LINCOLN

Lots of talk around these days about the movie Lincoln  - which reminds us (you guessed it!) of all the books in the Bullis collection about Lincoln's life and his years as president. The one that stands out to us right now is Abraham Lincoln and Men of War-Times, written by Alexander K. McClure (1892, The Times Publishing Co., Philadelphia).

Alexander K. MClure was an associate of Abraham Lincoln, so this book gives an insider's view of Lincoln as president and politician.

If you've already seen the movie, this book will give you another viewpoint for comparison. And if you haven't (and don't plan to), it will help you better understand this president who left a lasting impression on our country. Either way, we invite you to take a look at the Bullis Room's copy.

GIVING THANKS FOR NETTIE BULLIS

(From Palmyra-Macedon Central School District's website)

"Jeanette A. (Nettie) Bullis was the valedictorian for the Macedon High School Class of 1911.  She attended Cornell University and spent her career at Gleason Works.  A strong work ethic earned Ms. Bullis corporate advancements, becoming the first woman treasurer.  She served in the position of Corporate Secretary and Private Assistant to the company President, James Gleason. 

 

In her valedictory speech of 1911 she stated, “Life, like every other blessing, derives its value from its use.”  The words of Miss Nettie Bullis epitomize the purpose of this program.  Her life’s work continues today and will continue well into the future as Palmyra-Macedon students benefit from a scholarship fund in her name.

 

Through a bequest, Ms. Bullis established a $12.3 Million Fund now operated by the Rochester Area Community Foundation, funded the 48-acre Bullis Park in the Town of Macedon, provided funding for the start of the District’s early intervention program, established the Bullis Room at the Town of Macedon Library and most recently funds from her bequest were provided for Via-Health of Wayne’s Emergency Room.

 

Significant for the tangible gifts she provided, Nettie Bullis also bequeathed an equally valuable lesson.  Those of us with what are considered ordinary careers can make extraordinary contributions to our neighbors and fellow citizens.  Ms. Bullis was a benefactor, humanitarian, and friend of education.

 

Although Ms. Bullis died in 1979, her legacy remains impacting thousands of people, particularly the students of Palmyra-Macedon High School.  Ms. Bullis’ life is a testament to the power of the ordinary citizen doing extraordinary deeds.  Ms. Bullis’s award shall be placed in the Bullis Room of the Macedon Town Library to honor her contributions."

Nettie Bullis' award is displayed in the Bullis Room.  During your next visit, let us show it to you.

 

FLYING MACHINES

In between visitors to the Bullis Room’s open house last Saturday, we  pulled this book off the shelves for a quick scan-through:

Flying Machines: Construction and Operation. A Practical Book Which Shows, In Illustrations, Working Plans and Text, How To Build and Navigate The Modern Airship.

Since this book was published in 1910, radical changes and advances have occurred in this field (to say the least). And so we were interested and amused by some of the comments of authors William James Jackman and Thomas H. Russell. For example, under the title “Limits of the Flying Machine,” they write:

            In the opinion of the competent experts it is idle to look for a

            commercial future for the flying machine. There is, and always

            will be, a limit to its carrying capacity, which will prohibit its

            employment for passenger or freight purposes in a wholesale

            or general way.

However, they do acknowledge some practical uses for this invention in the fields of:

            Sports – flying machine races

            Science - exploration of otherwise inaccessible regions such as

            deserts, mountain tops

            War – reconnoitering in time of war to spy out the enemy’s encampment

            and ascertain its defenses

This book’s quaint illustrations showing basic principles of flight and early flying machines make it a fun look-through. We recommend you stop by the Bullis Room sometime and let us show it to you.

A SPECIAL INVITATION

Yes, this is a special invitation for you to visit the Bullis Room tomorrow, Saturday, November 10, from Noon to 3 PM.

And, it's a reminder for you to bring your historic photographs to Macedon Public Library during that same time frame, to be copied by Town Historian June Hamell. The scanned images will be archived by her office and eventually made available to the public.

So tomorrow we have  "twofer" for you at the library:

1. Getting your photos scanned into the historian's archives and sharing any family stories you may have connected to those photos,

and,

2. Spending some time in the Bullis Room in the company of some rare, classic books.

Hope to see you then!

WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL

This week, way back in 1783, General George Washington issued his Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States near Princeton, New Jersey.  This event was a milestone in the demobilization of the armed forces that had been assembled for the Revolutionary War and followed the signing of the Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States.

If this event in history grabs your interest, you'll want to stop by the Bullis Room and look at the collection's copy of Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington by George Washington Parke Custis. In case you're wondering about the author (we did!), he was President Washington's step-son. During his life he wrote and published a number of plays. Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington was published posthumously by his daughter in 1859.

We think you'll agree that this book gives a special look at our first president, George Washington, through the eyes of a close family member.