FULBRIGHT, TEXAS
by David Fulbright

The retired black man from Arizona looked at me with a shocked look. "You haven't heard of Fulbright, Texas!" He proceeded to tell me about a once thriving community that was still home for a number of people. He told me that Fulbright was an all black community near Paris, Texas. That note remained since 1962 with no follow up. I am happy to report that information has been drifting across my desk which sheds some light on Fulbright. Debra Kitchens, Ed Stout and others have shared information with me.

Fulbright, Texas began with Judge David Fulbright, a son of John Fulbright and grandson of Johann Wilhelm Volprect. He and his family moved from the area of Waynesville, Missouri to Blossom Prairie, Red River County, Texas. (Judge David died on September 3, 1867 and is buried at the Turner Cemetery. There may be a connection between the "Turner" name and the fact that two of his daughters married Turners.) He acquired his title "Judge" from his service as the first judge of the Pulaski County Court in Missouri. (He also served on the first grand jury meeting in that county.) He operated a general merchandise store in that area, hauling his wares from St. Louis by ox drawn wagons over a trail known as the Fulbright Union Road.

Judge David's motive for the Texas move is unclear. What is clear is that it fit into the family's movements at the time. Captain James Harvey Fulbright took slaves to Texas to hide them from the Union armies during the Civil War. (We shall learn more about Captain James Harvey's activities in a later issue.) He left the slaves in this area with Judge David.

We do know that the first business to be established in the community which received the Fulbright name was a grocery store owned by Flem Elmore in approximately 1880. Business in Fulbright crested with eleven businesses.

One source lists these as including grocery stores, a barber shop, a dry goods store, a bank, a drugstore, a black-smith shop, and a hardware store.

Fulbright children were able to attend a school in Fulbright during the early 1880's which had been moved there from nearby Bethel, Texas. This school remained active until about 1956 when a new consolidated district which serviced students from Fulbright, Detroit, Deport and Bogata was formed.

At one time the Fulbright post office which was founded in 1882 was headed by J. L. Fulbright!

Since Fulbright was located squarely in cotton country, it isn't surprising that there were three busy cotton gins near the town.

Recently, Ed Stout and Claire Stout paid a visit to Fulbright, Texas and have shared the following with us:

I suppose that if/when we have a reumon in Texas, it should really be held on the same site of the early family settlement rather than in some distant and uninteresting city where the present generations congregate. Enclosed is a photo of the Fulbright community meeting facility and another of the present business section. Across the street from that bank etc. is an old abandoned service station. Behind it is where once were three groceries, two drug stores, a black smithy and so on -- now a field covered with grass. Remnants of old brick paved roads still exist, it was once a large and thriving community. Very few local residents living right on the main drag (paved!) they are vague on history, and would rather their location not be known as a black community. After all, the black community is a mile or so to the northeast, up a dirt road, and without meeting facilities. I will probably vote with Jean next time.