The Bullis family were big dairy farmers in late 19th century Compton/Lynwood – especially renowned for their cheese. Originally from upstate New York, several Bullises, led by father Joseph J. (1800-1889) and son James D. (1826-1896), were in Marin County by 1860. They moved down here around 1869 but it was James’s brother Omri J. (1837-1904), previously a policeman in New York City, who would become the best-known Bullis once he joined the clan in 1872, possibly because of his status in the Masonic Lodge. He even served as county tax collector in 1888-1889. Absurd as it sounds, he died at his farm when a windmill fell on his head; 1904 newspapers reported that his was “the largest funeral ever held in Compton”. Bullis Road was named in 1886.
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