[1] Matthew Bush worked for a wealthy English merchant named Stevenson for most of his life.

His property was in an unorganized part of Clay County,[7] where he married Isabella James, the daughter of a Baptist minister of German descent, on July 4, 1830.

Smith had been appointed Justice less than a month before Bush's marriage, immediately following the formation of Washington Township in May 1830.

[7][1][9] The family had nine boys, of which six survived past infancy, including Owen in 1832, Joseph T in 1833, Riley B in 1836, Henry S in 1840, January J in 1844, all in Missouri, and Lewis Nisqually in 1847 in the new territory.

[11] Bush's navigation skills and knowledge of the western region, gained during his years as a trapper, made him the indispensable guide of the party.

Bush and his family were also known to be very generous, purchasing supplies for their fellow travelers first in Missouri and later at great expense at Fort Bridger.

Bush bought six Conestoga wagons, equipping them with enough provisions for a year, and helped several families make the trip to Oregon.

As a result, Bush and his party traveled north across the Columbia River, into territory that at the time was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain.

[13] The Oregon Treaty of 1846 ended the joint administration north of the Columbia, placing Bush Prairie firmly in the United States.

They established a presence that attracted other settlers and strengthened the American claim to the area in later debates between Great Britain and the United States over partitioning the Oregon Country.

He maintained excellent relations with local Amerindians, many of whom he nursed through epidemics of measles and smallpox.

He also extended remarkable generosity towards his fellow settlers, sharing grain with needy neighbors rather than selling it to speculators at great personal profit.

[1] One year, wheat was in short supply and Bush was offered an unheard-of price for his entire crop.

[24][25] A permanent monument to George Bush and his family on the Washington State Capitol campus was dedicated on November 19, 2021.