Isidor Bush
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Isidor Bush or Busch (January 15, 1822,
His maternal great-grandfather was Israel Hönig, Edler von Hönigsberg ,[1] the first Jew raised to nobility in Austria.[2]
"Jahrbücher"
At age 15, he entered
Career in the USA
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When the Revolution of 1848 failed he had to flee to New York City, where he arrived January 8, 1849. There Bush opened a store for the sale of newspapers and stationery, and, on March 30, 1849, published the initial number of Israel's Herald, the first Jewish weekly in the United States, which, however, lived only three months. He was assisted in producing it by leading members of the Order B'nai B'rith.
In the summer of 1849, Bush went to St. Louis, where he managed a general store for six years. In 1857 Bush was made president of the People's Savings Bank. When the
When Fremont took command in 1861, with headquarters in St. Louis, Bush was made his aide-de-camp, with the rank of captain. He submitted to Secretary of the Treasury Chase a plan for a government loan of one hundred million dollars, similar to the famous Rothschild premium loans of Austria. Chase feared its rejection by Congress, but was impressed with Bush's financial genius, and offered him a Treasury clerkship. Bush returned shortly afterward to St. Louis, and became for six years general freight and passenger agent of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad Company.
Bush assisted in forming Congregation B'ne El in St. Louis along with Daniel Block[3] and in establishing the Independent Order B'nai B'rith in the West, and was henceforth prominently identified with the Order, rendering especially useful service in connection with its endowment or insurance feature, and in forming the Cleveland Jewish Orphan Asylum. His interest in the society led him to become an insurance actuary.
Bush was chosen member of the state convention called to abolish slavery and to form a new constitution. He was elected a member of the Missouri state board of immigration to repair losses in population resulting from the war, which post he retained for twelve years. Later in life Bush became interested in viticulture. He purchased a tract of land (named by him "Bushberg") outside the city, which became noted for its products; and he even sent large quantities of cuttings from his vineyards to France to replace ravages by phylloxera.
Bush, after years of preparation, published a catalogue of grapes, The Bushberg Catalogue, which has gone through several editions and has been translated into several languages.
Bush died in St. Louis in 1898 and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery.
References
- ^ "HÖNIG, ISRAEL (EDLER VON HÖNIGSBERG) - JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ see Kompert, Oesterreichische Adelshalle für Israeliten
- ISBN 0-8262-1098-8
External links
- Media related to Isidor Bush at Wikimedia Commons
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Isidor Bush". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
- Articles, Missouri Historical Review. Accessed December 30, 2022.