Josiah Fulton standing in front of wheel tire.

Josiah M. Fulton was born in Bowdoinham, April 24, 1852. He was the oldest son of Nancy Merrow and George Fulton and a favorite grandchild of Col. Josiah Merrow. When he was six months of age the family moved to Bowdoin and occupied the Fulton farm for many years.

As a young man he disliked farming and worked for some time in the car shop at Bath, Maine, where he learned to be a careful workman. Later he had his own shop in the old bank building in Bowdoinham. After the fire in 1902 he moved his work to the Bibber shop on Bridge street, a building just beyond the Gray homestead now occupied by Perlie Harmon and his step daughter Ruth Palmer.

A few years later A. G. Gowell, a local carpenter who lived on Bridge Street, built a large carriage shop just below the Fulton home on Center Street which had been previously built around the year 1890. He continued work in this shop until March 1926 when he died suddenly of pneumonia.

Josiah M. Fulton and Adria A. Frost were married July 14, 1885. They had one child, a daughter, Edith Louisa, now Mrs. Norman L. Rowe of Bowdoinham. A grandson, George F. Rowe, and a great-grandchild, Leona L. Rowe, now living in Bowdoinham.

Josiah M. Fulton was a quiet friendly man with many friends. He was a charter member of Kennebec Lodge No. 42, Knights of Pythias and remained a loyal, interested member until his death.

The Sampson Store, one of the oldest buildings in the village, was used for the Village Bank of Bowdoinham, the bank occupying the half next to the railroad. After August 28, 1890 the bank went into voluntary liquidation and closed up its business. The selectmen of Bowdoinham occupied a part of the old building for twenty years.

Josiah M. Fulton had his carriage shop in the part previously used by the bank. On December 14, 1902 the building was destroyed by fire.

Bicentennial Booklet 1962