Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Asahel Bush letters
Bush, Asahel, 1824-1913
Mss 581
0.55 cubic feet
1 legal document case; 5 reels microfilm
1837-1938
circa 1850-1910
Correspondence of Asahel Bush (1824-1913), primarily typescript or microfilm copies of letters sent to him. Bush was an early emigrant to Oregon, editor of the Oregon Statesman from 1851 to 1863, and a significant figure in 1850s Oregon Democratic Party politics.
English
Collection is open for research.
Original items most likely acquired in the late 19th or early 20th century (RL2022-120-RETRO; RL2022-123-RETRO). Typescript copies of letters acquired between 1938 and 1950 (RL2022-121-RETRO). Microfilm most likely acquired either in 1964 or 1965 (RL2022-124-RETRO).
Asahel Bush was born in 1824 in Westfield, Massachusetts. He became an apprentice printer at age 15, and later studied law while supporting himself with newspaper jobs; he was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1850. That same year, Samuel R. Thurston, the Oregon territorial delegate to U.S. Congress, recruited Bush to found a newspaper in Oregon that would further Thurston's political career, named "The Oregon Statesman." Bush emigrated to Oregon by way of the Isthmus of Panama, and arrived in Oregon City in September 1850. The first issue of the Oregon Statesman was published in March 1851. Although the paper was first based in Oregon City, in 1853 it moved to Salem, Oregon. Bush also served as Oregon's first territorial printer.
Bush also soon established himself as the head of a circle of Oregonians who, like him, were active in the Democratic Party, such as Matthew P. Deady, James W. Nesmith, and George L. Curry; this group came to be known as "the Salem Clique." Bush championed the cause of Oregon statehood. He was opposed to Oregon becoming a slave state, but also opposed allowing free Black Americans to live in Oregon.
In the late 1850s and 1860, Bush and the Salem Clique were affected by divisions within the Democratic Party over the slavery debate. These divisions led to competing Democratic presidential tickets in 1860: northern Democrats nominated Stephen A. Douglas and Herschel V. Johnson, while southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckenridge and U.S. Senator for Oregon Joseph Lane. Bush supported Douglas, while fellow clique member Deady favored Breckenridge. When the U.S. Civil War broke out, Bush was strongly pro-Union. However, the divisions among Oregon Democrats had diminished not only the Salem Clique's political influence, but the standing that Bush and the Oregon Statesman had held as a political power.
Bush sold the Oregon Statesman in 1863, but remained politically active. He later co-founded the Ladd and Bush Bank in Salem.
Bush married Eugenia Zieber in 1854; the couple had four children. Asahel Bush died in December 1913.
Sources: "Asahel Bush (1824-1913)," by Barbara Mahoney, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/bush_asahel_1824_1913_/#.YtiFe3bMIuV; "Salem Clique," by Barbara Mahoney, Oregon Encyclopedia,
https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/salem-clique/#.YtiFWHbMIuU; "Oregon Statesman," by Floyd J. McKay, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/oregon_statesman/#.YtiKSXbMIuU; Corning, Howard McKinley, editor, Dictionary of Oregon History, 2nd edition, 1989.
Originals of typescript and microfilmed materials are housed at the Bush House Museum, Salem, Oregon.
Asahel Bush letters, Mss 581, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Originally processed prior to 1971. Collection was slightly rearranged in 2022.
Other collections at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library that include papers of or related to Bush are: the Matthew P. Deady papers, Mss 48; the John C. Bell papers, Mss 194; the Samuel R. Thurston and Elizabeth Thurston papers, Mss 379; the James Willis Nesmith papers, Mss 577; the Addison Crandall Gibbs papers, Mss 685; the Galloway family papers, Mss 730; the Lewis Hubbel Judson papers, Mss 976; the Benjamin Freeman Kendall papers, Mss 1038; the Joseph Lane papers, Mss 1146; the Benjamin Stark papers, Mss 1155; the Justus Steinberger papers, Coll 686; and a vertical file, Genealogy - Bush family.
The collection consists of the correspondence of Asahel Bush. The bulk of the collection is typescript copies or microfilm of letters that were sent to Bush. These letters often discuss politics; events such as the Rogue River War, the Yakima War, and Oregon territorial elections; and the newspaper business. A large number of these letters are from Matthew P. Deady. Other significant correspondents in the collection include Jesse Applegate, George L. Curry, Joseph Lane, Delazon Smith, Samuel R. Thurston, and George H. Williams. Original letters in this collection include several that Bush sent, as well as ones from Applegate, Deady, B. F. Harding, Hugh D. O'Bryant, W. C. Johnson, W. H. Farrar, John T. Jeffreys, W. W. Buck, and three letters that are either unsigned or have illegible signatures. Other items in the collection include an original promissory note made to Bush for $5,000; microfilm of a letter book that, in addition to correspondence to Bush, includes some letters addressed either to Bush's descendants or to the Ladd and Bush Bank; an original note by Bush about an Indian commissioner named "Allen"; and correspondence of Bush's son, A. N. Bush, regarding the use of typescript copies of Bush's letters.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Bush, Asahel, 1824-1913
Deady, Matthew P. (Matthew Paul), 1824-1893--Correspondence
Lane, Joseph, 1801-1881--Correspondence
Smith, Delazon--Correspondence
Thurston, Samuel Royal, 1816-1851--Correspondence
Applegate, Jesse A., 1811-1888--Correspondence
Curry, Geo. L. (George Law), 1820-1878--Correspondence
Williams, George H. (George Henry), 1823-1910--Correspondence
Oregon Territory--Politics and government
Oregon--Politics and government--19th century
American newspapers--Oregon--19th century
Pioneers--Oregon
Politics and Politicians
Journalism
correspondence
Letters from people with surnames "A," including John Adair and J. C. Avery (typescript copies)
1851-1869
1
1
Letters from people with surnames "A" through "C" (microfilm of originals)
circa 1851-1904
2
Letters from G. H. Ambrose (typescript copies)
1855-1857
1
2
Letters from Butler P. Anderson (typescript copies)
1852-1860
1
3
Letters from Jesse Applegate and related papers (one original; typescript copies)
1851-1863
1
4
Letters from William H. Barnhart (typescript copies)
1852-1893
1
5
Letters from Wilson Blain (typescript copies)
1851 March 19; 1852 December 2
1
6
Letters from Reuben P. Boise (typescript copies)
1851-1857
1
7
Letters from G. D. R. Bond (typescript copies)
1853-1856
1
8
Letters from W. W. Bristow (typescript copies)
1851-1860
1
9
Letter from W. W. Buck (original)
1854 April 12
1
10
Letters from S. F. Chadwick (typescript copies)
1852-1860
1
11
Letters from George L. Curry (typescript copies)
1853-1860
1
12
Letters from Matthew P. Deady and related letter from Deady to Joseph Lane (6 originals; typescript copies)
1851-1889
1
13
Letters from Matthew P. Deady (microfilm of originals)
1851 April-1863 March 17
2
Letters from Matthew P. Deady (microfilm of originals)
1863 April 18-1889 November 25
3
Letters from people with surnames "D" through "K" (microfilm of originals)
circa 1850-1909
3
Letters from R. H. Dearborn (typescript copies)
1855-1859
1
14
Letters from J. W. Drew and related letter from Drew to "Friend Beggs" (typescript copies)
1855-1861
1
15
Letter from W. H. Farrar (original)
1855 December 1
1
16
Letters from Lafayette Grover (typescript copies)
1855-1909
1
17
Letters from B. F. Harding (one original; typescript copies)
1851-1889
1
18
Letters from John T. Jeffreys and W. C. Johnson (originals)
1860 January 23; 1861 December 25
1
19
Letters from E. S. Kearney (typescript copies)
1858-1860
1
20
Letters from Joseph Lane (typescript copies)
1851-1880
1
21
Letters from Joseph Lane (microfilm of originals)
1851 February 3-1852 March 21
3
Letters from Joseph Lane (microfilm of originals)
1852 June 10-1858 June 18; 1880 November 19-24
4
Letters from people with surnames "L" through "R" (microfilm of originals)
circa 1851-1907
4
Letters from Nathaniel H. Lane (typescript copies)
1856-1860
1
22
Letters from John McCracken (typescript copies)
1853-1888
1
23
Letters from Patrick Malone and Shubrick Norris (typescript copies)
1851-1860
1
24
Letter from A. Miner (typescript copy)
1855 October 11
1
25
Letter from W. H. Odell (typescript copy)
1914 April 23
1
26
Letters from O. C. Pratt (typescript copies)
1851-1887
1
27
Letters from James M. Pyle (typescript copies)
1855-1860
1
28
Letter and partial letter from Henry Russell (typescript copies)
1851 August 24; circa 1851
1
29
Letters from Delazon Smith (typescript copies)
1855-1859
1
30
Letters from Delazon Smith (microfilm of originals)
1853 March 1-1859 November 5
5
Letters from people with surnames "S" through "Z" (microfilm of originals)
circa 1850-1890
5
Letters from Chester N. Terry and related notice of Terry's marriage (typescript copies)
1855
1
31
Letters from Samuel R. Thurston and letter from Elizabeth Thurston (typescript copies)
1850-1852
1
32
Letters from Samuel R. Thurston (microfilm of originals)
1850 July 28-1851 March 19
5
Letters from George H. Williams (typescript copies)
1854-1908
1
33
Letters to Bush either unsigned or with illegible signatures (originals)
1854-1861; undated
1
34
Letter book of correspondence, including to Bush's descendants or to Ladd and Bush bank (microfilm of originals)
circa 1851-1928
1
Letters from Bush, including to Hugh D. O'Bryant and to Shubrick Norris (originals); note by Bush about Indian commissioner named "Allen" (original)
circa 1851-1898
1
35
Promissory note to Bush for $5,000 (original)
1863 October 22
1
36
Correspondence between Barker, Goodwin & Company and Dusenbery & Ogden about Bush printing the laws of Oregon (typescript copies)
1851 June 10
1
37
Promissory note to an Asahel Bush (most likely Bush's father) from John Sticking and Jonnie Ensign; bill for Bush payable to John Byrne (typescript copies)
1837 January 16; 1858 January 25
1
37
Letters from A. N. Bush to Claire W. Churchill about the usage of typescript copies of Asahel Bush correspondence (typescript copies)
1938 February 15-November 23
1
38