Background
Bush, Asahel was born on June 4, 1824 in Westfield, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Asahel and Sally (Noble) Bush.
Businessman newspaper publisher
Bush, Asahel was born on June 4, 1824 in Westfield, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Asahel and Sally (Noble) Bush.
The younger Asahel attended public school and later Westfield Academy, then at the age of 17 moved to Saratoga Springs, New York where he became an apprentice printer.
As publisher the Statesman newspaper, he moved the paper to Salem when the territorial capital moved to that city. A Massachusetts native, Bush became the first official printer for the state of, and his estate is now a city park. Bush later worked for a newspaper before studying law.
He passed the bar in 1850 in Massachusetts, but soon left for the Territory by ship, taking the Isthmus of Panama route.
Bush arrived in in late 1850 at Portland and settled in City. Once his printing press arrived, he started the Statesman newspaper in March 1851.
In 1853, the capital was moved to Salem and Bush moved the newspaper there as well, where it would later become the Salem Statesman Journal. In 1859, Bush become the first official printer for the state of He left the newspaper business in 1863 when he sold the newspaper.
In 1867, Bush along with William South. Ladd founded the Ladd and Bush Bank in Salem.
Ten years later Bush would buy out Ladd and become the sole proprietor of the financial institution. Eugenia was the daughter of one of his printer employees, and she would die at the age of 30 in 1863. Bush served as a trustee of Willamette University and as a regent to the University of Asahel Bush II died on December 23, 1913 at the age of 89 in Salem and was buried at Salem Pioneer Cemetery.
His estate is now preserved as Bush"s Pasture Park and his home, Asahel Bush House, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
At this time newspapers were partisan instruments used to further political parties.
Though he defended slavery, he supported the Union during the American Civil War.
He remained active in politics and was a member of the state Democratic Party’s central committee, including time as the chairperson, and in 1892 was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Married Eugenia Zieber, October 12, 1854 (died 1863).