HAPPENINGS ON THE BULLIS PLACE IN SUMMER 1904

Below are excerpts from young Charlie Bullis's diary, which he wrote on lined paper, when he was 13 years old.  His entries paint a picture of a busy household. We hope you enjoy reading them.

"Thursday   JUNE 16, 1904

Clarance cultivated corn and papa

surveyed the mill pond.  we had

letuce and we hoed in the

garden.

   

"Friday   JUNE 17

Clarance cultivated corn.

papa surveyed the mill pond

and went to Palmyra. 

we hoed in the garden  we had Littuce

  

"Saturday  June 18

Clarance cultivated potatoes and

Papa went to a law suit and papa and I

went to the other place and got a role of wire

The weather was fine  we had

some lettuce radish & onions and

we hoed in the garden. 

"Sunday  June 19 1904 

The weather was nice and papa put up

some boxes for books and we watched cows 

"Monday  June 20  1904 

In the forenoon papa clarance

nettie and I put up the wire fence

and took down the wire fence

between the cow pasture and the

oats  in the afternoon the

men fixed fence at the other

place and we had a hard thunger

storm.  we had Lettuce for dinner.

there was a rainbow

"Tuesday  JUNE 21, 1904

Papa went to the kent gravel pit. The

early potatoes blossomed and among them

was wonder queen.   we had the first

mills Earliest Lettuce along with other.

Grandma came up in the afternoon and

Brought 3 qts of straw berries and toward

Night we had the thunder storms.

"Wednesday  July 20 1904

Clarance and I finished drawing hay on this

place and cultivated potatoes in the fore noon

we had a nice mess of peas for dinner and

2 cucumbers.  The lima beans that I got Christmas

began blossoming.  papa and clarance

unloaded the hay and clarance brought

the binder from the other place and

we fixed it some.  Nettie was sick."

NETTIE BULLIS

Pages 15-18, Susan Crowley's Document: Bullis House: Home of a Notable Family

     "Among the graduates in the 1911 class of Macedon High School was Nettie Aurelia Bullis, daughter of Abraham R. Bullis. Her valedictory was entitled, "Life Like Every Other Blessing Derives Its Value from Its Use."  Nettie Bullis lived by the message she delivered at her commencement.

     "Nettie enrolled and attended Cornell University but never completed her degree, a fact she often alluded to with regret. After a relatively short stay, whether from homesickness or some other reason, she returned home to Macedon. A well-disciplined woman, talented and ambitious, Nettie found work as a bookkeeper at the Gleason Works in Rochester. She held that position for about ten years and was seriously contemplating a change to work for the Buffalo, Rochester, and Pittsburgh Railroad Company headquartered in Rochester until advancement within the Gleason Works presented itself and she decided to remain there. She continued her diligent climb up the corporate ladder and became the first woman treasurer of the Gleason Works.

     "Miss Bullis was described as tall and willowy, with beautiful dark eyes and brown hair. She was stately and ladylike, always wearing a hat and gloves. Nettie was quiet but friendly in her business setting, enjoying the friendship of the other employees but holding them at arm's length when they shyly suggested visiting her at her home in Macedon. Perhaps the rundown appearance of the cobblestone house and Charles' growing reclusive lifestyle made Nettie reluctant to extend any hospitality. This and her own ambition kept her quite aloof but ready to help any employee who needed her. A former Gleason Works employee remembered the many kindnesses and good advice Miss Bullis Extended to the young and inexperienced. She was never too busy to lend a helping hand and was more than willing to share her expertise with the uninitiated.

       "Until after World War II, Nettie Bullis commuted to her work in Rochester with another Gleason employee from Macedon. One commuter remembers Nettie Bullis as she appeared early each morning; in summer picking her way through Charlie's waves of flowers, and lighting her way with a flashlight through the unbroken snow in winter. Her hat and gloves were in place and the ever-present briefcase held smartly in her hand. Her style of dress was plain and businesslike with few changes over the years. On the evening drive home, a short stop would be made at the grocery store so that Nettie could buy her simple supper, usually two slices of bologna, sometimes bread, and always a pint bottle of milk.

     "The pressures of her responsible position at Gleason Works did not hamper Nettie Bullis' love of reading and the stock market. Through careful planning, saving, and wise investments she became a wealthy woman, spending little of what she accumulated. After World War II and the death of her mother in 1954 Nettie spent more of her time in Rochester, living in the modest but pleasant apartment she kept on Park Avenue. The cobblestone house became increasingly run down during this period and brother Charles less approachable about the repair and upkeep of the house. Nettie knew that she and her bother were aging and that upon their deaths, the Bullis House would have run out of Bullis' to live in it. The valuable library which filled three rooms of the house was of special concern to Nettie and she wanted it to be preserved, perhaps with the notion that others would get to know the Bullis family through their choice of books.

     "When Charles Rogers Bullis died in 1974, Nettie tried to make intelligent decisions about her family home and the fortune she had amassed. After consulting with her attorney, she decided to leave the Bullis House and acreage to the Town of Macedon. The books would be housed in a special room in Macedon Library, which she paid to have built and endowed. A park would be established  on land north of the Bullis House and she hoped the town would use the house for town offices.

     "Miss Bullis designated a substantial amount of money for the education of Macedon students. The most generous is a fund which enables each graduate of Palmyra-Macedon High School who proves himself capable of earning at least a C average after one semester of college, the opportunity to receive a Bullis Scholarship. This amounts to about two hundred dollars per student and is renewable each year for four years. Other educational endowments include the Chair in Mathematics at Cornell University in honor of her father, a scholarship at RIT for engineering students, and a medical school grant to honor her grandfather. All of these scholarships are given after a student has shown aptitude and achievement.

     "The Bullis Trust Fund is another example of Nettie Bullis' generosity. This fund, which is guided by a Macedon committee of King's Daughters, is provided to help individuals cope with unforeseen financial emergencies. Children and the elderly have been the  most frequent recipients of the Bullis Trust Fund.
     
     "In the late 1970's Nettie Bullis' health began to fail. She knew she did not have the strength or time to restore the cobblestone house in her lifetime. Sensing that the time was near when no Bullis would live in the house, she designated money to be used for its restoration. As her health continued to deteriorate it was obvious that she and her nurses could not remain in the house with such primitive facilities. By special permission from the Town of Macedon, a modern mobile home was brought in and parked on the north lawn of the house. It was placed so that Nettie could look out at the beloved Bullis House until she, the last Macedon Bullis, died on October 1, 1979."

Historic marker at Bullis House

Finally, we have a historic marker at the Bullis House.  A grant from the Wm G. Pomeroy Foundation was used to purchase it. The Pomeroy Foundation supports programs related to blood cancers and helps to preserve history.  The Foundation works closely with the National Marrow Donor Program to conduct bone marrow drives in all communities.  Mr. Pomeroy was

diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2004 and received a stem cell transplant in 2005.  He has since established a foundation that focuses on two of his greatest passions: curing blood cancers and local history.  We are very grateful to the foundation for our historic markers and also that through the blood drives 21 donors have been matched to those in need of treatment for a blood cancer.   A huge thank you to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation!                                                                                
And now for the photo of the historic marker; the dedication will be held in the spring along with an Open House.  Watch for our announcements next spring.

TEA TIME AT THE BULLIS HOUSE

Over the last three years we have written about Nettie Bullis many times on this blog, as a daughter, sister, business woman, benefactor...  But this is the first time we've referred to Nettie Bullis as a hostess. All because of two contacts:

1. Several year ago we corresponded with a woman who had known Nettie Bullis over 50 years ago, and she mentioned being invited to the Bullis house for tea. We were a bit surprised at the time, because we had never seen reference to Nettie Bullis as a hostess.

2. Then, two years ago we  connected with a second cousin of Nettie Bullis who knew the whereabouts of a Bullis tea set.  This week we received this photo, and we've been imaging Miss Bullis pouring tea and handing around a plate of scones.

This photo is now a part of our Bullis memorabilia. An important part, we think, because it adds another dimension to our understanding of our benefactor.

(There's also a lesson in this  story of how we acquired the most recent item in the collection. It is a result of a contact here, a comment there, and then a question--followed by a reply. A lot of "little" things that involved various people that came together in a desired outcome, which gives us added incentive to keep on keeping on...which is another lesson we've learned from the Bullis family.)

CONTRASTS: THEN AND NOW

We met this week with two women who had recently visited San Antonio and John Lapham Bullis's former home. (The latter is now a bed and breakfast named Bullis House Inn.) As they described the house's 14-foot ceilings, the elegant plaster medallions, marble fireplaces, rich oak floors and stairways that are a part of the 11,000 square-foot structure, we thought of the modest home here in Macedon where he grew up and the contrast between the two.

General Bullis's early life with his family here in Macedon and that of a successful military man also indicate a wide contrast. The records we have indicate that  John Lapham was known simply as "one of those Bullis boys" in his hometown. That quickly changed when he entered the army at age 20, served in the Civil War, and rose from private to captain in three years. Then came his life on the Texas frontier, leading the group known at that time as the Seminole Scouts in a successful war against hostile Indians.  General Bullis received national attention and recognition as a result of his frontier military accomplishments, something that no one in his home town likely ever envisioned.

As we continue our work on General Bullis's timeline, we are finding other contrasts that cause us to stop and ponder, trying to reconcile the "then" with the "now."  As we learn more about this great man, we'll share it will you. And if you'd like to know more about any of the family members or the Bullis book collection, we invite you to make arrangements to meet one of our volunteers in the Bullis Room.

BULLIS ROOM OPEN HOUSE

Nettie Bullis, 1917

Today is the 30th anniversary of Nettie Bullis's death in 1979. She was born on March 23, 1893, and lived a full life for 86 years.

This coming Sunday, October 4, we will commemorate her life with an Open House in the Bullis Room, from 4 to 6 PM. We hope you will come to:

Meet our very special "surprise" hostess

View some of the wonderful illustrated treasures in the Bullis Collection

See a demonstration of Bullis book repair

Learn more about General John Lapham Bullis and the

amazing Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts he commanded

Sample refreshments which Miss Bullis might have served at home

Take home a special bookmark

Share your own memories of the Bullis Family or the Bullis House