James Harvey Fulbright was born on 12 June 1832, the first son of John William and Jane Fulbright, and the only one of their children to live to maturity. Both his family and that of his parents were early residents on the old 'Fulbright Estate* in Laclede County, located several miles north of Lebanon, Missouri, a landmark established in 1834.

The father, John William Fulbright, Jr. (10 Oct. 1795-16 Mar. 1862), was a member of the third generation of Fulbrights in America. He was born and reared in what was then Buncombe and now Haywood County, near Waynesville, North Carolina. He accompanied his parents to Washington County, Missouri, in 1810. On 1 Sep. 1815 he volunteered for service in the Missouri Militia during the War of 1812, at Old Mines in what is now Washington County. He was discharged in St. Louis, Missouri on 3 Nov. 1815, after serving under Capt. John Davies in his Company of Mounted Men of the Missouri Territory Militia, when he again settled with his father and other family members in Washington County.

Soon after his father, John William Fulbright, Sr. (1757-1820) died, young John, together with his brother William moved to Madison County, Tennessee. There, in 1826, John was first married to Jane Kyrkendall whose sister Mary later married John's nephew, Levi C. Fulbright. Jane was well educated and taught her husband to read and write as he had received very little formal education. Unfortunately she died in 1833, undoubtedly as a result of complications related to the birth of her son Robert, and she was buried in a plot on their farm, which was located on what is now the site of the City of Springfield. It is believed that Jane's death forced John to leave his two young sons in the care of a cousin, J. Lawson Fulbright and family, at Springfield, until after John had remarried.

In 1829 both John and his brother William moved back to Missouri, joining their brother Martin at his home in the Auglaize region for a short time. Then both settled at the present site of the City of Springfield, during that winter. John took 160 acres at Jones Springs, the location later occupied by the Springfield Wagon Company, the site being northeast of Boonville and Water streets.

In 1834 John entered a large tract of land on Dry Auglaize Creek near his brother Daniel, and other family members. He returned to Tennessee and remarried to Mary Jane Atkins early in 1835, a girl born in Kentucky whose parents had later moved to Tennessee, and who is said to have been a bridesmaid at his first wedding. This couple then made their home on the new homestead, the first of five generations of Fulbrights to live there.

John and Mary Jane added to their holdings in 1852 and 1855 when he received two 40 acre land grants located along Auglaize Creek some ten miles north of Lebanon, Missouri. They also made purchases of land at a time when land was selling for $1.25 per acre. They fully developed the "Fulbright Estate", and they and their many descendants and relatives eventually owned most of the land stretching along the stream a distance of some seven miles. The couple spent much time in Springfield, where he was the second Treasurer of Greene County following the term of John T. Campbell, one of the early settlers who had laid out the townsite. John was one of the first group of five bondman patrols and was a member of the first grand jury when several other Fulbrights were honored by being the first named in 'true bills' for 'gaming' and were later fined $5.00 and costs. John was well known as a member of the Christian Church for over 40 years. The first such church built in Laclede County was on their land, where they also had a store and the first school was also built there. A good Democrat, he was an 'extensive trader of horses, mules and slaves'.

Much disturbed by the Civil War this family, like most other Fulbrights in the area, strongly supported the Confederacy, and soon suffered greatly as a consequence. John died in Laclede County and was buried, as was Mary Jane and his last three children, in the Hooper Cemetery.

From the above it would appear that James Harvey Fulbright was born of a fine set of parents, lived in a choice location, and could expect to lead a very comfortable life as a well to do farmer. However, as with many others, the Civil War was to force many extensive changes in his lifestyle.

James Harvey was married to Mary Louisa Wilks (28 Nov. 1833-31 July 1909) on 10 June 1852 by Benjamin Hooker, an Elder of the Christian Church. The marriage was conducted in the home of her parent's near Marionville, in Lawrence County, Missouri, but is recorded in Barry County, the next county to the south. She had been born in Florence, Alabama and became a resident of Lawrence County when her parents moved there in 1842.

Mary Louisa was a daughter of Lucy Christian (Terry) and Jesse Meade Wilks. Reverend Wilks was born in Alabama on 14 Dec. 1808, became a minister and preached for many years in the First Christian Church at Dry Glaize, officiating at the marriages of many Fulbright family members.

The young couple lived on the 'Estate', busily engaged in rearing their large family. However, in 1861 as the Civil War appeared a certainty, their lives changed drastically. First they decided to relocate their slaves, as did many other slaveholders at the time, in order to keep them from being stolen or confiscated by members of the Union Army.

James Harvey moved the slaves to Fulbright, Texas, along with food, stores, wagons, and livestock and they were left on a parcel of land owned by some other members of the family. That thriving village had been named in honor of his Uncle David Fulbright years earlier. Several Fulbright families lived in the area which had been discovered several years earlier by some of the venturesome Fulbright clan. These slaves, later freed, are the ancestors of some, at least, of the 'black* Fulbright family line still living, and prospering, in the locality.

After moving the slaves and supplies to Texas, and prior to March 1862, without returning home, James Harvey was recruited into the Confederate Army for service that was due be completed on 22 June 1862. Mary Louisa was left alone to maintain their home, rear the family and protect their holdings in the midst of an area overrun by the strife of the Civil War. Upon discharge James Harvey then enlisted in Company I, of the State Guard and for eleven months served as a private in Parson's Infantry. He was then appointed purchasing agent for the division, and transferred to the Confederate Army under General Jackson where he advanced to the rank of Captain. He also served as the receiving agent for General Marmaduke's command, and after the surrender of Little Rock was appointed purchasing agent for that division and sent to Texas, where he remained until April, 1864. He then returned to Missouri, and was with General Price on his raid through the State. He was made Commissary of the Fourth Missouri Regiment, and served until the surrender and on 23 June 1865 he was released at St. Louis, Missouri. Under date of 8 Aug. 1865 he wrote his wife, from there, telling her of an offer he had received to assist in purchasing cotton in Louisiana for resale in St. Louis. The letter also discussed the need of her winding up all business affairs, collecting any moneys due them and quietly preparing to leave their farm and join him in St. Louis to seek a new home and a new life. About six weeks later he was joined there by Mary Louisa and children, with what funds she was able to raise.

Our couple then went to Franklin County as, like many others of the Confederates, he was reluctant to return to an area where feelings were running strongly about the past war and where they could not be safe from the 'bushwhackers'. They then farmed on rented land for three years and finally did relocate back to the old family homestead, during 1868, and there they then remained. By this time they had inherited a one half interest in the large Fulbright Estate, upon the death of his father, and he was its sole manager, his brother having died in 1852 and the other half of the estate having been left to his nephew who was also his ward.

James Harvey took an intense interest in politics and was elected Judge of the Laclede County Court from 1881-to 1883 serving creditably. Both he and Mary Louisa were members, and active workers, in the Christian Church and he also was a Clerk and Elder for some 40 years; and a School Director for ten years. He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture, being appointed for life by Governor Marmaduke in August, 1882. He was a member of the A.F. & A.M. and of the Agricultural Wheel. He secured the confidence and respect of his fellow men and ranked among the progressive and enterprising citizens of the County.

Mary Louisa died on 31 July 1909 and James Harvey on 27 Feb. 1912. Both were buried in the private Fulbright Cemetery east of the old home, with several others of the family, including with some of their own eleven children.

The home still stands and is now designated as a Historical Monument. A grand residence for its day, worthy of being the manor house of the 'Estate', it originally had seven rooms each with its own fireplace. For a time it was occupied by the third daughter of the couple, Emma (Ward) and her family, and later by their daughter Mary, who had married Marvin Goss. That family's children were then of the fifth generation of the family to live in the old home. In 1980 the Goss family sold out then later held an auction selling, among other things, many of the original furnishings of the old home and finally burning much of what remained after the sale.

After standing vacant for a time the old estate has since been acquired by the Melvin Hoffmans who now run a dairy, milking some ninety cows and maintaining a herd totalling nearly three hundred cattle. During their ownership they have undertaken the huge task of gradually restoring the old home for their own use, stripping old paint and paper and being rewarded by finding beautiful solid walnut panels. The old hand hewn walnut banister now gleams as of old. Stripping an inside door revealed its pegged, wooden construction. Some of the old furniture is returned to service. Over the mantle once again hangs a large old picture, the 'Village Blacksmith' recently recovered from an antique dealer. It had originally been sent to the home in a package, missing the name of the addressee, during the time that a part of the house served as an area post office. It was then hung over a mantle in the hope someone would claim possession and years later was sold with the home's furnishings. An old violin found in the attic has been repaired and hangs on a wall.

The estate is again productive, the old house is once more a beautiful home. What wonderful and fascinating stories it could tell!