|
1790? |
George
Washington Bush born
near Philadelphia only child to African-American
servant and
Irish-American maid.
|
|
1815
|
Battle
of
New
Orleans
with Andrew Jackson
|
Oct
|
1818
|
Treaty
of
1818
allows
for joint
occupation
of Oregon Country
|
|
1820
|
Worked
in
the
Pacific
NW for Robideaux
Trapping Co. and Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in
Oregon Territory
|
|
1825 |
Fort
George
at
Astoria
moved to start Fort Vancouver by Dr. McLoughlin
|
|
1830
|
Moved
to
Tennessee
|
|
1830
|
Moved
to
Missouri
and
bought a farm
|
July
|
1830
|
Married
German-American
Isabella
James
|
|
1831
|
Moved
to
Clay
County
Missouri and bought
another farm which prospered
|
June
|
1832
|
Fought
in
Illinois
Black
Hawk War
|
July
|
1832
|
William Owen Bush born
|
July
|
1834
|
Joesph Talbot Bush born
|
Sep
|
1837
|
Rial Bailey Bush born
|
Apr
|
1841
|
Henry Sanford Bush born
|
Jan
|
1843
|
Jackson
January
Bush born
|
|
1843
|
Bush-Simmons party
organized
|
May
|
1844
|
Start
journey
with wagon train
to Oregon
Country from St. Joseph,
Missouri |
June
|
1844
|
Oregon
Lash
Law
enacted
by Provisional
Government of Oregon
|
June
|
1844
|
Bush-Simmons
party
in
Big
Blue River
area Nebraska
|
July
|
1844
|
Bush-Simmons
party
in South Platte River area Nebraska, separate
from General
Gilliam wagon
train
|
Aug
|
1844
|
Bush-Simmons
party
in
Wyoming
|
Sept
|
1844
|
Bush-Simmons
party
in
North
Platte
River area Wyoming
|
Oct
|
1844
|
Bush-Simmons
party
in
Idaho
|
Nov
|
1844
|
Bush-Simmons
party
in
Eastern
Oregon. See
trail.
|
Nov
|
1844
|
First
settlers
of
the
immigration of 1844 arrives in Fort Vancouver
|
Dec
|
1844 |
Arrive
at
The
Dalles,
Oregon (Methodist
Missions), Bush learns he is barred from Oregon
by Lash Law
|
Dec
|
1844
|
Bush
family
stops with sick William Shaw family at The
Dalles to care for all the
party's
livestock
|
| Dec |
1844 |
Simmons
continues with most of Party with a few wagons
to Washougal, WA and
works for Factor Dr. John McLoughlin at Fort
Vancouver |
Dec
|
1844
|
Simmons
with
Messrs
Loomis,
Williamson
and of John Owens, Henry Owens, James Owens (3
brothers) explores north
along Cowlitz River, but returns to Washougal
due to lack of food |
Feb
|
1845
|
Americans Henry
Williamson and Isaac Alderman built a log
hut on HBC land near Fort
Vancouver
mainly for spite
|
Mar
|
1845
|
Bush
and
Shaw
join
rest of party in
Washougal with livestock after
swimming them
across Columbia.
|
| Jul |
1845 |
Michael
Simmons
starts
again
for Puget
Sound with William Shaw, George Wanch,
David Parker, David
Crawford
(who had come to Oregon in 1843) Ninian Everman,
Seyburn Thornton, and
two others probably, Michael Moore and John
Hunt. Simmons and party upon
reaching
the
Cowlitz prairie hired the Frenchman Peter
Bercier of Cowlitz
Farms
(HBC), as guide |
| Jul |
1845 |
Cowlitz Trail
construction begins
|
Aug
|
1845
|
Vancouver
(Clark)
County
established
north of Columbia River by American
Provisional Government with Sir James Douglas,
Michael T.Simmons, and
John Forrest as Commissioners |
Aug
|
1845
|
Lt.
William
Peel
and
Lt. Parke arrive from Puget Sound and tell
McLoughlin
there are many British ships in the area to
protect British citizens
|
Aug
|
1845
|
Henry James
Warre and Mervin Vavasour explore from
Willamette to Victoria for the
Royal Army and prepare a report that
specifies that Puget Sound cannot
be defended
from American settlers
|
Sept
|
1845
|
McLoughlin
submits
his
resignation
to the HBC
|
Sept
|
1845
|
Bush-Simmons
party
with
women
and children
departs Washougal for Puget Sound
|
Oct
|
1845
|
Party
arrives
at
Tumwater
and builds
a 40 by 20 foot communal
cabin
on the Kindred claim 2 miles south of Tumwater
for the winter.
Food
in short supply.
|
Jun
|
1846
|
49th
parallel
set
as
boundary for Oregon
Country in a treaty
with Britain
|
|
1846
|
Bush
and
other
families
claim land
and build cabins. Bush claim was near
existing Olympia Airport
(Bush
Prairie)
|
| Spring |
1846
|
Dr.
McLoughlin retires
from HBC.
|
Apr
|
1846
|
President
Polk
gives
notice
to London to cancel Joint Occupancy Agreement
|
June
|
1846
|
Oregon
Treaty
sets boundary with Canada at 49th Parallel
ratified by US Senate
|
|
1846
|
Grist mill
opens at the lower Tumwater Falls using few
purchased parts
|
Aug
|
1846
|
Oregon
Treaty ratified
by
both
countries
|
Nov
|
1846
|
News
of
Oregon
Treaty
reaches Fort
Vancouver.
|
| Aug |
1847 |
Puget Sound
Milling
Company formed for sawmill at lower
Tumwater Falls.
|
Oct
|
1847
|
Sawmill
opens
using
parts
purchased
from HBC.
|
Aug
|
1847
|
Trail
cleared
from
Tumwater
to Olympia
|
Aug
|
1848
|
Oregon
(including
Washington)
becomes
a American territory |
|
1848
|
Stockade
and
blockhouse
built
at Fort Nisqually due to Indian hostility
|
Dec
|
1848
|
Lewis
Nisqually Bush born
|
|
1849
|
Gold
discovered
in
California
|
May
|
1849
|
Leander
Wallace killed by Snoqualmie Indians at
Fort Nisqually
|
July
|
1849
|
First
meeting
of
the
Oregon Territorial
Legislature in Oregon City
|
Oct
|
1849
|
Two
Indians
hanged
at
Fort Nisqually
for murder of Leander Wallace
|
Jan
|
1850 |
The
brig Orbit (American
owned) arrives in
Olympia |
Aug
|
1850
|
John Holgate
(Seattle founder)
stops at the Bush Farm |
Sep
|
1850
|
Donation
Land
Claim Act provides free land to settlers
|
|
1851
|
Pacific
County
added
within
Lewis County
|
Sep
|
1851
|
David
Denny
builds
first
cabin in West Seattle
|
| Jan |
1852 |
Thurston
County
established
which
included north of Cowlitz and west of Cascades
|
July
|
1852
|
David
Denny
buys
cattle
on Bush Prairie
|
|
1852
|
Bush
family
saves
many
settlers from
famine as crops failed
|
Sep
|
1852
|
"The
Columbian"
newspaper
started
in
Olympia
|
|
1852
|
Bush
family
begins
construction
of new house with help of W.O.
Thompson
|
Mar
|
1853
|
Washington
Territory
carved
from
Oregon
Territory (included parts of Idaho and Montana)
|
Mar
|
1853
|
Tiger
was
caught
by
Bush brothers weighing over 200 pounds on Bush
farm
|
|
1853
|
Isaac
Stevens
appointed
as
Territorial
Governor stops at the Bush Farm
|
|
1853
|
WA
Territory
population
3965,
Thurston
County 996
|
|
1853
|
Olympia
chosen
as
capitol
by Stevens
|
Feb
|
1854
|
First
Territorial
Legislature
convenes
|
|
1854
|
Indian
killed
in
wage
dispute at Butler's
Cove, Olympia and 27 Indians killed at Port
Gamble
|
Dec
|
1854
|
Medicine
Creek
Treaty
sets
reservations
for Indians
|
Oct
|
1855
|
James McAllister and Michael Connell
killed by Indians (first of white men during war
that followed)
|
Oct
|
1855
|
Lt.
James
McAllister,
Cols.
A.Benton Moses, and Joseph Miles buried at the
Pioneer Cemetery near the road
|
|
1855
|
HBC seen assisting
Indians
|
Feb
|
1855
|
Memorial
sent by Territorial Legislature to the US
Congress allows Bush to
own
land under Donation Land Act
|
|
1855
|
Stage
Coach
from
Olympia
to Toledo
started
|
|
1855
|
61
blockhouses
built
in
Washington
Territory - 2 in Tumwater, Bush, Rutledge, and
Chambers claims
|
Jan
|
1856
|
Battle
of
Seattle
|
Aug
|
1856
|
End
of
Indian
War
declared and settlers
return to fields
|
Feb
|
1859
|
Oregon
becomes
a
state
|
|
1860
|
"Evening
Olympian"
newspaper
started
in
Olympia
|
|
1860
|
Thurston
County
population
1504
|
|
1861
|
Start
of
American
Civil
War at Fort
Sumter
|
Mar
|
1863
|
Parts
of
Idaho
and
Montana are carved
from Washington Territory
|
Apr
|
1863
|
George
Washington
Bush
died
and buried
in Pioneer Cemetary
|
|
1863
|
Tumwater
Post
Office
opened
|
Sep
|
1864
|
First
telegragh
message received in Washington Territory at
Olympia and it
came from President Abraham Lincoln
|
|
1865
|
End
of
Civil
War
|
Jan
|
1866
|
Rial
Bailey
Bush
died
at age 28. The
Pacific Tribune
|
Sep
|
1866
|
Isabella
Bush
died
Owen, Jackson and
Sanford
inherit the Farm. (Talbert and Lewis
are not inheritors)
Owen
takes over the management of the Farm
|
|
1869
|
Tumwater
incorporated
|
|
1870
|
Sanford,
Sales
of
Liquor
without a license
|
Mar
|
1870
|
Male
African-Americans
given
right
to
vote in Fifteenth Amendment
|
|
1870
|
Thurston
County
population
2246,
King
County population 2164
|
|
1872
|
Northern
Pacific
Railway
(NPR)
arrives
in Tenino
|
|
1873
|
Depression
|
|
1874
|
NPR
starts
service
to
Tacoma (terminus
of transcontinental service)
|
|
1878
|
William
Owen
finishes
construction
of
new house in same location as his parent's
original log house.
|
Aug
|
1878
|
Olympia
-Tenino narrow
gauge
railway through the Bush Farm opens
|
|
1884
|
William
Owen
Bush
and
George Gaston logging near Tenino
|
|
1884
|
William
Owen
Bush,
game
law violation
|
May
|
1888
|
Train
tunnel
at
Stampede
Pass opened to traffic for NPR
|
Nov
|
1889
|
Washington
becomes
a
state
|
|
1889
|
William
Owen
Bush
elected
to first
State Legislature for one term introducing House
Bill 90 which starts
an
agricultural college later known as WSU
|
|
1893
|
Depression
|
?
|
1900
|
Houses
on
homestead
-
William Owen Bush, John Shotwell Bush and George
Gaston
(plus 2 extra houses for laborers)
|
Dec
|
1900 |
Last
adult
from
the
Party dies on his homestead in Tumwater - Jesse
Ferguson |
Feb
|
1907
|
William
Owen
Bush
died
|
??
|
1910
|
The
house
of
William
Owen Bush moved from hilltop to near Deschutes
River
|
|
1916 |
Railway
discontinued |
|
1916
|
Daughters
and
Sons
of
Revolution install marker
at 8820 Old Highway 99
|
|
1928
|
Olympia
Airport
acquires
most
of Bush
claim
|
|
1937
|
Bush
family
bible
in
care of Mrs. Nellie Kimsey Reichel
b. 2/13/1882 - Bush Prairie died 2/28/1975
- Bellevue
|
Sep
|
1945
|
3
Houses left on
homestead - John Bush, George Gaston, and
Reichel |
Apr
|
1947
|
John
Shotwell
Bush (son of William Owen) dies at the
Homestead
|
Sep
|
1960
|
Bush
house
empty
for
12 years. The
Tacoma
News Tribune Photo
|
|
1967
|
Bush
House
in
disrepair. Photo
|
May
|
1969
|
State
Legislature
denies
funding
for
Bush Farmhouse repair. The Daily
Olympian
|
Mar
|
1970
|
Bush
Farmhouse
pulled
down
by owner The Daily
Olympian
|
Aug
|
1972
|
Soroptimists
Prepare
Bigraphical
Exhibit. The Daily
Olympian
|
|
1997
|
Bush Kiosk
constructed at 83rd Avenue SW and Old
Highway
99
|
Apr
|
2009
|
Butternut
sapling planted on Capitol Grounds to honor
George Bush and
Martin Luther King
|
Nov
|
2010
|
Butternut
replanted after first died
|