FULTON, a thriving post-village, capital of Callaway county, Missouri, 20 miles N. E. from Jefferson City, and 12 miles from the Missouri river. It is the seat of the state lunatic asylum, and the asylum for the deaf and dumb. The former, -which was established in 1848, is a beautiful edifice 210 feet long and 5 stories high, containing 112 apartments. The people of the county gave $12,000 and 460 acres of land, to secure the location of this institution. The village contains several churches, academies, and 1 newspaper office. There are large manufactories of earthen-ware in the place. (Baldwin & Thomas, A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States ... 1854)
FULTON, The county seat of Callaway county, Fulton township, is beautifully and advantageously situated in the midst of rich and fertile country, 125 miles from St. Louis, and 24 miles from Jefferson City. It was first settled by Geo. Nichols and John Yates, in or about the year 1825. The post office was established one year afterwards. There are six stage routes running from here, viz.; to Jefferson City, 24 miles; St. Aubert Station, on the Pacific Railroad, 15 miles; Danville, 27 miles; Paris 50 miles; Portland, 14 miles; Columbia 25 miles. A weekly newspaper is published here called the Missouri Telegraph, Williams & Turner, publishers. The Masons have one lodge, viz., Fulton Lodge, No. 48, and the Odd Fellows one (Callaway Lodge, No. 105.) The different religious denominations are well represented here, consisting of a Methodist church, Rev. Mayhew, pastor; Christian, Elder P.K. Dibble, pastor; Presbyterian, Rev. W.W. Robertson, pastor; Missionary Baptist, Rev. J.G. Smith, pastor; and Old Style Baptist, Rev. T. Boulware, pastor. Fulton contains the State Lunatic Asylum, Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and is the seat of Westminster College, with an endowment of $100,000, under the control of the O.S. Presbyterians, two seminaries, viz., Fulton Female Seminary, and Floral Hill, with an excellent and well governed district school, all of which are in a flourishing and prosperous condition. The city contains one branch bank, one brewery, one carding machine,four carriage and wagon shops, one clothing store, two drug stores, one fancy goods store, two steam flouring mills, two groceries, eight general stores, one hardware store, three harness shops, two good hotels, three jewelry stores, two livery stables, one marble yard, one printing office, four saw mills, three stove and tin ware dealers. A branch of the Western Bank of Missouri is about being organized here, the capital required being $50,000, towards which $25,000 or $30,000 has already been subscribed. The average price of uncultivated lands is $10 per acre, and cultivated $25. The timber consists chiefly of oak, Stone coal is found here in large quantities. A great business is done in the raising of stock. Population 2,000, and rapidly increasing. (The Missouri State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1860)