George Bush (pioneer) facts for kids

George Bush (1779 – April 5, 1863) was an American pioneer. He was one of the first African-American settlers in the Pacific Northwest. He helped open up new lands for settlement.

Early Life and Education

George Bush was born in Pennsylvania around 1779. He was an only child. He grew up as a Quaker and went to school in Philadelphia.

George's father, Matthew Bush, was born in India. He worked for a rich English merchant named Stevenson. Matthew met George's mother, an Irish maid, at Stevenson's home. They got married in 1778. At that time, some laws made it difficult for people of different races to marry. But George's parents still married.

After Stevenson died, he left a lot of money to the Bush family. When George was about 20, he moved to Illinois. There, he started a cattle business. Around 1820, he moved his cattle business to Missouri. He stayed there for the next 20 years.

Soldier and Trapper

George Bush was a soldier in the War of 1812. He fought under Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. He is one of the earliest known U.S. veterans in Thurston County, Washington.

Later, George worked as a voyageur (a type of traveler and trader) and a fur trapper. He worked with a Frenchman named Joseph Robidoux IV. George also spent several years in the Oregon Country. He worked for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), a big fur trading company.

Life in Missouri

Around 1828, George Bush bought 80 acres of land in Missouri. On July 4, 1830, he married Isabella James. She was the daughter of a Baptist minister.

Missouri was a slave state at the time. It had laws that made marriages between different races difficult. But George was a free man and had never been a slave. His marriage was not seen as illegal at the time. However, because he was of African and Irish descent, he did not have the same legal rights as white people.

The Bush family had nine boys. Six of them lived past infancy. These included Owen, Joseph, Riley, Henry, and January, who were all born in Missouri. Their last son, Lewis, was born later in the new territory.

Journey to the Northwest

In 1844, George Bush and his family left Missouri. They traveled west on the Oregon Trail with five other families. There were 31 people in total, including George's friend Michael Simmons.

George's skills in finding his way and his knowledge of the western lands were very important. He had learned these skills as a trapper. Isabella's nursing skills also helped the group. The Bush family was known for being very generous. They bought supplies for their fellow travelers. George bought six wagons and enough food for a year. He helped several families make the trip.

The Bush family history says that George hid a lot of silver in a secret compartment in his wagon. He also brought many fruit and shade trees. He planned to plant them on his farm.

When they reached the Oregon Country, there were new laws. These laws made it hard for black people, whether free or enslaved, to enter the Oregon Territory. So, George and his group traveled north across the Columbia River. This area was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain. The path they made became the northern part of the Oregon Trail. George's connections with the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver may have helped them settle there.

Bush Prairie Settlement

The Bush family and the other five families started a settlement called Bush Prairie. It was at the southern tip of Puget Sound. This area is now Tumwater, Washington.

In 1845, George Bush and Michael Simmons built the first gristmill (for grinding grain) and sawmill in the area. George also helped pay for Simmons' logging company. In 1856, George brought the first mower and reaper (farm machines) to the area.

Besides their farm, the Bushes ran a free roadside hotel. Travelers going between Cowlitz Landing and Puget Sound often stopped there. The Bushes welcomed everyone. They gave visitors good meals and gifts of grain and fruit from their farm.

In 1846, the Oregon Treaty was signed. This treaty made Bush Prairie part of the United States. But this also meant Oregon's laws about black people could affect their land ownership. When the Washington Territory was formed in 1853, its leaders asked the U.S. Congress to give the Bushes clear ownership of their land. Congress did this in 1855. This made George Bush one of the first African-American landowners in Washington State.

Historians say that the Bush-Simmons Party helped bring the land north of the Columbia River into the United States. Their settlement attracted more people. This helped strengthen the American claim to the area.

George Bush lived the rest of his life in Washington. He had good relationships with the local Amerindians. He helped many of them during sicknesses like measles and smallpox. He was also very generous to other settlers. He shared his grain with neighbors who needed it. He would not sell it for high prices.

He once said, "I'll just keep my grain to let my neighbors who have had failures have enough to live on and for seeding their fields in the spring. They have no money to pay your fancy prices and I don't intend to see them want for anything in my power to provide them with."

George Bush died in Tumwater on April 5, 1863. Isabella James Bush died on September 12, 1866.

Legacy

Historians note that George Bush's story shows how people from different backgrounds helped each other on the western frontier. It also shows the challenges of racial prejudice.

His six sons continued their family's work in farming and public service. The oldest son, William Owen Bush, served twice in the Washington State Legislature. In 1890, he helped create the institution that is now Washington State University.

In 1973, artist Jacob Lawrence made a series of five paintings about George Bush's journey. These paintings are at the Washington State Historical Society.

In 2009, a butternut tree was planted in George Bush's memory. It is on the grounds of the Washington State Capitol. This tree is a direct descendant of a seedling George Bush brought west in his wagon. The original tree, planted in 1845, is one of the largest and oldest living butternut trees in the United States.

George Bush was buried in Tumwater, Washington. His grave is in Union Cemetery, now called Bush/Union/Pioneer Calvary Cemetery. This cemetery is a historic place.

Name

Although many people call him George Washington Bush, his family says his proper name was George Bush. This is also what is written on his tombstone.

Images for kids

• 

  Grave stone of George Bush

• 

  George Bush butternut tree

• 

  Monument to Bush family