Springfield-Greene
County LibraryJOHN Y. FULLBRIGHT, Springfield, Mo., is one of the prominent, old settlers of Greene County. Springing from good old German stock, William Fullbright, grandfather of our subject, was born in North Carolina and could talk the German language. He married Ruth Hollingsworth and went to Tennessee, where they had a large farm and owned many negroes. In 1830 he came to Greene County, in the spring, bringing his family. The children were Ephraim R., Henry, John L., David L., Wilson, Samuel, William D., Daniel N. and Elkana. They all came in wagons, bringing thirty slaves. Mr. Fullbright had four brothers, who came to Missouri with families--David, John, Martin and Daniel--they settled where Col. Fellows' wagon foundry now stands, and from those brothers sprang the Fullbrights. Several of them settled in Laclede County, William being the only one to remain in Greene County, and he settled near a spring near the Gulf Railroad shops, and this spring was ever after called the "Fullbright spring." The spring where the city gets its water, four miles north of the public Square, is also called the Fullbright spring on account of William Fullbright having built a gristmill there, which was the first one in this county. He entered a large tract of land, most of the south part of Springfield being on this land. The country was open, covered with grass and with large trees scattered about, and presenting a beautiful appearance. The country was full of game-deer and wild turkey. Mr. Fullbright was a practical farmer, which business he carried on extensively, and provided the largely increasing immigration which came into the county with farm products. He had one unvarying price for his products without regard to the market prices. He made his price for corn fifty cents per bushel. It being a new country, corn was high and often sold for $1.00 per bushel, but he did not alter his price. Himself and wife were members of the Christian Church. Albert Patterson was his nearest neighbor eight miles south. Jeremiah Pearson lived eight miles east of the Fullbrights. The Roundtrees came about one and a half years after. William Fullbright lived to the age of about sixty years. He weighed 300 pounds, and was known far and wide among the pioneers. His house was always open to the early settlers and many of them made it a stopping place. Ephraim R., son of above and father of our subject, was born in 1809, January 15th, in North Carolina, and was about five years of age when his parents moved to Tennessee in 1814, and was a young man of twenty-one when the family moved to Springfield. He was reared a farmer and received but little education, but could read and write and do ordinary business. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Abigail (Brouton) Yount. John Yount was of German stock and settled at an early day at Jefferson City, owning several hundred acres of land and slaves. To Mr. and Mrs. Fullbright were born eight children: Telitha, Francis A., Henry V., John Y., William W., Abigail, Mary E., Annie S., all born in Greene County, Mo., except the first, who was born in Cole County, Mo. The above is the proper order of birth. Mr. Fullbright remained after marriage at Jefferson City but one or two years and then returned to Springfield. The town of Springfield did not, as popularly supposed, receive its name from the many springs in its vicinity, but in the following manner: The old settlers, meeting together to name the young town, and as several of them came from near Springfield, Tenn., one of them suggested that the town be named after that place, which was accordingly done. Mr. Fullbright settled on the old homestead, engaged in farming until 1862 when he moved to Boone County, Ark., where he settled on a farm. He has now reached the good age of eighty-five years and retains; his faculties well. He was one of the prominent old settlers before the war and owned thirty negroes. He lost greatly during the war; his farm buildings and fences were burned. All through his life he was a peaceable and hard-working man, of great industry and an energetic farmer, and brought up a respectable family of children. John Y. Fullbright, son of above and our subject, was born on his father's farm near Fullbright Springs, May 2, 1836, and received his education at Arkansas College, at Fayetteville, Ark., and engaged in farming. He married Martha H., daughter of Charles A. and Louisa Ann (Weaver) Hayden. Mr. Hayden was of an old American family of English descent, and born in Kentucky. His father was a Christian preacher and the first one to preach in Greene County, and the first to register in the United States land office at Springfield. Col. Charles A. Hayden was an officer in the Missouri State Militia before the war, has been a prominent farmer and citizen, and is yet living and doing business in this county. After marriage Mr. Fullbright settled on land two and one half miles west of Springfield, and here he still resides. This is a fine farm of 160 acres, besides which Mr. Fullbright owns 340 acres in Greene County, some of which is near the corporation and is valuable. To Mr. and Mrs. Fuillbright have been born four children, Lucy, Charles, Mary and William. Mrs. Fullbright is a member of the Christian Church, and socially Mr. Fullbright is a member of Solomon Lodge of Masons, of Springfield, and was master of his lodge eleven years, and was district deputy grand master four years. Politically he is a Democrat. Mr. Fullbright has devoted most of his attention to agriculture and stock raising. He is a member of the State Board of Agriculture and holds the office of vice-president. He is a man of education, good business ability and stands high as a man of integrity of character, and comes from one of the oldest and best Southern families. Charles R. married Laura Hornbeck; they have one child, Max. He is a merchant of Sparta, Christian Co., Mo. Mary E. married Shirley Corson, who is in the grain business in Springfield; they have two children, Lucy M. and Annie G. Lucy E. married Joel H. Hubbell, a druggist of Clinton, Mo. William M. is a boy at home.
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