Memorable Manitobans: William Fulton (1846-1920)

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William Fulton
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Pioneer farmer.

Born in Scotland in 1846, son of James Fulton and Agnes Kerr, he and his family came to Canada in 1856 and settled near Harriston, Upper Canada [now Ontario]. At the urging of Dr. James Cowan, he and his elder brother George came to Portage la Prairie in June 1873. They homesteaded at SE23-13-7W, in the Oakland district, and built a house there in 1904. They also built a house on SE21-13-7W for family members who followed them in 1875. A subsequent house, built in 1895, would be featured as the “Fulton Brothers Farm” in several early publications that promoted settlement in Manitoba and, in 1903, he joined a party of prominent farmers sent to Great Britain to present the agricultural resources of Canada to prospective settlers. In the 1880s, he entered the furniture business trading as Campbell & Fulton.

On 23 November 1904, he married Elizabeth Theresa Swales (c1866-1905, daughter of Thomas Swales and Elizabeth Little) at Portage la Prairie. He was a Director of the Portage Mutual Insurance Company for 20 years and its President for nine years (1911-1920). He was a member of the first council of Portage la Prairie, a councilor or Reeve (1894-1895) of the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie, and President of the Lakeside Liberal organization for many years. The Returning Officer for the Lakeside constituency in the 1888 general election, he contested the Lakeside constituency in the 1903 general election. He was a life member of the AF & AM (Assiniboine Lodge No. 7).

He died at Portage la Prairie on 6 November 1920 and was buried in the Portage Hillside Cemetery.

Sources:

Marriage and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Funeral of late William Fulton,” Manitoba Liberal, 11 November 1920.

This page was prepared by Doug Fulton and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 October 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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