RUST, Henry 1835-

Last Updated: Tuesday, 26 August 2008 Written by W. David Samuelsen Print Email
An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties (Oregon), pub. 1902 by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 270

Henry Rust

We have to cross the waters tot hat substantial land whence come so many of our best citizens - Germany - to find the native place of our subject, his birth having occured in Bavaria on September 25, 1835. In his native country he received a thorough education, taking a degree from the excellent universities of that land. After the completion of his education he entered the commercial life and continued therein until 1858, the time of his immigration to this land. His first occupation here was with a nursery firm in Monroe country, New York, where he acted as commercial salesman until April 16, 181, when he demonstrated his loyality to and love for the land of his choice by enlisting in Company C of the New York Infantry. His company was put in the first corps of the army of the Potomac, where he served until 1862, when he was wounded while on a transport, the wound being inflicted while they were taking new recruits between Baltimore and Washington. He was given his discharge on account of this disability, but three months later he was received in the commissary department, where he rendered excellent service until the close of the war. He was with Sherman's army and on the staff of General Milry, with headquarters in Tennessee. In this service he was ordered to Nashville then sent on the sea, to Georgia to meet Sherman, which he accomplished by steamer from New York, and then he was dispatched to Morehead, North Carolina, where he was at the time of Lee's surrender. From here he went to Washington and continued until the main part of winding up the commissary affairs was completed, when he went to Montana in company with two other army officers and took up mining.
In this enterprise he was sometimes successful and sometimes otherwise. The following year, 1866,he came to Oregon and bought the brewery at Clarksville and operated it for nearly two years and then went to Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, spending nearly a year in this trip. It was in 1874 that he established the brewery in Baker City, and he has devoted his energies to the successful operation of this since. He has a plant with a capacity of ten thousand barrels, and enjoys a excellent patronage. He also owns a fine estate in the country, which is leased. In the political field he hass been an active participant and has served as president of the city council and also in other official capacities. He is director of the Soldiers' Home at Roseburg, and commander of the Grand Post at Huntington, while he is a member of the G.A.R. in Baker City. He affiliates with the Elks and is a very popular member of their ranks. In view of the excellent services that he rendered for the government and the wounds that he sustained in that service, he draws a pension from the public bounty.

In 1872 he was married to Miss Liza Kessler, a native of Germany, the nuptials occuring in Baker City. Mr. Rust is one of
the most popular and esteemed citizens of the county and his stanch principles and unswerving intergrity have won for him the confidence of all, which is richly merited. Hits: 2427