animals while being trained. The site selected is excellent, and we will doubtless have one of the best tracks in the State.

  

Richard and Sally were charter members of The Christian Church (founded in Franklin and moved to Santa Rosa in 1856). A history of this church on the Santa Rosa Christian Church website can be accessed here.

There is an apocryphal story that Richard Fulkerson obtained a major portion of his property in a card game with Julio Carrillo. Sonoma County deed records indicated that Richard had been involved as grantee in at least 17 transfers of property to him between 1854 and 1887, however at the time his death, it appears from his probate records that he no longer owned any real estate (except for the well site mentioned above). He had either sold or given it all away by then.
Richard Fulkerson's extracted deed transfers as Grantor and Grantee are available.

There is an account of Richard's and Sally's 50th wedding anniversary in theThe Press Democrat, from October 24, 1874.

An obituary for Richard Fulkerson can be found in The Sonoma Democrat, December 3, 1887, No. 7 (it is repeated almost verbatim in The San Francisco Call , November 27, 1887, p. 4. c. 4).
A Will for Richard Fulkerson was recorded Nov. 29, 1887 in Sonoma County Wills, Book D, Page 539.
Richard Fulkerson's Probate File was recorded in Sonoma County Probate Register 2, Page 256 Record 1695 in the Sonoma County Clerk's Office.

   

Photo taken by William F. Wendt



There is a story that Richard may not be buried in the crypt which he orginally had built for internment of his wife.
There is also a story that their children were also to be buried in the crypt but decided against it, after which the crypt was permanently sealed.
A Harris descendant, Bert Harris, remembered the days when Richard Fulkerson's crypt had a tall pedestal and two urns in the 'courtyard' in front of the crypt before a lot of the subsequent vandalism had occurred. He also remembers the copper doors which were described in the above newspaper articles as being stripped off for the war effort during WWI though in actuality werre removed during WWII instead. An extensive restoration and preservation project has been underway in the cemetery since early 1996, and Richard's and Sarah's crypt has since been restored significantly from the shambles to which it had deteriorated.
     


From Sonoma County Brand Index :		    
From Sonoma County Brand Index

#333, Richard Fulkerson; April 18, 1855
N. McC. Menefee, recorder.

  

Richard Fulkerson's signature from his will:

Richard Fulkerson

There is an article in The Press Democrat, Sunday, June 24, 1951 about the Fulkerson family as well as the cemetery which is now named after them. There was also a response to this article in the letters to the editor four days later.
It is also stated in the inital article that Richard and Sally had build the first Santa Rosa Chinatown. Richard had originally bought the property from Henry Harrison Cockrill's heirs with his son Stephen acting as the attorney in 1877. A year later in 1878, he gave the property to Stephen and his wife, Amanda, who was one the heirs which he had orginally bought it from. Though Richard may have started the building on this property, it was Stephen and Amanda who greatly expanded it.
     

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This page created on 04/16/99 12:36:23. Updated 02/02/18 12:03.