Ancestral Voices: The Visible Past

Moses Bulkley's Gravestone, Winchell Mountain Cemetery

2011-01-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

My great-great-great-great-great Grandfather, Moses Bulkley, was born in Fairfield, Connecticut on July 09, 1727 and died in Northeast, New York on June 03, 1812 just prior to the start of the War of 1812. Unfortunately, in Dutchess County, New York, records for veterans who served in the early years of the Revolution were lost and, quite possibly, never recorded. The 1933 Bulkeley Family Genealogy by Donald Lines Jacobus recorded him as "Captain Moses Bulkley." It is quite likely that he served in Ludington's regiment of the Duchess County Militia. His grave is decorated each Memorial Day with a flag designated for war veterans. The gravestone for his daughter Elizabeth was enscribed with title "Captain Moses Bulkley" when she died in 1783, just two years after the surrender at Yorktown. Yet, no records on paper have survived. Is he truly a Revolutionary War veteran? I vote Yes.

Home Sweet Home, East Hampton, NY

2010-06-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

"Home Sweet Home" is more than just the title of a popular song, it is an actual house built about 1720 in East Hampton, New York. It is a "lean-to" home, a design very common in the late 17th and early 18th centuries in New England and eastern New York. This home, and a few others still standing in East Hampton, was familiar to the Tallmadge family members who lived in East Hampton for several generations. The Tallmadges were instrumental in the founding of East Hampton. This home opened as a museum in 1928.

Dawn at Walden Pond

2010-01-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

I was first introduced to Henry David Thoreau in 1968 by my English teacher Mr. Kelly. I remember him telling the class that he thought we would like him. It was the 60s and he sensed that a new generation would find meaning and value in Thoreau's writing. He was so right. In 1976 I was thrilled to have a chance to visit Concord and film Walden and areas around Concord with an 8mm film camera. In 1995, I discovered that I had ancestors who had not only lived in Concord in the 17th century, but some of them were the founders of this important town in American history and literature. In 1996, I made my second trip to Concord and filmed Walden and Concord even more extensively. I have been to Concord a few more times and sunrise at the Pond when the world reinvents itself is where I always go. It is my favorite place to be.

Reverend Edward Bulkeley's Home in Concord

2009-10-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

This 17th century home was first owned by Reverend Edward Bulkeley, the oldest son of Reverend Peter Bulkeley. Reverend Edward followed in his father's footsteps, succeeding his father as the minister of the First Parish Church in Concord in 1659. Privately owned today and moved from its original location,this home is one of the oldest to still stand in Concord, Massachusetts.

William Henry Buckley

2009-07-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Studying family history and discovering so many fascinating people, one can be led to imagine some ancestors being larger than life, especially when you learn how successful they were in their time. Then, a photograph comes your way and all your impressions can be justified by an image. I came to think of my great-great grandfather, William Henry Buckley, as quite an impressive person. When I saw this photograph, all my impressions were totally verified and validated.