William Henry Bush


William Henry Bush was an American businessman and rancher. Born in Martinsburg, New York, he sold barbed wire and hats in the Western United States. He became a rancher in Texas and a multi-millionaire due to helium deposits on his landholdings.

Early life

William Henry Bush was born on October 22, 1849 in Martinsburg, New York. His father was James Bush and his mother, Caroline Lucretia Hills.

Career

Bush was hired by Joseph Glidden, the inventor of barbed wire, to find ranching lands in Texas and promote the new invention. With Henry B. Sanborn, he established the Frying Pan Ranch in Potter County.
With his brother-in-law, F. T. Simmons, Bush co-founded the Bush, Simmons, and Company, a hat company, in 1885. By 1903, Bush founded the Bush Hat Company and served as its President.
Bush was the founder of the city of Bushland, Texas in 1903, which was named in his honor. It was founded as a railway stop on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.
Much of the land which Bush possessed was replete with helium deposits. As a result, Bush became a multimillionaire. He was worth US$2,175,000 by 1931.

Personal life

Bush married Elva Glidden, Joseph Glidden's daughter, in 1877. On October 20, 1908, he married Ruth Russel Gentry. They had two daughters, Caroline Gentry Bush, who married Frederick Latham Emeny, and Ruth Emmeline Bush, who married Francis Thomas O'Brien. Bush attended the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago.

Death and legacy

Bush died on April 9, 1931 in Chicago. Two thirds of his estate went to his widow and two daughters. His cousin, Herbert S. Bush of DeKalb, Illinois, also received some inheritance. Furthermore, he donated US$100,000 to the Presbyterian Hospital of Chicago and US$25,000 to the Chicago Art Institute.

Secondary source