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Fulton Celebrates Public Art Event
In conjunction with Fulton's 175th founding, the Fulton Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a public art event to "Celebrate Fulton: 1835-2010." The public art features large tin cups created by J.T. Cullen Company. Businesses and organizations will decorate the cups and place them on display throughout Fulton during the summer and fall. Currently, a total of 25 cups will be on display. A kick-off event featuring all of the cups will be held at Harbor Crest Home's front lawn on June 4 from 9:30am to 11am. The festivities will include cake, coffee, and fellowship. The event is open to the public and the community is welcome to attend. Harbor Crest is the site of Fulton founder John Baker's cabin.
Why Tin Cups? In 1835, John Baker journeyed north from New Orleans and settled at the narrows of the Mississippi establishing Fulton. By 1836, Baker had constructed a log cabin with 3 tiny rooms, the only stop along the river between Albany and Savanna. Here visitors found a good supper, night's lodging, and breakfast. Late fall, a frozen Mississippi steamboat forced 20 people to walk to John's cabin in Fulton. He served them a "supper of beef, potatoes and coffee, using tin cups for the latter." Since there were more people than cups, the cups were shared. Soon 20 more people arrived, so these guests, too, ate, drank, and shared the few tin cups. John and the first 20 snuggled inside while a large bonfire warmed the last 20 as they slept in the snow. (Bent, 1877).
All proceeds from the tin cup sales have been donated to the Fulton Chamber of Commerce by J.T. Cullen Co., Inc. The Fulton Chamber of Commerce would like to give special thanks to J.T. Cullen Company, its employees, and the Johnson family for their generous donation.
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