- From the The Daily Globe:
Shelby Ohio August 24, 1901
Grandfather of Palmer Fulton of Walnut Street. Buried in Trinity
Churchyard, New York. His Grave is Unmarked.
Palmer Fulton of this city who resides on Walnut street is the
grandson of Robert Fulton who invented the first steamboat.
His grandfather is buried in the Trinity churchyard at New York.
The whole country was excited over Robert Fulton's steamboat
91 years ago. The good people of Manhattan could scarcely credit
their senses when they saw Fulton's mysterious looking craft
puffing its way up the Hudson, and not a few devout ones murmured:
"Witchcraft"
"But if its true," they agreed " that Fulton
can make a boat move without sails, then he is one of the most
remarkable persons on earth".
After 100 years of humanity has assented to that verdict
of our forefathers, and when the names of the great American
inventors are mentioned the name of Robert Fulton leads all the
rest.
When distinguised americans voted recently to decide whose
name shall be placed on the tables in the Hall of Fame, more
votes were cast for him who invented the steam boat than for
any other inventor, and yet the body of Robt. Fulton, today lies
unmarked in Trinity churchyard, New York. Fulton's name does
not even appear on the little marble slab that covers his resting
place. Indeed if the sexton did not make a point of mentioning
it, few would know where Robt. Fulton had been buried.
Fulton's body lies in a vault containing seven other caskets
of the Livingston family, and they are all included under the
inscription which simply says: "The Vault of Walter and
a Robert Livingston, sons of Robert Livingston. Fulton's body
was placed there because he married Miss Livingson, but few
are aquainted with that part of the inventor's history.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers started a fund
more than a year ago for the erection of a Fulton memorial, and
Trinity corporation donated a plot on the south side of the church
where the column might be put up, but up to the present time
there has been no practical results.
Robert Fulton was only 50 years old when he died, but in
his short life he accomplished wonders. His activities and ceaseless
energy remind one more or less of Edison.
Fulton launched his first steamboat on the River Seine,
1803, but it sank and people derided him for his folly. Four
years later on August 11, 1807 he launched the Clermont on the
Hudson and steamed up to Albany. The trip took 32 hours.
Contributed by Mr. Kim Butler Histed
Crestline, Ohio
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