10/23/2026
On this day in Henry County history, Oct. 21, 1982, Knightstown’s Dr. Ralph Bush, known countywide for his “b**r bread,” was the featured speaker for the Henry County Historical Society’s fall meeting, giving a lesson on Victorian cooking.
Do you remember Dr. Ralph Bush? Or his "b**r bread?"
Here is a column written by Henry County Historian Darrel Radford and published in the Oct. 14, 1982 issue of The News Republican.
Dr. Ralph Bush, a well-known Knightstown dentist, never asks "What's for supper?" when he gets home from a hard day's work. He already knows, because he's going to do the cooking.
"When he walks in the door, he stops in the kitchen and doesn't go any further," Janet Bush said of her gourmet husband.
What goes on in Ralph's award-winning kitchen will be of great interest to Henry County residents this Saturday, Oct. 16 (1982) and the following Thursday, Oct. 21 (1982).
On Saturday, it's "Ralph Bush Bread Day III," the greatest attraction to hit Lewisville and Henry County since "Rocky III." Thanks to Ralph's knack of making bread, what started out as a simple bake sale at the Guyer Opera House has become a fun-filled day of baked goods, entertainments, raffles and flea markets.
The main attraction will be Ralph's famous "b**r bread," which sells at a rate that almost threatens to blow up the Bush's oven. Dr. Bush said Monday in a News Republican interview that he planned to bake all day Wednesday, eight loaves at a time.
Even at that rate, the demand for his bread will still exceed his increased supply.
Two years ago, Ralph baked 40 loaves of "b**r bread" and it sold out in 15 minutes.
Bread was the first thing Dr. Bush tried to make when he decided to make when he decided to take up permanent residence in his wife's kitchen six years ago. "So many women had come into my office claiming they could make beautiful cakes and cookies," he said. "But they couldn't make a good loaf of bread. It was quite a challenge for me."
Ralph will be making more than bread, however, when he takes his cooking experience to the Henry County Historical Society on the following Thursday. He will be giving a lesson in Victorian cookery at 7:30 p.m., the main attraction during the Society's 95th Semi-Annual meeting.
Dr. Bush certainly won't be a stranger to the Henry County Historical Society. His wife, Janet, was president last year.
A dentist in the Knightstown area for the past 48 years, Dr. Bush is also an artist when it comes to cooking food. "Everything a dentist does is an artistic endeavor," Mrs. Bush said. "He carries that over in his cooking."
That trait was probably handed down alongside a bowl of mouth-watering mush from Ralph's mother, the late Anna Bush, who kept right on cooking until she was 92 years old.
Dr. Bush said his mother, who died at age 96, was a such a perfectionist in the kitchen, that she took recipes out of magazines and practically rewrote them.
One recipe in a 1925 Salem cookbook caught Anna's eye. Dr. Bush said she had drawn two arrows beside it. The first arrow was accompanied by the words "This is a good one." The second arrow had written above it "But add two eggs."
That's one of Dr. Bush's cooking trademarks, improving recipes with extra ingredients, extra spices, extra butter. One look at his crowded spice rack reveals that this is a man of great taste.
"So many recipes don't tell you all the secrets," he said. "If the flavor isn't like I want it, I add something to it."
The Ralph Bush family has practically taken over the Courier-Times annual recipe contest. Ralph's stuffed pork chops won it two years ago. This year, niece Madeline Jarvis was the champion.
"She had helped me out typing recipes, so she was exposed to it," Ralph said. "We're going to keep it in the family."
Even the Bush children, Walter, Joel and Sally are gourmet cooks. They frequently call their father, just to ask his advice on a particular recipe.
Ralph's home is actually a big cooking encyclopedia. He's got cook books dating back to 1891 and the recipes extend from the kitchen throughout the living room.
With only two to serve, Ralph can't experiment to the extremes that he'd like. So the Bush home is probably one of the busiest ones in Knightstown, as they have lots of company to satisfy Ralph's desire to cook.
Now serving a third generation of customers at his dentist office, Ralph says retirement still isn't as tempting as one of his main dishes. When he does retire, however, there will be only one reason.
"The only reason I'd quit is so I could spend more time cooking."
DESTINATION HENRY COUNTY
This Day In Henry County History is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com. Visit the page at https;//www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com
HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORY
Please join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.org
COME SEE US!
Come visit the Henry County Historical Society Museum at 606 S. 14th St., New Castle and see a 1911 Maxwell and a 1930 Chrysler. We're open ANYTIME by appointment. Call 529-4028 and leave a message.
