History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Alexander R. Fulton
ALEXANDER R. FULTON, author of “The Red Men of Iowa,” was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, October 11, 1825. He received a liberal education and came to Iowa in 1851 where he was employed in newspaper work on the Fairfield Ledger for three years. For twelve years he was county surveyor. He was one of the founders of the Republican party of Iowa, and was judge of Jefferson County when that officer had charge of financial affairs. In 1867 he was elected a member of the House of the Twelfth General Assembly. During the years 1868-9 he traveled through the counties of Iowa for the State Register writing historical sketches, which were of permanent value. He compiled a book on the “Free Lands of Iowa,” giving a large amount of information to persons seeking homes in the State. Mr. Fulton served several years as secretary of the State Board of Immigration and also as secretary of the Capitol Commission. In 1872 the State Printing Company was organized at Des Moines to supply auxiliary printed sheets to country papers and Judge Fulton was selected as editor, a position he held under various changes as long as he lived. The work for which lie will be longest remembered was performed during this time. No history of the Iowa Indians was in existence and Judge Fulton entered upon the work, which was completed and published in 1882. The title of the volume was “The Red Men of Iowa” and was a comprehensive and reliable history of the various Indian tribes which had at times occupied portions of Iowa. Judge Fulton was secretary of the Pioneer Lawmakers' Association at the time of his death, which occurred September 29, 1891.