Name/Title
145th Bull Family Annual PicnicEntry/Object ID
000666Tags
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House AssociationScope and Content
Overview of the Event
The Milestone: The reunion marked the 300th anniversary of the arrival of 18-year-old pioneer Sarah Wells in the Hudson Valley in 1712.
The Celebration: Nearly 600 descendants of Sarah Wells and her husband, William Bull, gathered at the historic Bull Stone House in Campbell Hall on August 4 (despite 90-degree heat). Relatives traveled from as far away as Honolulu, Hawaii.
Activities: The reunion featured pony and draft horse cart rides, colonial crafts, Civil War re-enactors, and the construction of a model Dutch barn inside the property's New World Dutch Barn.
Family History & Legacy
The Pioneer Journey: In 1712, 18-year-old Sarah Wells landed near New Windsor to claim land for her employer.
The Stone House: She married stone mason William Bull in 1718. The Bull Stone House was built from fieldstones, which Sarah famously helped carry in her apron during its construction.
A Massive Family Tree: Sarah lived to be 102 years old and had 335 descendants at the time of her death. Today, the Bull family genealogy includes more than 65,000 names.
Reunion Highlights & Awards
As is family tradition, the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association presented several "blue ribbon" awards:
Oldest Attendees: Eugene Richter (95) and Delores Richter (91). The Richters also won a ribbon for the longest marriage (72 years).
Youngest Attendees: Andi DeWitt (7 months, female) and Logan Wells Bull (4 months, male).
First to Arrive: Pamela Bull LeGasse.
Farthest Traveled: The Jenkins family, who traveled 6,500 miles from Hawaii to attend.
Upcoming Event: The article also highlights an upcoming "Running with the Bulls" 5K fun run and walk scheduled for September 22 at Hill-Hold (another colonial stone home built by Sarah and William's son, Thomas Bull).