John Bullen Jr.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Bullen Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 11th district | |
| In office January 4, 1870 – January 2, 1871 Serving with John M. Cool | |
| Preceded by | John Ball, George B. Dresbach, & H. W. Hill |
| Succeeded by | John M. Cool, Sam Y. Hyde, & J. Q. A. Vale |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 16, 1803 |
| Died | May 9, 1884 (aged 80) Elba, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Resting place | Green Ridge Cemetery, Kenosha, Wisconsin |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Henrietta Mygatt
(m. 1826–1884) |
| Children |
|
| Parent |
|
| Relatives |
|
John Bullen V (May 16, 1803 – May 9, 1884), commonly known as John Bullen Jr., was an American merchant, farmer, pioneer of Wisconsin and Minnesota. He was the founder of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the namesake of Bullen Middle School in Kenosha. Later in life, he moved to Minnesota and served in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
John Bullen was born in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, in 1803, and was raised there. As a young man he suffered a severe cold that developed into pneumonia, and was sent to Labrador to recuperate.[1]: 26 As an adult, he resided in Hannibal, New York, and was appointed postmaster there.[2]
Western Emigration Company
In December 1834, he hosted a meeting of his family and friends to discuss emigrating to the western territories. In a subsequent meeting in February 1835 they formalized their plans and established the "Western Emigration Company" to facilitate their project.[2] They sold stock in the company at $10 per share and ultimately raised $4,000—shares became a popular commodity in the area with less wealthy individuals buying stock to obtain a share of the return on the wealth of the new land.[2] This ultimately proved a poor investment, because proceeds could only be returned to investors if the claimed land was later sold, which the settlers had no intention of doing. The end result was that the settlement at Kenosha benefited the Bullens and their close friends at the expense of several hundred investors.[2] The company dissolved in 1837, after settlement was established.[2][3]
In March 1835, a committee was sent west to explore land for possible settlement on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The committee initially attempted to establish a purchase at the mouth of the Root River—at the site of the present city of Racine, Wisconsin—but were unable to come to terms with the inhabitants of the area, led by Gilbert Knapp.[2] The company chose to send another expedition under the sole authority of John Bullen, Jr., in June 1835—he was accompanied on this mission by his brother William. The Bullens settled on a spot just south of the Root River at the mouth of the Pike Creek, and began claiming land.[2]
During the Winter of 1835–1836, the Bullen brothers returned to Oswego County, New York, and purchased a 100-ton schooner—the Martin Van Buren—and loaded it with seeds, provisions, and tools, to return to their settlement. On their return, John went to Chicago and purchased a herd of cattle and drove them north to their claim.[2] Soon after, John went into business with Samuel Hale, Jr., in a store known as "Hale & Bullen"—one of the first four businesses in the village.[2]
The inhabitants chose to name their settlement the village of "Southport" in 1837. It was incorporated as the city of Kenosha in 1850. Bullen served several years as a trustee of the village of Southport and served on the board of county commissioners (the predecessor to the board of supervisors).[2]
Later years
Bullen's land holdings and merchandise business prospered until the Panic of 1857, which nearly ruined him. He subsequently left Kenosha and settled on a farm in Winona County, Minnesota, and re-established a merchandising business in Elba, Minnesota.[4] In Minnesota, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1869, serving in the 12th Minnesota Legislature. He also served on the Winona County board of county commissioners. He died in Elba in 1884.[4]