Bush House Museum

Yours Truly, Bush '82

2011-03-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

From A. N. Bush to Edward "Shang" Draper, August 15, 1940:

"Seventy years ago Saturday night was bath time. I used to busy those nights with the hounds in the forests after red bellied foxes to protect the chickens and the lambs. The baths those days were in a washtub, the water heated on the stove. The youngest went first; when it came my turn I would be called by a tooter, made of a cow's horn, coming over the forest -- none too welcome if the trail was hot."

From A.N. Bush to Faye Bush, September 20, 1940:

"At ten, Father told me I was a prospective defender of my country and gave me a lesson in firearms. I am still that and will go when I am needed. However at ten, I needed not lessons in the use of firearms. I knew it all but still took the lessons and kept my mouth shut. My eyesight now would be a drawback."

A Veterans' Day Salute

2010-11-11T14:13:00.001-08:00

Asahel "Ace" Bush V, pictured above, was the elder son of Asahel Bush IV and his wife, Margaret Boot Bush. Born in December 1912, Ace knew his great grandfather, Asahel Bush II, who built and lived in the Bush House. After graduating from Amherst College in 1933, Ace became a newspaper reporter in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He later worked for the Associated Press in Salt Lake City and San Francisco. In 1934, Ace met and married Faye Cornish; their daughter Jody was born in 1936.

In 1943, Ace signed on as a war correspondent and was attached to General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters in the Pacific Theater. For the next year he covered "nearly every operation launched by Gen. MacArthur." He is pictured below, back row, on the left.

Ace Bush was killed by a Japanese bomb on October 25, 1944, on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. He was 31 years old, and was survived by his wife and 8-year-old daughter.

On this Veterans' Day we salute Ace and other veterans who have served our country through the years.

Once Upon a Time

2010-10-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know that, once upon a time, Asahel Bush II raised prizewinning cattle in the pasture beside his home? Here's the proof:

Aren't you glad you don't have to dodge the cows when you park your car in the parking lot on Mission Street?

Sally Bush: Woman Ending Hunger

2010-10-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

On October 29, the Bush House Museum celebrates the 150th birthday of Sally Bush. The second daughter of Asahel Bush II, Miss Sally returned to Salem after completing her education and lived in the family home on Mission Street for the rest of her life. She is remembered for her appreciation of gardens and her devotion to animals, especially her beloved cats.

Miss Sally was a kind, generous, and compassionate woman, always prepared to assist families in need of food or clothing. In her honor, the Museum is planning the 2nd Annual Sally Bush Memorial Food Drive in partnership with Marion-Polk Food Share's Women Ending Hunger campaign.

On Friday, October 29, admission to the Bush House Museum is FREE with a donation of canned or packaged food. The Museum and the Bush Barn Art Center will continue to accept food donations through Sunday, November 7.

Although many of these items weren't available to Miss Sally, we encourage you to consider this list of the "10 Most Wanted" foods when making your donation:

Canned soup
Canned chili
Boxed macaroni and cheese
Breakfast cereal
Peanut butter
Canned tuna
Canned fruit
Canned vegetables
Pasta
Pasta sauce

Even if you don't plan to tour the Museum, please consider making a donation to help the hungry in our community, in the spirit of Miss Sally Bush.

Dinner at Bush House

2010-09-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what it might be like to be a guest at the Bush House? Salem landscape architect Elizabeth Lord (1887-1976) was a friend and neighbor of the Bush family who wrote down her memories of their hospitality. Thanks to Museum Assistant Brooke Serres for recommending this item.

Dinner at Bush House was always a special treat, beginning with the announcement of “Dinner is served” by playing of the wonderful old Music Box which stood on a table in the Hall near the Dining Room.

Upon entering the Dining Room, an air of hospitality greeted the guests - and guests were very frequent. The table setting was of the finest linens, the silverware and china, all of the simplest patterns - rich in quality. All the linens were purchased from the famous “House of Linens” McCutcheon of New York City. The patterned designs of the collection of table cloths and arrangement of flowers always graced the center of the table, tho’ no color scheme was planned, the first spring blossoms, summer flowers, and the rich colors of autumn all came from the gardens which surrounded the house. The Green House, still in use (NB: Now under construction!), supplied the charming winter bouquets. Fuchsias, lacey long-stemmed Green House begonias, cyclamen and greenery of smilax and tropical maiden-hair ferns intermingled with the exotic collection brought forth exclamations of surprise from the guests.

While Miss Sally was a complete vegetarian, her Father enjoyed the best of meats, the wild game of Oregon and the seafood of the Pacific. Only the lightest wines were served with dinner, no hard liquors were in the house and Mr. Bush was fond of apple cider. After Mr. Bush passed away, Miss Sally discontinued all liquor, and only coffee, tea and milk were on the menu.

Miss Sally was a most thoughtful hostess and always listened to those who gathered around her table. Food was lavish and the cooking of the best and delightfully served. Although Miss Sally never ate meat, fowl, or fish she did not deny her guests the main course of dinner. Quantities of vegetables were served for those to make a choice. Corn was her favorite vegetable - the late, long ear white corn called “Country Gentlemen” which we now seldom see. Every variety of vegetable grew on the hillside south of the Green House. The big, long asparagus bed, planted along the now parking strip, extended to the bottom of the hill. Asparagus by the basketful came to the kitchen every morning during the growing season.

Jersey cows supplied all the milk, cream and butter. After the milking, the buckets of milk were brought to the basement and poured in the regular milk pans and placed on the shelves in the milk room, which was situated at the north end of the basement. Cream was so thick and heavy it had to be taken off with a special skimmer with perforated holes in the center in order to allow the milk to separate from the cream (NB: Still on display in the Kitchen!). The cream was then put into a wide open crockery pitcher for this facilitated dipping the cream out of the pitcher. Butter was churned in the kitchen in the same wooden receptacle we display in the kitchen (NB: Also still on display, now in the pantry!). Those were the days before the milk separators were invented and after this mechanical device became in use, Miss Sally lost her interest in the Jersey Cow room. In fact she did not consider the cream worth using. Many a delicious dessert was served at her table, but with it all, Miss Sally remained the slender wisp like figure during her lifetime.

Miss Sally loved company in her home and guests at her table, but she had no concern about the welfare as the house was run to perfection. Hazel and Teresa were wonderful cooks and they had everything to cook with. And Velma, who gave so many devoted years of service to Miss Sally, was the mainstay of running the home with the assistance of Ollie. They made everyone who entered the big house on the hill feel very welcome.

Look What's Happening!

2010-09-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

The bids are in for the Historic Bush Conservatory Restoration Project, the contract is signed, and work is underway!

Gardeners have temporarily relocated some of the plantings in front of the Conservatory so they don't get munched in the construction process.

All of the plants have been moved out of the Conservatory, and tables and shelves are being dismantled.

Check out the crusty old radiators that were hidden under the benches!

As work continues, you can visit the Friends of Bush Gardens website for more information.

Sneak Preview

2010-08-19T17:16:00.001-07:00

We have wangled the loan of some lovely quilts from a private collection for this year's exhibit, Vintage Quilts: A Garden of Applique. The quilts date to the 19th century, and they are beautiful. The one pictured above, in Mr. Bush's Bedroom, was made circa 1876 to commemorate the nation's centennial. It is even more amazing in person.

Vintage Quilts: A Garden of Applique opens Tuesday, August 24 and continues through Sunday, October 31.

Clear Skies over Salem

2010-07-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

This 1936 aerial photo features what was once the Bush family's estate surrounded by the developing neighborhoods of south Salem. The Bush House and Barn area -- at the time still owned and occupied by the family -- are located among the trees at the upper left corner of the property. The open fields to the right had been given to the City for use as a park in 1917.

There are none of the landmarks we see today -- no stadium, no ball field, no soap box derby track -- just trees and open pasture and a number of well-worn footpaths cutting through the fields, and the sinuous line of Pringle Creek winding through the grid.

What a treasure it is to have this land protected as a park for the citizens of Salem. Come and enjoy it while the skies are clear!

It's Time!

2010-07-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

The Staffordshire dog is guarding the first lavender wand of the season! Many thanks to Sundance Lavender Farm for donating the fresh lavender. We make and sell these fragrant wands to raise funds for the Bush House Museum Restoration Fund, to cover ongoing costs of restoration and preservation of our collection.

Come visit us at the Museum's booth during this weekend's Salem Art Fair & Festival, the main fundraiser for the Salem Art Association. You can purchase a handmade lavender wand (or two), view some historic photos, and pick up a complimentary ticket for a guided tour at the Bush House Museum.

The Museum itself will be open for free guided tours throughout the weekend, starting at 11:00 am every day.

Hope to see you there!

Totally Cool!

2010-07-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't see the Statesman Journal this past Sunday, they are featuring a series of articles about Lulu Hughes Bush. Lulu, who married A.N. Bush in 1886, traveled to Europe in the summer of 1905 and kept a journal of her voyage through The Netherlands, Belgium, France, England, and Scotland. The newspaper is publishing the journal, which is on loan to the Museum and has been transcribed by Museum staff, along with photos and a video. A link to the series can be found here.

This is totally cool for a number of reasons. First, a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise know about the journal can read about Lulu's trip to Europe, which would have been an unusual experience for any Salemite. Second, we would never be able to show the journal to the public with the level of detail provided by the newspaper series -- even if a visitor could decipher Lulu's handwriting, it would take a lot of time to go through the journal page by page.

Like many women of her era, Lulu lived in the shadow of her husband. We have only a few photographs of her, and no letters. This journal gives us a chance to learn a little bit more about who she was as a person, and to share her story with the community. Totally cool.

Hello and Goodbye

2010-06-29T16:50:00.001-07:00

Hello to Ross (on the left), our new Museum Assistant. With a background in art and historic preservation, Ross comes to us most recently from the Benton County Historical Society. We are glad to have him here.

Goodbye to Pablo (on the right), who leaves us to attend graduate school in Boston. Doesn't he look happy?! We will miss him.

Best wishes to both of these gentlemen in their new adventures!

160 Years Ago, on the Oregon Trail...

2010-06-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Eugenia Zieber, pictured above ca. 1850, was born in Princess Anne, MD in 1833. She was educated at the Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies in Bethlehem, PA. She left school to join her family as they moved to Oregon Territory in search of a more healthy climate.

As the eldest daughter of the family, 18-year-old Eugenia's responsibilities included caring for her younger siblings, helping her mother with meals, and washing laundry. In her limited free time she collected plant specimens and wrote in her diary. The pressed-flower album that she compiled on this trip across the plains can be found in the Bush House Museum archive, along with her handwritten journal.

Sunday June 22nd, 1851
On another Sabbath do I attempt to write a few lines in my journal, which has been long neglected. There is scarcely time, upon such a journey, for those who have aught that is essentially necessary to do, to keep a diary. It must be done by snatches or at any moment, or not at all. That does not suit everyone.

...We are traveling today. I regret doing so, but the company generally are not willing to lie by, and we of course who would like to, being the smaller number, must comply with the others' wishes. It is very warm, but little air stirring today.

This evening is cool and rather windy again. I can scarcely make myself believe that this is Sunday, because we are traveling, it does not seem right. A watch was lost by one of the company today, a very valuable one I believe. Camped on a small branch of the Platte. We are to remain here tomorrow the women are to wash, the men to search for the watch, and go hunting.

The Zieber family arrived in Oregon City in October 1851, where Eugenia's father, a printer by trade, went to work for Asahel Bush II at the Oregon Statesman. Three years later, Eugenia married Asahel Bush and moved with him to Salem. They were married for nine years and had four children together before she died of tuberculosis at the age of 30. Mr. Bush never remarried.

Happy Birthday, Asahel Bush!

2010-06-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

We are celebrating the 186th birthday of Asahel Bush II this weekend, with an Open House on Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Bush House Museum. There will be birthday cake, balloons for the kids, and stories about Mr. Bush. Please join us!

Asahel Bush II was born in Westfield, Massachusetts on June 4, 1826. In 1850, at the age of 26, he left Westfield for Oregon. He settled in Salem in 1853 and lived here for the next 60 years. He passed away in Salem on December 23, 1913.

When Mr. Bush was about to leave Westfield to come to Oregon he published the following poem as a farewell to his boyhood home and friends:

We do not know how much we love,
Until we come to leave;
An aged tree, a common flower
Are things o'er which we grieve;
There is a pleasure in the pain
That brings us back the past again.

We linger while we turn away,
We cling while we depart;
And memories, unmarked till then,
Come crowding round the heart.
Let what will lure our onward way,
Farewell's a bitter word to say.

Why We Do What We Do

2010-05-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

We welcomed a group of local fourth grade students to the Museum today. Here's Wayne, one of our veteran tour guides, answering a question about what an item in the kitchen was used for. Along with our other guides, Wayne has led dozens of school tours over the years, though not so many this year -- we have noticed a definite decrease in the number of kids coming through the Museum this month, when we are usually booked solid with school groups.

This Victorian kitchen is so interesting to children. There's no refrigerator or microwave, there are no counter tops and only a few cupboards. Kids can't identify the wood-burning stove -- in fact, the only thing they recognize in this room is the (modern) sink in the corner. And the fascination extends to the Museum as a whole. Children are challenged to imagine what life would be like without electricity: no computers, no TV, no iPods, no videogames.

A.N. Bush was two years old in 1860 when his family moved to this property outside of the city limits. As a youth he tracked foxes in the South Salem hills and took one bath a week in the washtub beside the kitchen stove. In his lifetime, A.N. saw the invention of the light bulb, the telephone, the phonograph, the radio, and television. Transportation moved from riverboats to railroads to automobiles to airplanes. In his lifetime, the population of Salem grew from less than 1,000 people in 1860 to more than 43,000 people by 1950. That's a lot of change!

We can tell kids that things haven't always been the way they are now, but it's a lot easier for them to grasp the concept when they're experiencing it first-hand in, let's say, an old-fashioned kitchen. And that's why we do what we do.

Three Days' History of a Bogus Dollar

2010-05-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Guest blogger A.N. Bush, from the Ladd & Bush Quarterly, November 1912:

In 1885 Dee Howard had a butcher shop on State Street, where S.W. Thompson & Company's jewelry store is now. Oliver Higginbotham was cutting meat for him.

One Saturday afternoon Dee came into the bank with a bag of silver to deposit. Those were the days of an open counter and he had plenty of room to stack it up. When he was done he called to Claud Gatch to receive it for him. Claud's eyes instantly located something queer in one stack of dollars, and pushed back to Dee a lead dollar. It was twice as thick as a silver dollar, and almost black. It had been molded imperfectly, and was at best a crude imitation. Dee remarked with disgust that anything could be passed on Oliver.

Claud asked to have the bogus dollar returned to him, saying that he had not ordered his meat for the day and would try to see if he could pass the lead dollar on Oliver. Dee told several of the boys what was coming, and they waited about the butcher shop for Claud. Claud soon came in and picked out a dollar roast. Oliver tied it up and raked the bogus dollar into the till without looking at it. When they all got through laughing at Oliver, Claud handed him a silver dollar for the meat.

Dee then picked up the bogus dollar and invited all the boys into the alley saloon to have a treat. The barkeeper was as easy as Oliver, and the bogus dollar went into the till without a question.

Nothing more was heard of that dollar till the next Monday morning, when a prominent Salem minister attempted to deposit it, but Claud informed him that he had seen that dollar before and it was not current at our counter.

We are sorry not to be able to recount how the lead dollar got from the saloon into the contribution box, but we will leave the reader to surmise.

Pretty Pictures

2010-04-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

We came across this great local blog, Salem Photo Diary, the other day. Check it out for lovely pictures from our area, including lots from the Bush House Museum, Bush's Pasture Park, and SAA.

And speaking of pretty things, we have been working with our fabulous collections database to research and document objects at the Museum.

This beautiful iridescent art glass vase was one of many vases that came to us from the Bush family. It was made by the Quezal company, which operated in the United States between 1902 and 1924. We don't know how the piece came into the family, but we know they owned at least one other Quezal vase that also remains in the Museum's collection.

Something Special for Mom

2010-04-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a special treat for Mom on Mother's Day? Join us at the Bush House Museum on Sunday, May 9th for our annual horse-drawn carriage rides!

Carriage rides are FREE with paid admission to the Bush House Museum, and Moms are free when accompanied by a family member. Families can also enjoy complementary tea and cookies served in the Bush Barn Art Center.

For more information, please call the Museum at (503) 363-4714. Reservations are recommended and will be accepted starting April 27.

Moving Day

2010-03-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

It's not every day that furniture is moved around at the Bush House Museum, so this past Monday was a big day.

Large pieces of furniture were taken apart, including this sideboard:

Some items were moved into different rooms, and some were moved into storage: down one flight of steps, through three doorways, and up another flight of steps. Ooof.

Interesting discoveries were made.

For example, as you can see, we found out that our dining table was made by one A.T. Yeaton in "Salem, O.r.". Pretty cool. The sideboard in the first photo was made by a man named Wallace in Walla Walla, WA.

Finally, the truck arrived with the new (old) furniture.

Can you see the word "Bush" inscribed in pencil? This photo shows the top of a sideboard that was delivered yesterday -- the sideboard that belonged to the Bush family when they lived here. As of Monday afternoon, we also have the family's original dining table and chairs, a display cabinet, a marble statue, and some books from the libraries of Asahel Bush II and his son, A.N. Bush.

These items are on loan to us from the estate of Sam Bush, the great-great-grandson of Asahel Bush II. They will be on display for a limited time, so make sure to come by sometime in the next twenty years to see them...

Something Special

2010-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

The Museum has woken up from our long winter's nap and is open for tours again, complete with a new exhibit of vintage accessories and embellishments from our collection. The photo above shows a selection of our beaded purses, on display for the first time in at least five years. The exhibit also features embroidered silk shawls, elaborate collars, delicate gloves, and fancy hats. The items will be on display at the Museum through Mother's Day, May 9.

Three Big Men

2010-02-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

From the Oregon Voter, May 1, 1915:

With the death of the Hon. John Minto at Salem there passed the last of the junto known as the Big Three -- Asahel Bush, Wm. P. Lord and John Minto. For over fifty years they held the political reins more or less, and a wag says they divided the swag as follows: the Mintos held the offices, Lord had the honors, and Bush got the money. Anyway, they were three big men.

Census Fun!

2010-02-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

A copy of the 1870 Federal Census for Marion County, Oregon fell into my hands recently. Actually, it's better than that -- someone has taken the time to go through the original census forms and transcribe them into an easy-to-read typewritten document, and that's what I was looking at: four hundred pages of names, numbers, occupations, and relationships describing Marion County's residents ten years after Salem got its start.

The first thing I did was scan the columns to find the Bush family, and there they were, in ...North Salem? What?!? The town was divided into four precincts: Salem, North Salem, East Salem, and South Salem. The property that we now know as Bush's Pasture Park -- which the Bush family purchased in 1860 -- is definitely NOT in North Salem. If the family was living here, why were they enumerated there?

There's no mistaking it: Asahel Bush is listed right on the page (M, occupation: Banker, 46 years old) along with his children E. (F, at school, age 14), A.N. (M, at school, age 12), S. (F, age 10) and E. (F, age 8). The household also included a hired laborer named Annio Martin (M, age 40, born in Denmark), a housekeeper named Mary Kezar (F, age 43, born in New Hampshire), and a "domestic" named May Malarkey (F, age 25, born in Ireland). Quite a cosmopolitan setup, for the time!

Poking around through the census, I found that about 12% of households in Salem employed a live-in worker in 1870. Many of these workers were Chinese men who served as cooks; there were 11 Chinese cooks in town, ranging in age from 12 to 26 years old. South Salem must have been farm country because the precinct included 22 live-in laborers, mostly employed by farmers and dairy men. The oldest of these hired hands was 52 and the youngest was 17; by contrast, the average age for a live-in female "domestic" was 17 and the youngest was 14.

Of course, looking at the census figures raises as many questions as it answers. Where was the Bush family actually living in 1870? How long did their servants continue to live with them? How did the demographics of servants in Salem change over time, as limits were placed on Chinese immigration and the city became more urban?

Good thing I know where to find a copy of the 1880 census...

Out the Window

2010-01-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

More than 100 years ago, this was the view from the upstairs window at the Bush House Museum:

That building off to the right is the Bush Conservatory, constructed in 1882. It's the second oldest conservatory west of the Rocky Mountains. It has been in continuous use for almost 130 years.

Here you can see Miss Sally Bush on the left, together with (we think) her father and an unidentified woman, on the south side of the conservatory. Miss Sally had a green thumb and liked to grow and arrange flowers for the family home and business.

This is Miss Sally's cousin, Octavia Painter Nolan, in the conservatory. You can see that the building was well-used. It must have been a pleasant place.

Unfortunately, the conservatory is falling down, and the City of Salem cannot commit funds to restore it. So it is covered with plastic, and the door is closed and sealed with "caution" tape to protect the public.

The good news is that the Friends of Bush Gardens are on the case! These heroic people are working to raise money to restore the conservatory to its original condition. Their effort is well underway, and your support is welcome. Click on the link above to visit their website, where you can read more about the project and make a donation.

Merry Christmas, 1911

2009-12-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

From "The Report" -- December 27, 1911:

These are busy times with Sally. If you talk to her you are apt to get no reply. She is ever wrapped up in tying up packages. There are piles of boxes in the kitchen, the dining room and the parlor, not to mention the greater lot upstairs on the beds. Each day the expressman presents a long list of charges due. The boys are instructed to pay what he claims without question, for the evidence is good that the bills are due. Sally quite savagely said if anyone sends her a gift in return she will cut them off her list.

So next year, instead of decorating the Museum with poinsettias and fresh greens, perhaps we should consider piling boxes all over the place in memory of Miss Sally's "potlatches." Hmmm. Good thing we have almost a year to think about it.

In the meantime, the staff of the Bush House Museum wish you a peaceful and happy holiday season.

Collections Spotlight: The Cogswell Portrait

2009-12-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

Today's entry is written by Museum Assistant
Pablo Morales Henry.

I would like to present one of my favorite items in the house, Mr. Bush’s portrait in the library. The first impression upon viewing the portrait is that Mr. Bush was an impressive man both in stature and Oregon history. The portrait reminded me of one of the typical presidential portraits from the 19th century.

The portrait that I am referring to was painted by William F. Cogswell, who was born in Sandusky, NY in 1819 and died in Pasadena, CA in 1903. The portrait was painted in 1880. Cogswell was not just an ordinary artist, and there are several reasons why his work is so unique. First of all, he taught himself portrait painting in the 1830s while he was working at a color factory and from there he made a career. Another reason is the fact that some of his most famous works are portraits of U.S. presidents. Perhaps his most famous work is a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln, which was painted 1864 (this portrait is displayed at the White House). Cogswell also painted a portrait of Ulysses S. Grant in 1868 (this portrait is displayed at the U.S. Senate). Cogswell painted this portrait the year before Grant started his first term in office. Later, he also painted President Grant and his family (this piece is displayed at the Smithsonian). Afterwards, Cogswell painted a portrait of President McKinley and the portraits of King Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, just to name a few of the people that commissioned work from him.

After quite a few years of success on the east coast, in 1873, Cogswell moved to California. He had previously lived in California during the gold rush, which was an event that motivated some interesting works in his early career. Cogswell bought a property in what is today east Pasadena, and built a beautiful Victorian house. He lived there for many years, during which time he travelled and continued painting. He primarily painted political figures from the State of California. It was during this time that Cogswell painted the portrait of Asahel Bush II that we have today at the museum.

If you have not had the opportunity to appreciate this magnificent painting from the 19th century, please join us at the museum for a tour and you will see an incredible piece that is comparable with the portraits of Presidents Lincoln and Grant.

Our Holiday Helpers

2009-12-10T13:59:00.001-08:00

Many, many thanks to the helpers who came to put up holiday decorations this past week!

Gretchen and Denis always find the perfect, old-fashioned Christmas tree for the sitting room.

Nadine, Karen, Ross, and Bonnie helped trim the tree and decorate the mantels with fresh greens. (We also had help from Kathy and Jean, but they left before the pictures were taken!)

Gretchen came back with Barbara on Tuesday to decorate the library and dining room, and make swags for the exterior doors.

Come and admire their handiwork at our Holiday Open House this Sunday, December 13, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. In addition to the beautiful decorations we'll have holiday music, refreshments, and a visit from that jolly old elf, Santa Claus. Hope to see you here!

Coming Soon: Holidays!

2009-12-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

It's December, and the holidays will be here soon -- even sooner than we think!

Next week, the Bush House Museum will be transformed into a holiday wonderland with fresh greens in every room, a Christmas tree with vintage decorations, and other traditional trimmings for an old-fashioned celebration.

Please join us on Sunday, December 13 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm for our annual Holiday Open House! In addition to the lovely decorations, there will be refreshments, holiday music, and an activity for the children. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be here for photographs and wishes. Make a day of it by planning to attend the Open House at Historic Deepwood Estate the same day.

If you can't make it to the Open House, you can read all about it in the December issue of Northwest Senior and Boomer News. This periodical is available for free at several locations around town.

The best, after all...

2009-11-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here's how members of the Bush family spent Thanksgiving Day, 1911, in the words of A.N. Bush:

A heavy fog hung on all day. I planned to take advantage of the holiday and go to Portland with the bank plans and show Vogt the changes I want. (NB: A.N. Bush was working with Vogt, an architect, to renovate the interior of Ladd & Bush Bank). I tied them up yesterday so they would be ready. This morning I got up with the thought that I must see that the bank was all right and feed the cat before I leave, but not once did I think of the plans. On the train Durbin sat in front of Mrs. Bush and myself, and he began to talk library plans to Mrs. Bush. At the word “plans” I realized I did not have mine and there was no use to go to Portland. I got off at Hood street and walked back to the bank thoroughly disgusted with myself and the evidences of old age coming on me. I do not know but a keeper will have to take me in charge and think for me or something shocking may happen to me any time. I heard of an absent-minded professor who, while thinking of a lesson, at a reception shook hands with his worst enemy. Who knows but I may be walking down the street arm in arm with Hofer. I had fed the cat. I did not forget that.

I spent the whole day at the bank, not leaving there till seven. I had the whole day to myself and did many things I have been striving for days to do. The public will not let me work business days. I sit around hours for minutes I work, and if I get half a chance after the bank closes, Bingham is most sure to come over for a long visit. I felt pretty mean over myself till late in the afternoon, and as this something done was put away and then others, began to get in better spirits, and tonight I do not know but it was the best after all. For Thanksgiving dinner I had a cold handout on turkey at Sally’s.

Father and Sally had the Websters to dinner. Webster is here painting Father’s picture for Sally. (NB: The Webster portrait hangs in the main hall at the Bush House Museum).

I spent the evening at Father’s and going to meet Mrs. Bush on the eleven o’clock train.

Wishing our friends the best, after all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Twin Houses

2009-11-12T15:53:00.001-08:00

Photograph courtesy of Discover-Neighborhood-History

Compare the house pictured above to the photograph of the Bush House Museum in the right sidebar. Although the photographs are taken from different angles, it's easy to see that these houses closely resemble each other.

The picture above shows the Adolph House, built for Samuel Adolph and his wife Mary. Samuel Adolph was born in Prussia about 1835 and came to Salem in 1867. He founded a brewery and later constructed a block of buildings on the south side of State Street, including a saloon.

In 1878, Adolph commissioned Wilbur Boothby, the architect of the Bush House, to build a suburban farmhouse on five acres of land near the State Penitentiary. The house still stands in its original location on the northwest corner of 25th and State Streets.

Did Adolph specifically request a house that echoed the newly-built Bush home? Or did Boothby simply specialize in the Italianate style he had seen in his youth on the east coast? Either way, the family resemblance is evident in the facade -- which is almost identical to the Bush House -- as well as in smaller exterior details such as the window moldings, the gabled roofline, and the carved panels along the eaves.

The similarities continue inside the house, though on a smaller scale. In particular, the staircase, though narrower and steeper than the one at the Bush House, nevertheless includes the same newel post and balusters, and the same carved detail on each riser. There's also a black and white photo of the house in its early years, with the penitentiary buildings visible across the fields.

Samuel Adolph died in 1893, but the house remained in the family until the 1970s as the home of Adolph's son-in-law, Isidore Greenbaum, and his family. Like the Bush House, the Adolph House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It now houses professional offices.

N.B.: Should you choose to admire the Bush House's twin in person, please respect the occupants' privacy.

Thank you, Sam Bush

2009-11-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

"I thought you might appreciate having some writings of mine on family history and photos to go with them..."

So begins a letter received this past summer from Sam Bush, cousin of Jody (see below) and great-great-grandson of Asahel Bush II. Born in Portland in 1949, Sam was the younger son of Stuart Bush and his wife, Mary Patricia Livesley. After spending several years on the East Coast, Sam settled in Portland and worked as a woodworker, designer, and teacher. As the descendant of two important Salem families, Sam maintained an interest in family history along with albums and folders and boxes of historic photographs and documents. However, due to complications from a chronic illness, Sam had not visited the Bush House Museum in more than ten years.

About six weeks after writing that letter, on August 13, Sam passed away at the age of 60. A couple of months later came an unexpected gift for the Museum: the long-term loan of furniture, accessories, photographs, and papers that had been in Sam's keeping.

Details have yet to be finalized, but next year we expect to display the original suite of dining room furniture (table, chairs, and sideboard), a marble sculpture, and assorted pieces of china that have remained in the Bush family until now, and will be passed along to Sam's children in several years.

Equally exciting are the family photos, books, letters, and documents that fill some of the gaps in our knowledge of the Bush family, especially the years from 1880 to 1910: a journal of Lulu Hughes Bush's 1905 trip to Europe! A.N. Bush's scrapbook from his college years! College diplomas for several generations! Family correspondence! Home movies!

In the weeks to come, we'll be able to tell you more about these items and what we're learning from them. In the meantime: thank you, Sam.

Sally's Table

2009-10-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sally Bush was the second daughter of Asahel Bush II and his wife, Eugenia Zieber Bush. Born on October 29, 1860, she was not quite three years old when her mother died. Like all of the Bush daughters Sally attended the Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She went on to graduate from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts before returning to Salem in 1883. "Miss Sally" lived with her father until his death in 1913, then continued as the mistress of the Bush House until she passed away in 1946.

Miss Sally was known around town for her generosity to those in need. By 1916 she had so many requests for assistance from so many people that her brother, A.N. Bush, decided to chronicle her experiences in a little pamphlet entitled "Sally's Charities, or Twenty-Five Days of Alms Giving." Here's one encounter:

Breakfast Menu.

At Sally's Hobo Table D'Hote.
Served on the east steps.

Fried bacon and eggs
Baked beans warmed over
Fried potatoes
Popovers
Coffee.

Sally prepared the eggs herself. The meal was served on platters with plates and accessories and a young tramp consumed it with much apparent satisfaction.

Sally Bush took great pleasure in sharing with others, and it's in honor of her generous spirit that we announce the first Sally Bush Memorial Food Drive, in partnership with Marion-Polk Food Share.

On Thursday, October 29, Sally's birthday, admission to the Bush House Museum is FREE with a donation of canned food. The Museum and the Bush Barn Art Center will continue to accept food donations through Sunday, November 8.

Although fried bacon and eggs are out of the question, we encourage you to consider this list of the "10 Most Wanted" foods when making your donation:

Canned soup
Canned chili
Boxed macaroni and cheese
Breakfast cereal
Peanut butter
Canned tuna
Canned fruit
Canned vegetables
Pasta
Pasta sauce

Even if you don't plan to tour the Museum, please consider making a donation to help the hungry in our community, in the spirit of Miss Sally Bush.

Thank you!

Who was Lida?

2009-10-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

As we read journal entries written by A.N. Bush from 1911-13, we encounter many names of characters who populated the lives of A.N. and his family. Some of the names are easy to recognize, while others take a bit of puzzling over.

Take "Eliza", for example.

Eliza Sloan Nolan was the daughter of A.N.'s cousin, Octavia Painter Nolan. Eliza was born in 1895 and was about 16 years old when the journal entries began. She was a student at Sacred Heart Academy in Salem, but her family lived 'way out in the Clear Lake area of what is now Keizer, which was too far for a daily commute. So Eliza lived in town with A.N. and his wife, Lulu Hughes Bush, during the week, and went home to Clear Lake every weekend. A.N. enjoyed Eliza's company and detailed their adventures together, from visits to the vaudeville theater to picnics at Silver Falls. Around the same time, A.N.'s sister Sally made a portrait of Eliza so we even know what she looked like. Although A.N. never gave her last name or mentioned the family relationship, "Eliza" was easy to figure out.

Lida, not so much.

"Lida" first appeared in A.N.'s journal in November of 1911. Lida (no last name given) lived in Eugene, but had come up to Salem on her way to Detroit (Oregon) where she had been appointed postmistress. She stayed with Sally for a few days and went to visit with Eliza's family in Clear Lake one weekend. In later entries it's clear that Lida had taken up her post in Detroit and found the snowy winter weather to be a challenge. From the context one can infer that Lida was an old friend or family member, someone who literally needed no introduction -- but her actual identity was never clear.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail message from a gentleman who lives in Australia, who has distant ties to the Bush family. He had been browsing through our online photo collection and was writing to correct some of our information. Turns out his ancestor, Colin McIntosh, had been married to one Eliza Zieber, another cousin of A.N. and Sally Bush. This Eliza, who was divorced from Mr. McIntosh by 1900 and was living in Salem by 1916, was also known as... Lida. Eliza "Lida" Zieber McIntosh.

We don't have any photographs of Lida (that we know of) and we still don't know very much about her. But now we can tell her relatives that she was the postmistress in Detroit during the winter of 1912, and that she preferred the whole back over any other piece of chicken.

That's who Lida was.

A House of a Different Color!

2009-10-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer at the Bush House Museum. In addition to the usual excitement around the Art Fair & Festival, the Museum has been surrounded by machinery, equipment, and people -- painters! The end result is a solid exterior with a high-quality paint job in a fancy new/old color:

Research indicates that the Bush House had been the same blue-gray color since at least the late 1970s, when it was placed on the National Register. However, an article written in 1878, just after the Bush family moved into their newly-built home, described the house as a "light mouse-brown" color. Also, during restoration of the porte-cochere in 2007 we discovered some remnants of what might have been the original exterior color, a greeny-browny-gray.

So, after consultation with the state Historic Preservation Office and the City of Salem, we decided to make a change, hoping that a different color will help folks see this old house in a new light.

What do you think?

Collections Spotlight: Hair Wreath

2009-08-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today's entry is written by Museum Assistant Megan Churchwell, who leaves us on Friday to attend museum school in Seattle. Thanks, Megan, and best wishes!

One of the most unusual pieces we have here in the Bush House Museum is a beautiful handcrafted wreath made of human hair. This unique Victorian tradition is an example of the ladies’ crafts done to occupy their leisure time, which was plentiful.

Most Victorian hair crafts took the form of small jewelry items. Pins or bracelets would be made from a family member’s hair as a sign of mourning. These are the most well-known forms of hair art, because Queen Victoria is known to have worn a piece of jewelry made with her husband Prince Albert’s hair every day after his death in 1861. She held great influence over the fashions of this time, and this type of mourning jewelry remained popular through the end of the nineteenth century.

Other examples of hair art would be made of hair saved from the woman’s own hairbrush in a special dresser jar. Our example, a large wreath, is said to incorporate the hair of over 20 of the artist’s relatives, and was created in 1870. Many of these wreaths featured the hair of a recently deceased relative in the center of the horseshoe-shaped wreath for a mourning period lasting up to a year before their hair flower would be moved to become part of the large wreath.

Though most hair art was made as a sign of mourning, they were also made for sentimental reasons. At the same time hair art became popular, young girls were known to have scrapbooks containing their schoolmates’ hair with a name and verse to identify whose hair it was. Sometimes locks of hair would be glued into postcards or valentines and sent as a keepsake.

This lost art is surprisingly beautiful. If you haven’t been to the Bush House Museum to see our example of hair art, it is well worth an up-close look.

If it's July, it must be the Art Fair!

2009-07-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Coming up this weekend, it's the 60th Anniversary of the Salem Art Association's Art Fair and Festival!

The first fair, called the "Art Mart", was held on the lawn of the Marion County Courthouse in August 1950. The event was the brainchild of David Duniway, past president of SAA, and it was described in the President's Report thusly:

"The artists congregated around the Court House grounds, brought their easels for work and had on display their own pictures to sell. The affair was most unique and highly successful and I doubt if a more foreign scene had ever been enacted in Salem. A small sum was netted from the sales."

Financial records indicate that this first Art Mart brought in $24. The event was relocated to the front lawn of the Bush House after SAA moved into the House in 1953.

By the early 1970s, the Festival had grown so large that it was moved to the portion of Bush's Pasture Park south of the Bush Barn Art Center, where it is still held today.

SAA is celebrating the Fair's history by inviting Art Fair aficionados to share your stories of this beloved community event. What's your favorite Art Fair memory? When you come to the Festival this weekend (July 17-19), look for a green flier and share your story with us. Stories will be read from the Main Stage every day, and fliers will be collected and saved for future historians.

For more information on the Art Fair & Festival, visit our website. See you this weekend!

Margaret Ann "Jody" Bush, 1936-2009

2009-06-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

Jody Bush, pictured at left ca. 1940, was the great-great granddaughter of Asahel Bush II and the only child of Asahel "Ace" Bush V and his wife Faye. As a child she spent much time visiting her Aunt Sally, and later her great-grandfather, A.N. Bush, at the family home on Mission Street. In recent years she has been a dear friend to the Bush House Museum.

Jody passed away this past Sunday morning, June 14, 2009 after a long illness. The staff of the Bush House Museum and the Salem Art Association offer our condolences to her family. It has been a privilege for us to know her.

The Museum will host a memorial service for Jody in the coming weeks.

Happy Birthday, Asahel Bush!

2009-06-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the 185th anniversary of the birth of Asahel Bush II, builder of the home that became the Bush House Museum. There are several ways to join in the celebration this year!

Mr. Bush's Birthday Party and Open House
Sunday June 7, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
The Museum will be open this Sunday in honor of Mr. Bush's Birthday, with cake, balloons, and self-guided tours.

Bush Entries in the Oregon Encyclopedia
The Oregon Encyclopedia is an online resource where you can learn about the history and culture of Oregon. The Encyclopedia features articles on Asahel Bush II and on the Bush House Museum. Read these entries to learn more about Mr. Bush and the house he built for his family.

Coming Up: Oregon Historical Quarterly
The Summer 2009 issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly includes an article about Asahel Bush II and his role in territorial politics as Oregon became a state. The article was written by Barbara Mahoney, who made use of the Museum's archives in her research. The Summer issue will be sent to Oregon Historical Society members this month, or you can purchase a copy from OHS when it becomes available.

Your Photo Here!
The Bush House Museum and Bush's Pasture Park have been beloved resources for generations of Salem residents. If you have a photograph of yourself or a family member taken in the Park or around the Museum, we invite you to submit it to our upcoming exhibit. Photos will be on display in the Museum through August 9; please visit our website or call us at (503) 363-4714 for more information.

Kid Stuff

2009-05-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

At this time of the year, Museum staff and volunteers are kept busy hosting groups of school children from Salem and surrounding towns. While it's always fun to have the kids here, what's even better is receiving thank-you notes from them after their visits.

"I can't believe it, Ashel Bush really built that beautiful house! And ten fireplaces! Oh my gosh! I still have one question, how come Sally and Eugenia shared a room and how come there was only one bed and no foutone?"
-- Amber

"I enjoyed the tour a whole lot! I liked Sally and Euginia's room best! Good luck on that donation box!"
-- Maya

"You are really great at teaching about the Bushes. I have learned as much as you did. It was a big house! All the rooms are fine. Guess what - I saw some cracks."
-- Jayden

"I learned a lot about Bush House and its residents. I thought the bed was really beautiful. But it didn't look too comfertable!"
-- Lauren

"Thank you so much for giving us a tour of Bush House. I learned so much I think my head is going to exploed right off my neck."
-- Wyatt

Before our heads explode with gratitude, we'd like to thank the volunteers who have given tours to a dozen school groups already this year: Jean S., Kathy P., Jane S., and Nadine H. In the words of a fourth grader, "You are awesome!!!"

Worth a Thousand Words?

2009-04-21T16:24:00.001-07:00

Here's a great photo to make up for all the entries I haven't written in the past three months:

The photo comes from the Museum's archive. It has a handwritten caption on the back that reads, "The new house in 1878."

Can you imagine the day, about 131 years ago, when Salem's banker, Asahel Bush II, stopped by the studio of one F.A. Smith on Commercial Street and paid him to take a photograph of the new house out at the south end of Church Street? It must have been early spring, before the oak trees leafed out.

Mr. Bush sent copies of this photo (50 cents each!) in letters to his son and daughter who were in college in Massachusetts at the time, and described the location and purpose of each room in the house. He had already asked his daughter Sally to travel to Boston to make the final selection of furniture for the parlor, and you can still see that furniture in the parlor today.

If you look closely, you can see the original configuration of the front of the house, which included a second staircase and a smaller front porch.

Recollections of the Rickreall

2009-01-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

We came across a lovely book in our library today, Recollections of the Rickreall, by Harriet Nesmith McArthur. Born in 1851, Harriet was the daughter of James W. Nesmith and his wife Pauline, close friends of the Bush family.

Harriet's little memoir was published in 1930, when she was almost 80 years old, but she recalls vivid moments from her girlhood:

The fashioning of playhouses was a favorite occupation, and the simple construction was an easy matter: a few boards securely fastened to a tree or fence corner, with a fragrant thatch of fir boughs. The edifice was adorned with bits of broken china, glass or quaint bottles. Decrepit cups and jugs minus handles, past their use in the kitchen, were thankfully received. My elder sister was fortunate in having a tiny set of dishes from the Hudson's Bay Company store. Our dolls would make a sad showing by the side of the sophisticated beauties in present day shops, but we loved them, with all their ugliness. We each had a gift of what seemed too wonderful for daily use, dolls that came from San Francisco, and were kept in a Chinese camphor chest covered with leather, painted red, and rarely opened for inspection.

The chest also housed two gold dollars of my sister's, and three of my own. I do not quite grasp the meaning of surplus, deposits or capital that our moneyed institutions now so cheerfully announce to the public, nor were our funds in circulation, but stayed right there in the bank. As a means of barter, trade, cajolery, or gaining unwilling cooperation in some daring scheme, those five gold dollars put modern money in the shade.

Ready for Winter

2008-12-18T15:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a quiet week at the Bush House Museum, in part because of the snow and ice that have been on the ground since Sunday evening. This is a vintage photo but it gives you a good idea of what it's been like around here.

Inside the House, the Christmas tree is up and the rooms are decorated with fresh greens, flowers, and tokens of the season. We welcomed almost 300 people during our recent Holiday Open House, which featured a visit from Santa, holiday music, a kids' activity, and homemade cookies. If you missed the event, you can still treat your visiting friends and family members to a tour of the Museum the weekend after Christmas.

We're already looking forward to 2009, Oregon's Sesquicentennial or 150th Anniversary. As a leader in the Democratic Party, Asahel Bush II was a central figure in the move toward statehood, and we plan to highlight his story in exhibits throughout the year. Although the Museum will be closed for maintenance from December 31 until March 3, we'll open briefly on Oregon's birthday, February 14, with an exhibit of vintage Valentines -- our love letter to Oregon.

For the next few weeks we will be busy behind the scenes cleaning, organizing, labeling, and working on a variety of projects. Check back with us to find out what's going on! And in the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Research Karma

2008-11-20T15:16:00.001-08:00

Here at the Museum, we've coined the term "Research Karma" to describe what happens when diverse threads of research come together in an "aha!" moment.

One of the first instances of research karma happened a couple of years ago, during a visit from Sally Bush. That's Sally Bush Petcoff, who is a descendant of Asahel Bush II's older brother Seth; she and her husband Tom were visiting from their home in Florida. In the course of our conversation, Sally mentioned that her father, Ralph, and grandparents had driven from Michigan to Oregon in the 1930s to visit our Miss Sally and her siblings. It was the mention of Michigan that reminded me (aha!) of a little album I has seen in our archive, filled with neatly annotated black-and-white vacation photographs, that was labeled "Unidentified." When I showed the album to Sally and Tom, she recognized the photographs and her father's handwriting. The album is no longer unidentified.

The most recent moment came last week, when we were preparing our current exhibit of autograph albums. We have borrowed several albums from the Marion County Historical Society, and were looking through them for signatures of Bush family members or other prominent Salemites. One of the names, "Ella Pohle," seemed familiar to me, so I went to check the records. It turns out (aha!) the Museum owns a dress that belonged to Ella Pohle McGowan. Ella's name seemed so familiar because her dress is currently on display, and I had reviewed the collection notes at the time we dressed the mannequin. Ella's signature is now exhibited next to her beautiful, bottle-green dress. We'll have to return the autograph album to MCHS at the end of the month, but we get to keep the karma!

My Darling Sugar Lump

2008-11-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

"Sure as the vine grows 'round the stump,
You are my darling sugar lump."

"When you get married,
And your wife is cross,
Come to my house and eat applesauce."

"Remember me you must, you must,
As long as your teeth can chew a crust."

These charming rhymes come to us courtesy of a number of vintage autograph albums that are on display at the Museum through the end of the year.

Autograph albums came to the United States with German immigrants during the 19th century, and were popular especially among young women from the 1870s through the 1910s. The oldest album in our exhibit dates to 1849. It belonged to Eugenia Zieber, who later married Asahel Bush II. She was a student at a boarding school in Pennsylvania before coming to Oregon with her family in 1851. The people who signed her album copied elegant poetry in their finest handwriting; some of the entries are written in German.

Entries in later autograph albums were shorter but still sentimental, or just silly.

"I wish you health,
I wish you wealth,
I wish you golden shore.
I wish you heaven after Death,
What can I wish you more?"

"When you see a rabbit run up a tree,
Pull his tail and think of me."

Resting in Peace

2008-10-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

We made a pilgrimage today to Salem's Pioneer Cemetery where members of the Bush family are buried. The fenced family plot is situated at the heart of the cemetery, on the brow of the hill overlooking Commercial Street. These white marble tombstones mark the locations where Asahel Bush II and his beloved wife, Eugenia Zieber Bush, are buried. Also in the family plot are the graves of the Bushes' unmarried daughters, Sally and Eugenia, and their son and daughter-in-law, Asahel N. and Lulu Hughes Bush. Their eldest daughter Estelle Bush Thayer is buried nearby with her husband Claude and their daughter Eugenia.

In the spirit of the season, we read a portion of Mr. Bush's obituary:

It is difficult to place a proper estimate upon the services of Asahel Bush to the state of Oregon, and particularly to the community in which he has been for so long a period a most potent factor. Thoughtful men who have watched the progress of the state for the last four or five decades are generally agreed that there was no individual whose personality; sound judgment in affairs of finance, trade and commerce; broad-mindedness; thoughtfulness for the welfare of the community at large; and unselfish and disinterested desire to witness the most economical utilization of the partially developed resources so abundant throughout the country in which he was a pioneer; has made so marked an impression upon the trend of events as Mr. Bush.

The cemetery's tombstones tell amazing tales: stories of women and babies lost in childbirth, or of now-curable diseases that once ravaged families, or of venerable pioneers who died at home after years of adventure. These days, thousands of South Salem commuters drive past the cemetery knowing little if anything about the people who are buried there -- the people who risked their reputations, their health, and even their lives to make our city what it is today.

(Photograph by Bonnie Hull. Thank you!)

Haunted House?

2008-10-15T16:03:00.001-07:00

At this time of year we always have visitors who are interested in the haunted history of the Bush House. A quick internet search for haunted places in Salem returns the following nugget (available on several different websites):

"The Bush House is now an Art Gallery that has a ghost from the turn of the century. She was a young woman who suffered from schizophrenia, and her family kept her in the basement in shame. She died there and now haunts the house. The owners have residents who live in the upstairs who say the ghost of a young girl plays with the thermostat."

Like many ghost stories this one has an element of truth to it: Eugenia Bush, the youngest daughter of Asahel Bush II and his wife Eugenia Zieber Bush, suffered from a mental illness; she fell ill when she was a college student living in Massachusetts, circa 1880.

But that's where the similarity ends. Rather than treating Eugenia with shame, the Bush family made sure she was cared for properly by East Coast specialists who operated private clinics for their wealthy patients. Family members wrote to her and visited her, making the arduous and expensive cross-country train trip to Boston on a regular basis. In 1914, when she was 52 years old, Eugenia returned to Salem to live in the family home under the care of her sister Sally and a full-time nurse. She died in 1932, at age 70.

So no young girl, no shame, no locked in the basement, no premature death. Admittedly, the heating system is erratic, but we blame that on the machinery and not on ghosts. We are happy to welcome visitors who come for any reason, but we would like to think that the true stories of the Bush family are more interesting, if less dramatic, than internet fictions. Come for a tour and find out for yourself.

Deine Freunde

2008-09-25T11:25:00.001-07:00

As usual during the autumn, our current exhibit features vintage quilts on display throughout the Museum. Since this year's theme is "Quilts Through the Years" we have a little more leeway than in previous years, when our exhibits focused on crazy quilts or log cabin quilts or pink and brown quilts -- so we've been able to display a couple of quilts that haven't been out of their boxes for several years, along with some recent acquisitions.

One of my favorites, which was last on display in 2004, is a wedding quilt from 1897. It belonged to Rose Woodruff Babcock, whose heirs donated the quilt to the Museum along with her wedding dress, wedding shoes, and a photograph of the wedding party. The quilt, currently displayed in Sally's Bedroom, is made of white and sea-green polished cotton in a simple pattern of squares and triangles, tied with lengths of white satin ribbon. What makes it remarkable is the center square, a hand-inked image of a wedding procession entering a church, with the phrase "Deine Freunde" or "Your Friend" inscribed across the bottom. The names of dozens of the couple's friends are written in an elegant, tiny script on the white triangles across the surface of the quilt.

The quilt must have been precious to its owners because it comes to us in pristine condition, slightly faded but with no stains or signs of wear -- a lovely reminder of the community that nurtured the newlywed couple and witnessed the beginning of their life together. Come and see it, along with a dozen other quilts, on display through the end of October.

Guest Blogger: A.N. Bush

2008-08-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

August 21, 1912

Dear Ryth:

"The Report" seems to have suspended publication. The vacation season is on, and the substitute stenographer made such a mess of the one she wrote that I did not attempt one the next week. Much of last week was wet. It rained hard and was cold enough for fires. It cleared off in time to save the crops. Much of the wheat and oats was in shocks, and, although saved, the damage done is not inconsiderable.

-----

This entry is taken from a sort of journal written by A.N. Bush in 1911-12 to his friend and fellow photographer Ryth Gatch (pictured, ca. 1905, in a photo by Sally Bush). Ryth's father, Claud Gatch, had worked at Ladd & Bush Bank for decades before moving the family to Berkeley, California in the fall of 1911. Ryth, who was in her early twenties at the time, sorely missed her lifelong friends; A.N. Bush wrote her these weekly epistles, entitled "The Report", to keep her up to date.

"The Report" is a remarkable record of the daily activities of one of Salem's most prominent men, members of his family, and his employees. A.N. gives detailed descriptions of his weekly walks in the countryside around Salem, to places like Sidney and Ankeny Bottom and Sleepy Hollow and Orville. He writes about hosting (and feeding) visitors, arguing politics with benighted Republicans, and collecting wildflowers. He reports on the health of his father, who was 87 years old in 1912, and of his beloved wife, Lulu Hughes Bush, who was recovering from an operation. He catalogs his growing collection of Victrola records, some of which were rejected for home use but were suitable for playing at the Salem Canoe Club. Occasionally, his reminiscences include a gem like the following:

"About eighty years ago a young chap in Westfield, Massachusetts, was a bum farmer, and they never ceased to tell of how his father said it was harder to make him hoe corn than to do it himself, but that boy beat the whole family out."

"That boy" was A.N.'s father, Asahel Bush II.

Chickens!

2008-07-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 1912, A.N. Bush and his wife, Lulu, spent several nights at the Bush House, the home of his father and his sister, Sally. While sleeping in the guest bedroom, A.N. and Mrs. Bush were disturbed by a brood of nine chickens who had wandered away from the barnyard and were roosting near the house. A.N. complained, "One rooster crowed all night. He would keep it going three or four times a minute till he got us awake, then would stop. No sooner had we got to sleep again that he would start up." All of this nocturnal noise was particularly annoying because, according to A.N., the home was located in the countryside and was supposed to be peaceful!

We're in the city now, and things are especially busy this weekend as the Salem Art Fair and Festival takes place in Bush's Pasture Park. Tours are half price during the Art Fair (July 18-20), so it's a great time to see our current exhibit, which features historic photographs and stories about the animals who inhabited the lives of the Bush family. We'll also be demonstrating how to make lavender wands, and we'll be selling wands to benefit our Restoration Fund. Hope to see you here!

Welcome, Neighbors!

2008-07-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

When the Bush House was built in 1878, it was an elegant farmhouse situated outside the boundaries of the City of Salem. The nearest neighbors were located to the north, across the County Road, or to the west beyond the yet-unnamed High Street. In those days, hospitality was extended to Bush family members and friends, political allies and commercial partners, Salem's high society, and the down-and-out in search of a hot meal.

By 1953, when the House became a museum under the auspices of the Salem Art Association, the City of Salem had expanded to embrace the old home with its surrounding parkland and growing neighborhoods to the south, east, and west. The Bush House Museum opened its doors to welcome the community to view art exhibits, participate in classes, and hear stories about the family who helped shape Salem's history.

Those doors are still open, and you're welcome to stop by, especially if it's been a while since you've visited us. Since we understand that you can't come every day, we're also opening our virtual doors to the Internet community. We're here to tell stories -- and to listen to your stories -- about the Bush family and the history of Salem. We're here to show you historic photographs, to highlight objects from our collection, to let you know what's on exhibit right now and what we're learning about.

So here's our invitation to you: come back and visit again soon. Tell us what interests you, or ask us a question. You're welcome. And, thanks.