Rush Ranch after Hiram Rush: Benjamin Rush

Benjamin was only 17 when his dad died. In 1874 or 1875 Benjamin took over the ranch and started running the who business. He met Ann Mckean and married her in 1876. They lived in a house on Morgan Street in Suisun City.

Benjamin was known for his trotting horses, harness horses, and Durham/Shorthorn bulls. He bought land near Twin Sisters, on the other side of Fairfield from Rush Ranch. This was approximately 1,000 acres of land that ran from the southern peak of Twin Sisters to Suisun Creek. He also had about 50 acres of orchards in Suisun Valley.

Rush Ranch actually had 3 locations in the Fairfield area. What we know now as Rush Ranch was called "Tule Ranch" by the Rush family! It was use for feed and grain storage and for the breeding of harness horses. Some of the bulls were also kept there. You can still see some of the pens when you arrive at Rush Ranch/Tule Ranch. The barn and blacksmith shop were built before 1900, but the Kit House and other house were built after 1900!

The Kit House was bought in 1932 by Eleanore Rush and put together by Ben Rush (the son of Benjamin Rush and grandson of Hirum Rush). Ben and his sister Annabelle lived in the Kit House at times!

The original main buildings of the Rush Family ranch was near Rush Ranch/Tule Ranch, but they were burned down in the 1940s because they were dangerous.

A third location was just east and south of the Montezuma Slough and bridge. Family would stay there when visiting, later it a dairy (where cows were raised for milk).

The original ranch was about 5,100 acres in size. As the different family members inherited the property and later died, the property was finally sold off in bits and pieces. When the last local Rush,
Annabelle Rush Johnson, died in 1988, the final sales were made. The part of the Ranch owned by the Dittmer family was sold to Solano County Open Space Foundation on May 10, 1988.

In the 1870’s and 1880’s the Rush family decided to keep their land instead of blocking the marsh water (to dike). Lots of his neighbors diked, or blocked water, so that they could grown plants of have cattle on it.

Mr. Benjamin Rush was a member of the Crystal School District Board of Trustees for 37 years and was a Solano County Sheriff for 5 years from 1894-1899. He was also a California State Senator for 24 years starting in 1906! He died in 1940.