Tearing Down Monuments

Fulford Day Memorial at Municipal building

There has been a lot in the news recently about tearing down Memorials to Political and Military leaders, Wars and even Explorers.


As a person who studies family history that is intertwined with history of the place where family lived I'm very much opposed to this.


I'm sure some folks who want to remove memorials have sincere feelings but most seem to be involved for the blood sport or because they read only the news headlines.


I discovered a War Memorial to a family member several years ago and had not written about it because I got too busy with other things. I decided to do so now before it is bulldozed over.

Beaufort News May 12 1921

James Irvin Fulford was a distant relative, a 5th cousin. Far enough that the DNA connection would be slight, but I've researched his family for a while and know several family members who are also doing research.


We share a common ancestor, Joseph Fulford of Carteret County, North Carolina.



I learned of the memorial to him and Leonard Day while searching online newspapers for family surnames in North Carolina. I found several articles about the Fulford - Day Memorial in Morehead City, North Carolina from newspaper articles in the early 1920s.


I visit Morehead City several times a year and decided to try to locate the memorial.


In May of 1921 It had been erected on Arendell Street which is US Hwy 70, the main road through town at the intersection of 8th Street.


The memorial was originally a fountain in the middle of the road, next to the railroad track.



Fulford Day Memorial Fountain on Arendell Street

There wasn't any record of it in recent years but I did locate something that said it had been moved to several blocks to Evans and Jib Street at one point and then later to the Morehead City Municipal Building many years after the building was constructed in 1926.


Two years ago while making plans to visit the area I contacted the City Maintenance department and they said it was still outside the building. I stopped by one afternoon to get the photo.



Beaufort News March 31 1921

Irvin Fulford was honored with a memorial along with another local man because they both died in WWI.



Irvin was born July 15, 1898 to Walter Ernest and DeElla Sawyer Fulford.


He was killed on October 11, 1918, one month before the Armistice of Compiegne was signed which ended the fighting. We celebrate this Armistice and our Veterans every year on November 11th.


He died in one of the last great battles of the War, at the Hindenburg Line. This resulted in a win for the Allies and the Germans losing over 36,000 prisoners. Immediately after this defeat the Germans requested an armistice.


James Irvin Fulford WWI Service Card

His body wasn't returned home until the following March.

He was buried in the Bayview Cemetery in Morehead City in a family plot that thirty years later would make room for his parents.


James Irvin Fulford Gravemarker