Elijah Brush | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Mayor of Detroit, first charter | |
| In office 1806–1806 | |
| Preceded by | Solomon Sibley |
| Succeeded by | None; reincorporated |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 10, 1773 Bennington, Vermont |
| Died | December 14, 1813 (aged 40) Detroit, Michigan |
| Spouse |
Adelaide Askin
(m. 1802–1813) |
| Relations | John Askin (father-in-law) |
| Parent(s) | Nathaniel Brush Samantha Parker Brush |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Elijah Brush (May 10, 1773 – December 14, 1813) was a lawyer and politician from Detroit, Michigan.
Elijah Brush was born in Bennington, Vermont in 1773, the son of Colonel Nathaniel Brush and Samantha Parker (d. 1789).[1] Brush graduated from Dartmouth College and came to Detroit in 1798.[2]
Following Detroit's hand-over to American control, John Askin, a British subject, moved across the Detroit River to Canada, leaving behind his farm, "Private Claim #1," which was immediately adjacent to Detroit.[1]
Elijah Brush was elected a trustee in 1803, appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the Territorial Militia in 1805, and appointed as mayor of the town of Detroit after Solomon Sibley's resignation in 1806.[2] Brush also served as Treasurer of the Michigan Territory from 1806 to 1813, and from 1811 to 1814 served as United States Attorney.[3]
In 1807, Brush was the counsel in the first case to test the right to hold slaves in Michigan, Denison v. Tucker.[4]
During the War of 1812, British forces captured Detroit and Elijah Brush and other militia officers were taken prisoner.[2] He was shipped to Toronto, but his brother-in-law, a British officer, procured his release, and Brush returned to Detroit in late 1813[5] when American troops retook the city.[2]
In 1802, Brush married Adelaide Askin (1783–1859),[1] daughter of John Askin and sister of John Askin, both prominent fur traders.[2] The couple had three sons and a daughter[3] who survived their father:[1]
Elijah and Adelaide moved onto Askin's farm, and in 1806 the Brushes purchased it for $6000 and it eventually became known as the Brush Farm.[1] Brush, a careful administrator, increased the value of the farm and made his heirs wealthy.[2] In the 1850s, Edmund Brush began developing sections of the property into the fashionable Brush Park; the streets Edmund, Alfred, Adelaide, and Brush were named after members of the family.[8]
He died on December 14, 1813, shortly after the Americans retook Detroit.[2][5]
