Fulton, George W

George Ware Fulton (1810-1893) was the founder of the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company, as well as a schoolteacher, watchmaker, and maker of mathematical instruments in Indiana. He was a second lieutenant in the Army of the Republic of Texas and therefore was entitled to a grant of 1,280 acres of land, which he took in San Patricio County. He then worked as a draftsman in the General Land Office.

By using his knowledge of land titles, Fulton combined 25,000 acres to form the Aransas Land Company. He then joined in the organization of the Coleman, Mathis, Fulton Cattle Company in 1871, which became the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company in 1879. Fulton's skills soon pushed the company to become a leader in slaughtering cattle for hide and tallow and later in shipping cattle. He invented and patented methods for cooling beef during shipping.

George Ware Fulton married Harriet G. Smith in 1840, and the couple had six children, including George Ware Fulton, Jr., and James C. Fulton. Fulton died in 1893.

James C. Fulton (1848-1933) trained as a civil engineer and machinist in Ohio and Kentucky. In December 1868 he moved with his family to Live Oak Peninsula, Texas. Fulton became a member of the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company upon his father's death in 1893, but resigned in 1905. He then moved to Rockport and established a planing mill that he moved to Corpus Christi three years later. He was successful in the cattle industry in South Texas and also proved to be influential in the industrial development of Corpus Christi, where he died.

Sources :

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Fulton, George W., (accessed May 19, 2010)

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Fulton, James C., (accessed May 19, 2010).

From the guide to the Fulton, George W. and James C. Papers 93-368., 1836-1916, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)