History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Henry C. Bulis
HENRY C. BULIS was born in Clinton County, New York, November 7, 1830. His father removed to Vermont and settled on a farm where Henry lived until twenty-one years of age, assisting at farm work during the summers and attending district school during the winter months. He taught school several terms and attended medical lectures, taking a degree at a medical college in Philadelphia in 1854. In October of that year he came to Iowa, locating at Decorah, where he entered upon the practice of medicine. In 1858 he was elected superintendent of schools. In the fall of 1865 he was nominated by the Republicans for the State Senate and elected for four years. In that body he served as chairman of the committee on schools and State University. In 1871 he became the Republican candidate for Lieutenant-Governor and was elected, serving one term. In 1876 he was appointed a member of the Sioux Indian Commission for the purpose of purchasing the Black Hills reservation. In 1878 he was appointed a special Indian agent but resigned after nine months' service. He served in 1883 as a special agent of the Land Department. Mr. Bulis was a prominent candidate before the Republican Convention in 1889 for Representative in Congress in the Fourth District but after sixty ballots withdrew in favor of J. H. Sweeney, who was nominated. He served as a regent of the State University many years and was curator of the State Historical Society, mayor and postmaster of Decorah. Dr. Bulis died at Decorah on the 7th of September, 1897.