Bushnell, Drayton W. (1844-1920)

BUSHNELL

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 10/9/2019 at 16:28:02

Drayton Wilson Bushnell
1844 - June 29, 1920

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.7, Council Bluffs )
D. W. Bushnell, Book and news dealer, Council Bluffs, was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1844; was educated there, and remained till 1859, when he moved to Boone, Boone Co., Iowa, where he lived on a farm two years; he then entered the army as a private in Fifteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and, at the close of the war returned to Boone, where he filled the office of Deputy County Treasurer for two years; he then engaged in the book business, which he carried on under the firm name of Moffatt & Bushnell to the fall of 1872, when he came to Council Bluffs; here he bought an interest in L. Brackett's Post Office Book Store, and carried on business in company with Mr. Brackett until 1876, when he sold out to W. C. Erb. Aftei two years, he again bought an interest in the business. On first coming to Council Bluffs, Bushnell & Brackett started a store on upper Broadway, and they have operated that and the post office book store ever since. In the spring of 1882, the post office store was removed five doors above the post office. The Pearl street store is 100 feet long and twenty feet wide, and occupies one floor, where they carry on both wholesale and retail business, keeping a full stock of goods in their line; this store is conducted by Mr. Bushnell. The store on Upper Broadway is conducted by Mr. Brackett, and a full stock of toys are kept in addition to the books and news business; this store is seventy feet long and fifty feet wide. Mr. Bushnell's ancestors came to this country many generations back.