Résumé

Partner, Bullard and [Samuel A.] Bullard, Architects and Superintendents, Tacoma, WA, 1891. Bullard and Bullard had their offices in Rooms #48 and 49 of the Gross Building in Tacoma. (See Tacoma, Washington City Directory, 1891.)

Principal, G.W. Bullard, Architect, Tacoma, WA, c. 1900-1910. In 1900, Bullard occupied Room #506 of the Fidelity Building in Tacoma. Only four architects were listed in the Polk Tacoma City Directory of 1900: G.W. Bullard, C.A. Darmer, John G. Proctor and Ambrose J. Russell. Bullard had Office #622 in the Provident Building, Tacoma, in 1905.

Partner, Bullard and [I.H.] Hill, Architects and Patent Solicitors, Tacoma, WA, c. 1915. This firm contineud to lease office space in Room #622 of the Provident Building. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1915, p. 159.)

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA).

1st Vice-President, American Institute of Architects, Washington Chapter, 1906. (See "Washington State Chapter," American Institute of Architects Quarterly Bulletin, vol. VI, no. 4, 01/1906, p. 243.)

2nd Vice-President, American Institute of Architects, Washington Chapter, 1910-1911; at this time, he was one of four members from Tacoma, WA.

High School/College

Graduate, Country School and University Academy, near Illiopolis, IL.

B.S., Architecture, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, c. 1880. At age 25, George Bullard was still in school according to the US Census of 1880.

M.Arch., University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1882. Three other Bullard brothers, including Samuel Alexander Bullard, Benjamin Franklin Bullard, and S. Foster Bullard, all attended the University of Illinois. Samuel, who also graduated with B.S. in Architecture in 1878, attained high distinction there. serving as President and Orator of his Senior Class and editor of the student newspaper, the Illiini, in 1877-1878. Benjamin graduated in literature, and became an educator working in Illinois (1882-1886 and after 1897), Dakota Territory, (1886-1890), and Washington State (1890-1897). S. Foster graduated from Illinois in Civil Engineering, and became a City of Tacoma Engineer. (See The Alumni Record of the University of Illinois at Urbana, Frank William Scott, ed., [Urbana: University of Illinois, 1906], pp. 36, 62-63, and 92.)

Samuel Samuel Alexander Bullard (03/25/1853 in Sangamon County, IL). P36.

Relocation

George Wesley Bullard was born to a farming family in Sangamon County, IL, probably near Illiopolis. His father, Wesley Bullard, (born c. 1813 in KY), was listed in the 1860 US Census and 1865 Illinois Census as living in that village. A sizeable number of other families living in the agricultural hamlet of Illiopolis during the 1850s and 1860s had migrated to the area from KY, including those of James Hunter, (who was one of the first Euro-Americans to settle in the area by 1828), John S. Clinkinbeard, (born 12/ 08/1822 in Clarke County, KY), William F. Garvey, (born 08/22/1829 in Owen County, KY), John H. Kendall, Sr., (born 02/28/1824 in Nelson County, KY),and Aaron C. Ford, (born 01/13/1827 in Marshall County, KY). (See History of Sangamon County, Illinois, [Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Company, 1881], pp 919-929.)

The 1860 US Census listed his mother as Sarah Bullard (born c. 1824 in KY), and his siblings as W.N. Bullard, James R. Bullard, John N. Bullard, Francis B. Bullard, Samuel Bullard, and Benjamin F. Bullard. In 1860, Wesley's real estate was worth a substanial $10,500. His personal estate was $3,500. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: District 16, Sangamon, Illinois; Page: 378; Family History Library Film: 803226, accessed 10/05/2020.)

In 1870, the US Census again located George Wesley Bullard in Illiopolis, IL, living with his father and siblings Francis Bullard, a farm laborer, Samuel Bullard, Benjamin Bullard, Foster Bullard and Julia Bullard. Another person, Eliza Kidet, (born c. 1848 in OH), perhaps a servant, also was listed as residing with the family. The US Census of 1870 indicated that his mother was Elizabeth Bullard, (born c. 1828 in VA), who kept house.

By 1870 Wesley Bullard's assets had grown. He owned $15,000 worth of property and had a personal estate of $3,000 in 1870. John Bullard, (born c. 1805 in KY), probably Wesley’s father, lived on adjoining land with his large family of eight children. John Bullard also owned a great deal of land worth $24,000, and had a personal estate of $5,000. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Illiopolis, Sangamon, Illinois; Roll: M593_281; Page: 197B; Family History Library Film: 545780, accessed 10/05/2020.)

According to the 1880 US Census, George Bullard lived with his family on a farm in Wheatfield, IL. Bullard and his brother, Samuel, later lived in Springfield, IL, in the later 1880s.

Brothers George Wesley and Samuel A. Bullard moved to Tacoma, WA, from Springfield, IL, by about 1890. Their names appeared in the Tacoma, Washington City Directory, 1891, as being "of Springfield, IL."

Bullard lived at 523 North J Street in Tacoma in 1900. At that time, Bullard and his wife lived with his wife's sister, Ada Heath, (born 07/1855 in MO), and two boarders, Beulah Olsen, (born 09/1878 in IL) and Lizzie Smith, (born 08/1885 in IL). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Tacoma Ward 2, Pierce, Washington; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0164; FHL microfilm: 1241748, accessed 10/05/2020.)

In 1910, Bullard lived with his wife and their 18-year-old servant, Alma Nelson (born in WA) on West Road in Tacoma, WA. Five years later, he and Anna continued to make their residence at 75 West Road in the city's Prospect Hill neighborhood. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1915, p. 159.)

George and Anna lived at 102 Saint Helens Avenue, in the Bonneville Apartments in 1920.

In 1934, Bullard lived at 302 North Yakima Avenue, Apartment #B2. (See Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1934, p. 117.)

Parents

His father was Wesley Bullard (born c. 1813 in KY), a relatively prosperous farmer. The US Census of 1860 listed his mother as being Sarah Ann Foster Bullard, while that of 1870 listed her as "Elizabeth Bullard." Sarah passed away in 1861, and Wesley remarried Elizabeth Kidd Holtzman, (born 1828 in OH-d. 1908 in Springfield, IL), before 1870.

By Sarah, Wesley had the following children: W.N. Bullard, (born c. 1844 in IL), James R. Bullard (born c. 1846 in IL), John N. Bullard, (born c. 1848 in IL), Francis B. Bullard, (born c. 1850 in IL), Samuel Alexander Bullard, (born 03/25/1853 in Illiopolis, IL), George Wesley Bullard, Benjamin Franklin Bullard, (born 02/23/1858 in Illiopolis, IL), S. Foster Bullard, (born 02/13/1861 in Mechanicsburg, IL). By Elizabeth, he had two children, one of whom was Julia Bullard, (born c. 1867 in IL).

Benjamin, like George, was in school in 1880. Foster worked on the family farm.

Another Bullard, probably Samuel, an engineer one year older than George, lived in Tacoma, WA, in 04/1892.

Spouse

Bullard married Anna Heath, (born 03/1852 in IL), on 07/10/1895 in Tacoma, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Reference Number: prcmc-vol-2_109-DA1, accessed 10/15/2019.) Anna's father came from MD, her mother, PA.

George had re-married by 1930 to Ella H. Bullard.

Children

According to the 1900 US Census, Bullard and his wife, Anna, had had one child, who had died by the time the census had been taken. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Tacoma Ward 2, Pierce, Washington; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0164; FHL microfilm: 1241748, accessed 10/05/2020.)

Biographical Notes

Prior to 10/05/2020, the birthdate of George Wesley Bullard was listed as 1856-07 in PCAD. This was incorrect. He was born on 07/31/1855.