| Notes |
- iography of Henry W Fulk taken from "Fact and Folklore of Owen County" by Dixie Kline:
"Henry W. Fulk was born in Stokes county, North Carolina March 6, 1796. At the age of nine, his father removed to Sarah County. His father then swapped for a farm some distance from this but in the same State. His father was a cooper by trade and not getting along very well financially; at age 17 he (his father) hired him to Nathan Haynes, proprietor of an iron works, at six dollars a month, worked there four years hauling coal and ore and was out many nights until midnight.
At the expiration of this time, a family from his neighborhood moved to central Tennessee and he went with them to drive a team, for one dollar a day.
He then hired in Tennessee to work on a farm at ten dollars a month. In the Fall, he hired to a man at $15 a month to assist in distilling the ardent spirits and worked 18 months. He says the whisky he made was first class, unlike the foul stuff of today which is a dead shot 40 yards.
He then went back to his former employer in Tennessee and cropped with him one summer.
In 1820, he bought a horse, saddle and bridle and rode back to North Carolina. On his way, crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains and traveled often a day without seeing a house.
When he reached his destination, he went to see his sweetheart, Mary Shore, who was living in Stokes county. They were married January 13, 1820. He then bought 55 acres of land in the woods, built a house on it and made considerable improvements, clearing 30 acres and putting it under fence.
In 1830, he sold his farm to his brother-in-law, bought a wagon and team and started for Indiana; at this time his family consisted of six in all. They were 24 days on the road and had some difficulty in crossing the Blue Ridge, Chestnut Ridge, Log and Cumberland Mountains.
They arrived in Owen county in the Slough settlement; he then settled on Congress lands, built house and barn and cleared 30 acres, and then -- yes he was -- "entered out". (NOTE: this means he had been squatting on Federal land when it was purchased by someone else, so he was forced to leave.)
He went to the northern part of Jefferson Township and again settled on Congress lands; he borrowed money from Isaac Westfall to enter 40 acres, stayed there until 1842 when he sold to Anderson Fry. Then he bought 80 acres in Lafayette Township, set in the woods, so readers can see he opened four farms.
In 1853, he had lung fever and was unable to work several years so deeded his farm to his son Jacob Fulk. He took a lease on Abram Kaufman's place for five years. After his lease was out, he made a sale and came to Marshall county, Iowa.
In 1866, he lost his companion to cancer and lived single for two years. He married a second time to Pernelli [Penelope] Franklin, lived with her two years and two months and is now living with his son-in-law, Solomon Arney.
Mr. Fulk is the father of nine children: Nancy, Elizabeth, John L., Henry P., Mary, Jacob, Louisa, Lucinda and Francis M.
All the boys are farmers, three are living in Owen county, two in Marshall county and one in Crawford county, Iowa.
Three of his sons served in the late Rebellion (Civil War), one losing his life in the battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia.
He is now 78 years old and is white as the delicate snow. He has belonged to the Christian Church 42 years.
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1796 - 1883 (87 years)
d. 26 Jul 1814, Stokes County, North Carolina