With only 5 owners since 1873, what would eventually become Hornbeak Funeral Chapel bagan as Joe Wade's funeral and furniture business located in the area of the old Browder Mill's scales. Subsisting on funeral business alone wasnot possible given the area's sparse population and the day's minimal services required for end-of-life arrangements. After a subsequent move in 1890 to Walnut Street in what many local residents remember as the Graham Furniture building location, the business sold in 1916 to Ed Rice who owned and operated until 1919.

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A century of compassionate professionalism began in 1919, when Paul Hornbeak returned from World War 1 and bought the business. Mr. Hornbeak's wife was Rush Hampton Hornbeak. He was previously the postmaster of Wilsonville, TN renamed Hornbeak for the postmaster turned funeral director. Mr. Hornbeak moved the funeral/furniture business to West State Line where many years later the Sonic Drive-in would be located.

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Finally, in 1928 a new era in Fulton's funeral business began when Mr. Hornbeak moved his business to the north end of Carr Street into the stately Gid Willingham home. Prosperous times, a growing population, and the public's desire for more mortuary services led to the business foregoing the furniture segment and focusing solely on funeral services. 

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One final move in 1934 brought Hornbeak Funeral Chapel to its current location at 302 Carr Street. The location was home to Lowe and Stubblefield Funeral Home before it went out of business. At the time of the move, this positioned Hornbeak diagonally across from the Bushart Clinic on the opposite street corner.