Name/Title
145th Bull Family Annual PicnicEntry/Object ID
000665Tags
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House AssociationScope and Content
Overview of the Celebration
The Event: Over 600 descendants of pioneering teen Sarah Wells and her husband, William Bull, gathered at the historic Bull Stone House in Campbell Hall, NY, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Sarah Wells’ arrival in the Hudson Valley.
The Atmosphere: Despite 90-degree heat, family members from as far as Honolulu, Hawaii, gathered for a celebratory picnic, reunion, and family awards.
Key Highlights & Activities
Family Honors: Blue ribbons were awarded to family members for various milestones, including:
Oldest Present: Eugene Richter (95) and Delores Richter (91).
Longest Married: 72 years.
Youngest Present: Andi DeWitt (7 months) and Logan Wells Bull (4 months).
Farthest Traveled: The Jenkins family, who traveled 6,500 miles from Hawaii.
Featured Events:
A team of draft horses provided carriage rides.
Colonial crafts, farm animals, and Civil War re-enactors were on display.
Volunteers and youth helped construct a model of a New World Dutch Barn on the property.
An upcoming "Running with the Bulls" 5K run and walk was scheduled for September 22 to conclude the tricentennial events.
Historical Significance
The Ancestors: In 1712, an 18-year-old Sarah Wells landed near New Windsor after sailing up the Hudson River in a sloop to claim land for her employer. She married stone mason William Bull in 1718, and together they built the Bull Stone House in 1722.
Legacy: Sarah Wells lived to be 102 years old and had 335 descendants by the time of her death. Today, the Bull family genealogy includes more than 65,000 names.