Charles William Fulton (August 24, 1853January 27, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician in the state of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. A native of Ohio, he grew up in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

and

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

before settling in Astoria, Oregon. A Republican, he served in the Oregon State Senate, including time as President of the Senate, before he was elected as

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Oregon.

Early life

Charles William Fulton was born in Lima, Ohio, on August 24, 1853, to Jacob and Eliza A. Fulton.Corning, Howard M. (1989) ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 94. The family moved to

in 1855 and settled in

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

, Harrison County. Fulton attended the common schools there, and then moved to

Pawnee City, Nebraska Pawnee City is a city and county seat of Pawnee County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 878 at the 2010 census. History Pawnee City was incorporated in 1858, and is named after the Pawnee Native Americans. By the 1880s, Pawnee Cit ...

, in 1870 where he was educated at the Pawnee City Academy. He taught school while he studied law in Nebraska, and passed the bar in April 1875 in that state. Three days after passing the bar he departed for Oregon, arriving in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

on April 20. Fulton then taught school for a few months to the south in Linn County at Waterloo. In July 1875, he relocated to Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River where he entered private legal practice.

Political career

In 1878, Fulton was elected to the Oregon State Senate to represent Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties as a Republican. He served his four-year term, remaining through the 1880 legislative session. In 1880, he began working as Astoria's

city attorney A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality. Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city att ...

, keeping the job until 1882. In 1890, he was elected to his old seat in the senate for a four-year term. During the 1893 session he served as President of the Senate. In 1894, he was in contention for the Republican nomination for Oregon Governor, but

William Paine Lord William Paine Lord (July 20, 1838February 17, 1911) was an American Republican politician who served as the 9th governor of Oregon from 1895 to 1899. The Delaware native previously served as the 27th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, including ...

was selected as the candidate at the Republican convention. Fulton did not return to the senate during the next two legislatures, but was back during the 1898 special session. In 1900, he won another four-year term, and served as Senate President during the 1901 legislature. He also served in the 1903 session before the Oregon Legislative Assembly elected him to the U.S. Senate. Fulton served in that office from March 4, 1903, to March 3, 1909. While in the Senate he was chairman, Committee on Canadian Relations ( Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Claims ( Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth Congresses). He failed to win re-election in 1908, and served only a single term in the U.S. Senate. In 1909 President Taft sought to appoint Fulton as U. S. ambassador to China, but following opposition from Chinese-Americans in Portland and San Francisco, Fulton declined the nomination.

Later years and family

Following Congress, he resumed the practice of law in Portland. Fulton married in 1886 to Ada M. Hobson, and they had one child, a son.

Elmer Lincoln Fulton Elmer Lincoln Fulton (April 22, 1865 – October 4, 1939) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. Biography Born in Magnolia, Iowa, on April 22, 1865, Fulton was son to Jacob and Eliza Ann McAllester Fulton. He m ...

, Charles' brother, was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from Oklahoma. Charles William Fulton died on January 27, 1918, at the age of 64 and was buried in Astoria at Ocean View Cemetery.

References

External links

The New York TimesOregon History: The Oregon System
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton, Charles William 1853 births 1918 deaths Politicians from Lima, Ohio Politicians from Astoria, Oregon Oregon lawyers Presidents of the Oregon State Senate Republican Party Oregon state senators Republican Party United States senators from Oregon 19th-century American politicians Oregon city attorneys People from Pawnee City, Nebraska