Biography of William E. Rush, pages 926 / 927.  History of De Kalb County, 
Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

William E. Rush is a native of Royalton, Fairfield Co., Ohio, born Nov. 17, 
1814, a son of Jacob and Rachael (Bull) Rush.  When he was fifteen years of 
age his father died, and he was thus early thrown on his own resources.  He 
had obtained a good education in the Lancaster schools.  After the death of 
his father he began to learn the cabinet-makers’s trade, working by the 
month for  William Busby, of Royalton, remaining there five years.  He then 
went to Washington, Ky., and a year later to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he 
remained a year; then returned to Royalton and became associated with his 
brother in the mercantile business. Four years later his brother retired 
from the firm, and he continued the business alone three years.  In 1843 he 
built a hotel in Royalton, which he kept a short time.  In 1845 he ran a 
peddler’s cart in Fairfield, Franklin, Pickaway, Fayette and Ross counties, 
Ohio, for Wm. L. Clemment, and then entered his store and clerked for him 
till 1849, when he came to Indiana and engaged in the grocery business in 
Auburn with John L. Butt.  In 1850 he withdrew from the firm and went to 
California which proved a disastrous adventure, as he lost all his former 
accumulations. He then returned to Royalton and was employed by Wm. L. 
Clemment to take charge of a store in Greencastle, Ohio.  He soon after 
became associated with Michael Bowman & Jacob Joseph in the mercantile 
business, the firm name being Bowman, Joseph & Rush.  In 1854 he retired 
from the firm and returned to Auburn.  In 1858 he engaged in the furniture 
business with John Cannon, the firm name being Cannon & rush.  The next 
year Daniel Altenburg succeeded Mr. Cannon and the name was changed to 
Rush & Altenburg.  About this time he was attacked with sciatic rheumatism 
and was unable to attend to business for three years.  During this time, 
however, he was appointed assistant Postmaster at Angola, and was elected 
Assessor of Union Township, serving two years.  In 1862 he obtained 
employment in the cabinet shop of Christopher Shafer at Auburn and served 
eighteen months.  In 1868 he became associated with A. Hall in the 
furniture business.  F. Buchanan succeeded Mr. Hall, but the business was 
closed in 1870.  He then engaged in the manufacture of brackets and picture-
frames till October, 1873, when he added the grocery business, and from 
that time till 1883 was engaged in either the grocery or feed business.  
In December, 1883, he opened his present confectionery and stationery 
store where he is doing a good business.  He was married Feb. 16, 1843, to 
Jemima A. Rigby, of Royalton, Ohio.  They have seven children. Mr. Rush is 
a member of De Kalb Lodge, No 214, F. & A.M.  He and his wife are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin 
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com