BULLIS FAMILY IN MACEDON

This week we thought of the Bullis family's arrival in Macedon around this time of year in 1837, and we  read again an account of their settlement here.  Although this document is unsigned and undated, a reference in the fifth paragraph leads us to believe that Nettie Bullis was the author. This account answers some of our questions about the Bullis family history and, as often happens, raises many others. However, we thought you'd be interested in this account and therefore selected it as this week's posting.


"The Bullis farm is located about 1/2 miles north of Route 31 at 1727 Canandaigua Road in the town of Macedon, New York.

"Charles H. Bullis and Eleanor Rogers Bullis (my great, great grandparents) with two children, Abraham R. and Amy, left Manchester, Vermont Nov. 13, 1837, to settle in a new country. They took a canalboat at Troy, but decided to stop at Macedon to visit a sister of Eleanor's, Amy Woodruff. Their intention was to settle at Marietta, Ohio, but they took the advice of Charles' brothers, three had settled at Hamburg, NY, and remained in Macedon.

"On April 1, 1839 they bought 59 and a fraction acres for $2,631.64 from George G. and Lydia Smith. The only change in the size of the farm is about 10 acres taken from the north end for the Canal and Railroad.

"They started to build the cobblestone house in 1839 from stones picked up on the farm. They lived in a small wooden structure that was moved up from the back of the farm; a building apparently used while Clinton's Ditch was being dug. There were a few houses and a dock by the "Ditch" a short distance over the line to the west on an adjoining farm. The story and a half frame part of our house was built at that time and the small structure was attached at the back and became "the woodshed." The cobblestone house was struck by lightning while being built and lightning rods were put up and are still attached to the house.  The corners of the house are of interest being made of Brick instead of stone.

"Two barns were built at the time, one south of the house, the original to which an addition was made later is still standing; its large hand-hewn timbers are noteworthy; the other which was built back of the house was struck by lightning and burned to the ground on Sept 22, 1968.

"The final porch was built by my father Abram R. Bullis, with the help of my mother, brother & myself (a family project) in the Fall of 1910 and replaced the original small front stoop with its well worn side benches and floor. Soon thereafter the leaking wood shingle roof on the cobblestone part was replaced with a metal roof, this too, was a family project.

"The large Canadian Balsam tree in the front yard was struck by lightning on  ___________ and about 35 feet broke from the top during a heavy storm on _____________

"The apple orchard north of the house, long since gone, contained many of the old time favorites such as Winesap, Jonathan, Face-pippen, Seekno further, Tallman Sweet, Baldwin & Greening."


(If you have information to add to or enhance the above, please let us hear from you.)