Yolo County
Biographies
CLARENCE W. BUSH
Clarence W. Bush, one of the most prominent business men of Woodland, and at present cashier and manager of the Bank of Yolo, has been in the banking business for twenty-five years. He was born August 28, 1848, in Copiah County, Mississippi, a son of J.P. Bush, one of the pioneers of that section and a physician, but now deceased. Mr. Bush’s mother’s maiden name was Nancy Quick; she was a native of Texas and died in 1854, when the subject of this sketch was a small boy. When seven years of age he lived one winter in Michigan, then was in New York State and Massachusetts, attending school up to his thirteenth year, principally at Great Barrington. Then until the age of sixteen years he was clerk in a country store in Central New York. He then entered the banking business, first taking a position in the First National Bank of Cando, Tioga County, New York, upon the organization of that institution, and he was elected assistant cashier before he left it. In the spring of 1868 he came to California and remained in San Francisco until the organization of the Bank of Woodland, when he was elected cashier, which position he sustained for thirteen years; then, upon the organization of the Bank of Yolo, he was elected to his present position, and it is by his effort and influence that this institution has been brought up to the high standing which it now enjoys. Mr. Bush is a member of the A.O.U.W. and of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was married October 16, 1872, to Miss Lucy, daughter of Camillus Nelson, an old resident and prominent citizen of Yolo County, and they have two children, - Camillus and Florence.
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler, July 2004.
SOURCE: Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1891. pg. 297.
JUDGE EDWIN RICE BUSH
Judge Edwin Rice Bush, of Woodland, was born in Copiah County, Mississippi, October 17, 1846, son of Dr. J. P. Bush, a pioneer of California of 1849. The latter commenced practicing his profession in San Francisco about 1851 or 1852, and so continued most of the remainder of his life, but died at Woodland, at the age of seventy-six years.
At the age of nine years the subject of this sketch removed with his brothers and sisters to Western Massachusetts to attend school, and then the subject of this sketch attended for several years San Lake Collegiate Institute, in New York State, situated ten miles east of Albany; he also attended school at Geneseo, Livingston County, in said State. After attending for a term the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, he entered the office of the Hon. Scott Lord, at Geneseo, New York. Judge Lord at the time of his death was one of the most prominent attorneys in the United States, and was at one time the law partner of Hon. Roscoe Conkling, at Utica, and was elected to Congress from that Congressional district. Judge Bush remained in Judge Lord’s office about two years, and then, after studying in other offices a short time, went to the University of Virginia, at Charlottesville, Albemarle County, in said State, and graduated in the law department in June, 1869. In August, that year, he came to California and sojourned in San Francisco until the spring of 1870, when he came to Woodland, where he has since resided. Here he entered into partnership, for the purpose of practicing law, with C. S. Frost, which business relation was broken by the election of Mr. Bush to the office of County Judge. Shortly after his arrival at Woodland he was elected to the office of Public Administrator for two terms. In the fall of 1875 he was elected to the office of County Judge, as above mentioned, and assumed the duties of that office on the first day of January following, holding that position for four years. At the close of his term, under the new State constitution the county and district courts were consolidated, and named the Superior Court; and at the first election thereafter Mr. Bush was chosen the Superior Judge and served a term of five years. Since that time he has been engaged in the private practice of the law.
Politically Judge Bush is a Democrat. He has belonged to Pythian Lodge No. 43, K. of P. for several years.
The Judge was married, June 14, 1876, to Mary J. Yerby, a native of California, and they have three sons.
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler, July 2004.
SOURCE: Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1891. pg. 300.