William Bullen, my first cousin 4X removed, was born into a family that survived and thrived by migration. Born in Ware, Massachusetts 24 February 1805 as the second oldest of the 4 children of "General" John Bullen (1783-1850) and his first wife Lucina Drake, William grew up in Hannibal, Oneida Co., N.Y. This was the sanctuary where his grandfather "Revolutionary Captain" John Bullen (1747-1724) had fled to avoid capture for his part in Shay's Rebellion, an aftermath of the American Revolution. William's father would have been just 4 or 5 years old at the time the family fled, but he would no doubt remember those turbulent times. The family settled in Hannibal near Clinton, N.Y. for several decades, but the next generation developed an interest in moving west to greener pastures.
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| William Bullen photo from his Findagrave,com entry with permission granted by HWA |
William Bullen married Julia Hart on 24 February 1830; their first child, Orris Hart Bullen was born in Hannibal 1 July 1832.
The Bullens were among those interested in exploring the opportunities for establishing new settlements in "the west" fueled by glowing reports of rich fertile soil and bright sunny skies. In December of 1834, a supper meeting was held at the Hannibal home of William's older brother John Bullen, Jr. (and, yes, there are far too many "John Bullens" in my tree!). So as to spread out the financial burden and provide for as pleasant a migration experience as possible, those in attendance expressed an interest in setting up a joint venture with shares to be sold for $10 each. In February of 1835 "The Western Migration Company" was formed with Reverend Peter Woodin, a respected Baptist minister, as chairman and John Bullen, Jr. as secretary.
An exploration committee of three men headed west in March of 1835. It should be remembered that there were no established transportation routes to the western shores of Lake Michigan at the time (although the recently constructed Erie Canal had made a significant improvement in transporting people and cargo between Albany and Buffalo). When the men from Hannibal set off in search of land for their new settlement, they proceeded from Hannibal by way of Lake Erie to Detroit and then across country to Chicago. This is where they discovered that there was no road north to Milwaukee so they set out by land, mostly following the beach of Lake Michigan, and eventually finding a small sailing vessel that took them to Milwaukee. There they found the property far too expensive for the funds their share sales had generated and returned home empty-handed.
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| Western Emigration Company General Migration Route to WI Google Earth |
Another expedition, this time including brothers John Jr. and William Bullen, went out in June of that same year and settled on a spot at the mouth of Pike Creek where they claimed land. John Bullen, Jr. had been made the sole representative of the group to finalize matters. The area was originally known as Pike Creek, but by 1837 it was called Southport (because of its location in the very southern part of Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan) and then in 1850 it was renamed Kenosha (a Native American word reflecting the plentiful pike).
But the Bullens were not the only ones there making claims in the summer of 1835. Two speculators, Samuel Resique and John Noble, noting that the island in the mouth of the Pike River had not been properly marked and claimed, decided to settle on the island. The island ("Washington Island" now "Simmons Island") was considered one of the best pieces of real estate, and months of disagreements ensued, sometimes with armed men menacing one another in "Resique's War". With his armed band, William Bullen took possession of the west side of the island and built a 2 story building, said to be the finest home in Wisconsin territory a the time. Without ever actually coming to blows, the men came to an arrangement to split ownership of the island. Many of the settlers from the Bullens' Western Emigration Co. were part of a temperance society while Resique set up the first tavern in the village on his side of the island, resulting in an uneasy truce.
While William was away battling for property, his wife Julia was home in Hannibal tending their young son and preparing for the birth of their second child, a daughter Mary Gertrude Bullen.
With ownership of Washington Island settled, the Bullen brothers felt they had things well enough in hand to return to Oswego County, N.Y. late in 1835/early 1836 to arrange for migration of all the members of the Western Migration Company who wished to make the move.
The Western Migration Company purchased and stocked a 100 ton schooner The Martin Van Buren. When the group reached Chicago, John, Jr. purchased cattle and drove them north to Pike Creek where he and others soon opened 4 stores, including one in the name of "William Bullen & Co." which company was dissolved in 1840. By 1843, William was in business on his own. By then, many of the amenities expected in a community had been established. A local newspaper, the Southport Telegraph, had started publishing in 1840.
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| Southport Telegraph September 1843 |
My direct ancestor David Bullen, brother to General John and uncle to John, Jr. and William, had also moved to the new community and is listed as one of its original settlers, but the births of his children in New York up to that for my great great grandmother Sarah Catherine Bullen in September of 1838 would indicate that he did not move his family there until later. The 1840 census shows his whole family having made the move to Wisconsin. Land records indicate David had also acquired land there.
Nelson and Dunlop cite an historical article from the Kenosha Evening News of 15 June 1935, p.27 telling how William Bullen built the Southport Academy in 1840. It was used for a variety of community events like schools, social functions, church meetings. William's father General John erected a "pretentious three-story structure with a cupula" addition, after which it was known as the National Hotel. The following advertisement shows the Academy was meant to be a paying venture, not free education.
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| Southport Telegraph, December 1841 |
Wisconsin Territory was formally established in 1836 and Racine County (including Kenosha) the following year. The population of Kenosha in 1836 was 16 families (64 people); by 1843 the population had blossomed to 1820 people. William Bullen was chosen as one of the county's two representatives in the Council of the Wisconsin Territorial Assembly from 1838 to 1842, and was selected as the President of the first Council.
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| Laws of Wisconsin reported in the Milwaukee Sentinel of 22 Jan 1839 (William Bullen as President named on each law) |
Encouragement for emigration from New England to Wisconsin could be found in the local Southport newspaper. The following article goes on at great length to describe the amenities now available in Wisconsin and to encourage folks to sell out sooner rather than later in New England and make the move to the land of plenty.
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| Southport Telegraph 16 May 1843 |
Two final children were born to William and Julia in Kenosha, Wisconsin: William Herbert Bullen in 1843 and Julia Frances Bullen in 1844. William died in Kenosha on 27 October 1846 aged 41.
As for the Western Emigration Company, it dissolved in 1837 after settlement had been established. It has been suggested that it benefitted no one but the Bullens and their close circle. Since the people who purchased lands with the joint stock intended to make use of the lands themselves, there was no way for investors to recoup or benefit from their investments. No one ever made an accounting for the finances nor were the lands ever shared among the joint stock holders. William himself made some attempt to use his own funds to reimburse some of the non land-holding investors, but it was at a rate of 33 cents on the dollar.
A listing of the property forming the estate of William Bullen shows his extensive land holdings.
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| Administrators' Sale of the Estate of William Bullen (Julia's father Orris Hart was an Administrator) Kenosha Telegraph-Courier of 29 Nov. 1849 |
Although William Bullen and his extended family worked hard, contributed much and thrived in the new community they were so instrumental in establishing, their legacy also contains a few blemishes. Migration for them had clearly been a profitable venture.
Some Resources
Nelson, M. and Dunlop, R., Compilers, Source Book for the Bullen Family; Privately printed in the 1930s, "Honorable William Bullen", 142-148
Trenary, O., Souvenir: Kenosha County Courthouse; (Kenosha, WI: 1925) accessed online at https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARADYEAR2MWDKI8S
The History of Racine and Kenosha Counties Wisconsin (Chicago: Western Historical Company 1879) accessed online through Google Books at https://books.google.ca/books/about/The_History_of_Racine_and_Kenosha_Counti.html?id=GWxQBg7uyWQC&redir_esc=y
William Bullen, Wikipedia Article accessed online at at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bullen_(Kenosha_pioneer)
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