Looking Back’s theme for 2024 was Many Streams, celebrating our rich and diverse history. William Owen Bush, son of settlers Isabella James Bush and mixed-race George Bush, made his mark in many arenas in early Washington Territory and State. He was a noted agriculturist, served as the first African American member of the Washington Territorial Legislature, and helped found Washington State University.
Photograph about 1890, Courtesy Washington State Historical Society, catalog 2015.0.75
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2024