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| Bluefield Daily Telegraph 14 March 1935 |
Over the years of researching the history behind haunted locations, I've stumbled across information that I have no idea how I found it. Sometimes, its information that specifically relates to a case I'm working on. I'll hit a research block, and then all of a sudden, the information or document I need pops up in the last place I'd expect. Other times, I'll be researching OTHER cases, and come across information for another location or topic, sometimes one that is new to me but immediately grabs my attention, and sometimes one that I've covered in the past but am still researching. After talking with other historians, paranormal researchers, and genealogists who have had similar experiences, I've come to the conclusion that someone or something has guided me to find this information. It can't all be coincidence and dumb luck; there are people on 'the other side' who desperately want their stories told. I think Effie Fulton is one of those people who don't want to be forgotten.
Effie Leora Fulton was born on in Mercer County on September 12, 1878. She was the oldest of several children born to the Reverend Thomas Boyd Cook and Louisa Estas Thomas Cook, and in early records (such as census and marriage records) she actually goes by Leora Effa. On Effie's 17th birthday, she married her first husband, Joseph Marion Oaks/Oakes in Mercer County. Unfortunately, her husband would pass away in 1906 while living in Colorado, but not before Effie had given birth to three sons and three daughters.
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| The Herald Dispatch 12 March 1935 |
It's not clear what brought Effie to study spiritualism. Her father, the Rev. Thomas Cook, was a devout Baptist preacher and God-fearing man. But, somewhere along the line, Effie realized that she had a gift of mediumship. She remarried, this time to a man named Joseph W. Fulton. I THINK she was still in Colorado at this time, but the couple soon moved back to Effie's place of birth, Mercer County, and settled in Matoaka, WV.
Around 1914, Joseph W. and Effie came to Huntington, WV. Joseph worked as a conductor for the railroad, and Effie founded and served as the head pastor of the First Spiritualist Church of Huntington. While there is no mention of the Fultons or the church in the 1915 Polk City Directory, by 1920 the couple is listed as living at 1660 10th Avenue, and the church is located at 325 14th St. W, Huntington, WV.
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| Approximate location of The First Spiritualist Church 325 14th St. West, Huntington Image from Google Maps |
Unfortunately, the site of the church is now a scary looking empty lot. Even more unfortunately, I can't seem to find much, if anything, about it. Thanks to the Polk City Directory, we have an address and a brief description of the location (southwest corner of 14th St. and Virginia Ave.) and obviously from obituaries, we know that it was founded by Effie Fulton around 1914, and she continued to be the leader of the congregation until her death. Aside from that, the only other mention I've seen is a brief sentence in an article written about a (slightly) less obscure medium from the Huntington area named Cliff Bias. It is noted that when Cliff was living in Huntington, he attended his first development circle with Effie at the Spiritualist Church. The 14 year old paid 25 cents to attend, but chose not to go back because he assumed he had wasted his money when he fell asleep and stayed asleep through the whole thing. However, the article notes that Cliff didn't actually fall asleep---he fell into a trance and vocally channeled a spirit.
Throughout the 1920's, the Fultons lived at several different addresses in Huntington, but the church pretty much stayed at 325 14th St. W. Around 1928 something somewhat confusing happens. In the Polk City Directory for that year, Effie is listed as living at 1650 McGuffin Avenue and is widowed. However, further down the page, Jos W. is listed as living on 6th Avenue! I was quite confused, thinking maybe he had an adult son not only with his same name, but same occupation, or maybe that he had died, but there was a mix-up in the data reporting for the directory. But, I think I found what actually happened.
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| 1928 Polk City Directory |
Joseph W. Fulton passed away on May 3, 1930 after what looks like from his death certificate a pretty horrific accident. On his death certificate where marriage status is recorded, he's listed as being divorced. I guess it was less scandalous at that time for Effie to just tell the city directory people that she was widowed (which wasn't a lie; her first husband had died) rather than divorced.
Mrs. Effie Fulton would join her two husbands in death on March 12, 1935. She passed away at her home at 1309 17th St. from complications due to pneumonia. Funeral services were held for her that evening in the home, and then her body was sent back to Mercer County the next day, where additional services were held at her mother's home before burial in the Athens Cemetery. Although she legally kept the last name Fulton, she was buried under the name Effie Cooke Oakes. She was survived by her mother and her six children.
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| Effie's Tombstone Find-a-Grave, uploaded by D. Mack |
I'm really surprised that information on the First Spiritualist Church of Huntington, WV wasn't more easily accessible, as to me, that seems like a pretty important piece of the city's history! I also wish that I could have found more research on Effie herself, as being both a medium AND the pastor/founder of a church seems like attributes that people would want to put out there. But, I'm thrilled that I just happened to stumble upon her obituary while looking up a newspaper article for another case. I have a feeling that there are plenty of hours of manually going through newspaper articles at the library for any mentions of the Spiritualist church and it's founder. Personally, I find the topic fascinating, and I'm looking forward to learning about Effie as a person, as well as Effie as a medium. I'd like to think that Effie reached out beyond the grave and chose me to be the one to tell her story...and I don't want to let her down!
Further Reading and Sources:
Biography of Rev. Thomas Boyd Cook, written by grandson, William Lyons. Geni.com article.
Clifford Bias: Trumpet Medium, by Travis Sanders. November 11, 2019
Effie Fulton Death Certificate. WV State Archives
JW Fulton Death Certificate. WV State Archives
Find-a-Grave Entry for Effie Cook Oakes
Marriage Record for Effie and J.M. Oakes (FamilySearch)
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