Tumwater was founded as a place where people belonged and where members of the community showed a welcoming spirit.

George and Isabella Bush were pioneers who were among the founders of the first non-Indigenous, permanent, agricultural settlement in Washington State. George, a Black man, was born around 1790, in Pennsylvania or Virginia. His mother was an Irish woman and his father was Black. By his adulthood, he became a wealthy agriculturalist and frontier person.

Isabella was a nurse of German ancestry. She nursed many travelers on the Oregon Trail, taught school – even established the first school in the Tumwater area, which included some Native Americans as students –  learned the local Salish language, and generally, like George, helped to build community and demonstrated openness to others.

Their story

In 1844, George and Isabella Bush traveled West on the Oregon Trail. Several other families, including Michael T. Simmons, another well-known leader among the group, made this arduous trip along with them.

Because of discriminatory Black exclusion laws enforced in Oregon, they traveled north of the Columbia River until they arrived in what was to become Tumwater in 1845. While the exclusion laws of the time applied equally to what would become Western Washington, there was little or no law enforcement presence north of the Columbia at the time.

George and Isabella Bush were highly respected, got along well with our region’s Native Tribes, the original inhabitants of Tumwater, then part of Oregon Territory, and used their wealth to provide many settlers with food, supplies, and farming knowledge. Today, they are recognized as among the most important pioneers in Washington State history.

As a Black man in U.S. territory, Bush could not initially own land under existing laws. The Washington Territorial Legislature petitioned Congress on his behalf, leading to a special exemption in 1855 granting George and Isabella Bush legal title to their homestead – an early victory for racial justice in the region.

As we recognize Juneteenth, an annual holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black people in 1865, and as we look forward to the 250th anniversary of the United States in July, we should remember the challenges people historically faced and recognize the need to continue to grow in the neighborliness, acceptance, and strength in unity that George and Isabella Bush and Tumwater represent.

The Bushes’ legacy extends well beyond their own lifetimes. Their son, William Owen Bush, became a leader in the, then, new state of Washington. As a member of the first state legislature (1889–1890), William introduced the bill that created Washington State University, ensuring that education and agriculture would thrive in the generations to come.

Remembering George and Isabella Bush and Tumwater’s founding

George and Isabella Bush are remembered not only as founders of Tumwater, but also as pioneers whose generosity, perseverance, and quiet leadership helped shape the future of Washington State. Their story reflects the spirit of welcoming and resilience that continues to define Tumwater today.

They belonged here. You belong here too!