The Story Behind Bush Place
In this quarter’s What’s In A Name? series, we’re taking a closer look at one of Downers Grove’s smallest streets — Bush Place. Tucked away on the south side of town, this unassuming one-block street, home to just six houses, runs north from Prentiss Drive and sits just east of Woodward Avenue, south of 63rd Street. Blink, and you might miss it — but its name holds a legacy as vast as the prairie itself.
We believe Bush Place honors one of Downers Grove’s earliest pioneer families: the Bushes. Edwin A. Bush arrived from New York in 1835, claiming 122 acres in the general area of the present Belmont Station, making him one of the very first settlers in the area. He married Nancy Stanley (the Stanleys are also a respected pioneer family in Downers Grove), and together they raised three children — forming what is recognized as the first family formed in Downers Grove.
Their son, Henry L. Bush, born in DuPage County in 1840, left a lasting mark both locally and statewide. In 1865, he married Calcina Belden, and together in 1886 they built their grand home at 5239 Carpenter Street —
a residence that still stands today and was recently honored in the Downers Grove Historical Society’s Historic Home Program. But Henry wasn’t just a homeowner; he was a man of action. A public servant known across Illinois, Henry served eight years on the State Board of Equalization of Taxes and seven years as township assessor.
And thanks to the research of baseball historian Bruce Allardice, we also know he played third base in the 1860 “Plowboys” baseball game against Wheaton — proving that even our founding families had time for some good old-fashioned fun.
Public service ran deep in the Bush bloodline. Henry and Calcina’s sons, Guy L. Bush, born in 1866, carried the torch into the next generation. He served as President of the Downers Grove Village Board from 1896 to 1898 before resigning to take his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, where he served with distinction for 12 years.
So the next time you pass that quiet little street called Bush Place, remember it may be short in length, but it’s long on history.
