The story
History
Fulton was founded and became the seat of Callaway County in 1825, although it would not be incorporated until March 14, 1859. At its founding, the city was named Volney after Constantin François de Chassebœuf, comte de Volney, but two months later renamed itself to honor engineer and inventor Robert Fulton. (There is a town in Oswego County, New York, named Volney after the Frenchman; it contains the village of Fulton, also named for the inventor.)
The early residents of Fulton were from predominantly southern culture. The coastal and upland southerners that settled the land brought with them enslaved people and established an agricultural economy.
When the first history of Callaway County was compiled in 1884, the die had already been cast as far as the type of community Fulton was to be. The Missouri General Assembly had voted to establish an asylum for the insane in Fulton (February 26, 1847), the first mental health facility west of the Mississippi; the General Assembly agreed (February 28, 1851) to establish a school for the education of the deaf in Fulton; in 1842, the Presbyterian Church had opened a female seminary later known as Synodical College; in the fall of 1851 the Presbyterian Church established the all-male Fulton College, now known as Westminster College; and Fulton was the seat of county government. Winston Churchill gave his famous "Sinews of Peace" (Iron Curtain) speech at Westminster on March 5, 1946, in the presence of President Harry S. Truman.
The Christian Church moved its Orphan School to Fulton in 1890. Whether or not they were influenced by the already-existing colleges is not known, but Fulton's bid of $40,000 and the offer of 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land was surely a factor. The school, which had previously been located at Camden Point, Missouri, later became William Woods College for Women, which later became a coed university.
Novelist Henry Bellamann was born in Fulton in 1882, and grew up and attended college there. Fulton is said to have been Bellamann's model for the fictional town of the novel Kings Row, which generated questions about the resemblance it had to individuals and situations around the area. In 1940, producers made a movie based on the book. The cast included Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan and Betty Field. The suit worn by Ronald Reagan in the film is on display at the Show Me Innovation Center offices of the Callaway Chamber of Commerce.
The M. Fred Bell Rental Cottage, M. Fred Bell Speculative Cottage, Brandon-Bell-Collier House, George Washington Carver School, Court Street Historic Residential District, Fulton's Downtown Brick District, John Augustus Hockaday House, Pitcher Store, Robnett-Payne House, Westminster College Gymnasium, Westminster College Historic District, and White Cloud Presbyterian Church and Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Fulton had a population of 12,600. The median age was 34.6 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 121.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 123.1 males age 18 and over. The census also counted 2,110 families.
95.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.9% lived in rural areas.
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There were 4,189 households in Fulton, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.9% were married-couple households, 22.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.3.
There were 4,659 housing units, of which 10.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 12,790 people, 4,085 households, and 2,255 families living in the city. The population density was 1,043.2 inhabitants per square mile (402.8/km2). There were 4,602 housing units at an average density of 375.4 per square mile (144.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.4% White, 12.0% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.
There were 4,085 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.8% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
The median age in the city was 31.3 years. 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.8% male and 45.2% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,128 people, 3,700 households, and 2,208 families living in the city. The population density was 1,072.3 inhabitants per square mile (414.0/km2). There were 4,131 housing units at an average density of 365.2 per square mile (141.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.26% White, 15.44% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population.
There were 3,700 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.0% under the age of 18, 20.0% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 129.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,635, and the median income for a family was $41,722. Males had a median income of $27,418 versus $21,663 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,489. About 8.4% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
From Wikipedia’s article on Fulton, Missouri, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4