The ridge is a flow of Columbia River Basalt which erupted in fissure eruptions over between 17 and 5.5 million years ago.

Fulton Ridge was named in 1965 by a U.S. Geological Survey employee R.E. Newcomb after the Fulton family who settled in Oregon in 1847 and who were still farming there.

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Fulton Ridge" official in 1966.

According to "Oregon Geographic Names" (2003, McArthur and McArthur):

"Fulton Canyon (SHERMAN) ... Fulton Canyon was named for John Fulton [Col. James Fulton's son], who took up a claim there in 1878 and later built an impressive home. He was for many years county judge of Sherman County. Frank Fulton Canyon, which comes into Fulton Canyon from the east about a mile south of the Columbia River, was named for another son. His home was near the center of S20, T2N, R15E, about where the county road leaves the canyon to head north to Biggs Junction. Frank Fulton Canyon extends south only to the forks, where the east branch becomes Locust Grove Canyon and the west branch, Neece Canyon. Frank had a son named Charles who was occasionally inclined to the local tipple, and some older residents referred to this feature as Whiskey Canyon. A third son of Colonel Fulton was Dave Fulton, and he lived in Mud Hollow, the next canyon to the east. At one time this was called Dave Fulton Canyon, but this name has not survived."

According to the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database (2019):

"The original Fulton came into this country in the 1800s. Three of his sons settled in the NW part of Sherman County. Dave Fulton settled in what is now called Mud Hollow. In the early days this was called Dave Fulton Canyon. The next canyon to the west was settled by Frank Fulton. He lived in the center of section 20, T2N, R16E. This canyon is called Frank Fulton Canyon by most of the older residents of this area. Two of the families that live in the lower part of this canyon call that area Whiskey Gulch. This name came about because Frank's son Charles used to hide whiskey along this canyon on his way back from town because his wife disapproved of his drinking habit. The next canyon to the west was settled by John Fulton who later became a county judge. In the early days this canyon was called John or Judge Fulton Canyon. After a highway was built up this canyon many years ago people refered to this as just Fulton Canyon. There is a state highway sign at the mouth of this canyon calling it Fulton Canyon. A few people call Frank Fulton Canyon Charles Fulton Canyon after his son. The upper parts of these canyons aren't nearly as well known by name as the lower parts." [written May 1974]

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names made "Fulton Canyon" official in 1976 and "Frank Fulton Canyon" official in 1977.

According to "Oregon Geographic Names" (2003, McArthur and McArthur):

"Miller (SHERMAN) ... Miller was the railroad station and community on the south bank of the Columbia River just east of Deschutes River. It was named for C.S. Miller, an early settler who built and operated the Miller Bridge across Deschutes River. There is a Miller Island in the Columbia River, but it is in Klickitat County, Washington. ... The locality of Miller has had several names at various times. It was once called Deschutesville and later Fultonville in compliment to Col. James Fulton of Sherman County. Miller post office was established in 1922 by change of name and location from Moody. It was closed in 1953. Miller railroad station was established in 1917 to replace the 1881 OR&N station Des Chutes that was west of the river mouth."