George Washington Bush 1790-1863


One of the very first non-Indigenous settlers in what is now Washington State. A Black veteran of the War of 1812, he moved west to escape racist laws in Missouri. When Oregon enacted exclusion laws against Black settlers, he pushed north of the Columbia River and helped found the first American settlement on Puget Sound (Tumwater).

 

Biographical Overview

  • Lived from 1790 to 1863
  • Born: Jan 1, 1790, Pennsylvania
  • Died: Apr 5, 1863, Tumwater, WA

 

Historical Events

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Bibliography for George Washington Bush

A listing of books related by subject

George Washington of Centralia how the pioneering son of a slave crossed the continent, founded a town, and saved it during its darkest hours by Brian Mittge, Kerry MacGregor Serl

Although George Washington has been in the public eye since facing a racially-charged court case in the 1840s and a quick vote of support by the Missouri Legislature, his full life’s story has never been completely told — until now. Local historians Brian Mittge and Kerry MacGregor Serl have pulled together public documents, little-known archival materials and oral histories into a 200-page story that reads like the full history of the 19th century. From slavery to the frontier, from the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest, this is a story that is sweeping in its scope but human to its core. You’ll read about the ways that George Washington nurtured ties during a time of division, creating unity in the community he created and sustaining his neighbors through the depth of dire economic depression.

xviii, 198 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Non-circulating [ 1 ]

 

 

Entry Details


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Last updated: 2026-09-29