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Description
Exhibited in 1978 as part of "19th Century San Jose Portraits," in the Pacific Hotel at History Park, with the following label: In 1849 Samuel Bishop caught "gold fever" and left Callaway County, Missouri by wagon train bound for Los Angeles. It was a hazardous trip but Bishop was determined to make it. After being forced to abandon his wagon, he completed his journey across the desert and on to the Mariposa County mines on foot. He became involved in business and spent several years doing a flourishing trade providing goods for Native American reservations and the U.S. Army at Fort Tejon. The Fort Tejon lands belonged to Bishop, and when the fort was abandoned in 1859, the land was returned to him with all the buildings. He intended to develop a new county and to donate the fort as the new county seat. However, when Kern County was created in 1865, the new settlers voted to seat the goverhnment at Havilah. Bishop was elected a supervisor and old Fort Tejon became the town of Bishop. In 1867 he moved his family to San Jose where he obtained a franchise to build the San Jose and Santa Clara Horse Railroad. As president of San Jose's first public transportation system, he saw it through development and electrification. Bishop was married in 1854 to Frances E. Young. They were the parents of a son and a daughter.
Type
image
Format
Oil on Canvas
Identifier
49024B70-0999-4B84-8447-081614120134 1974-646
Subject
Nineteenth century (LCSH) Portrait paintings Men Gold miners Gold rushes Pioneers--California (LCSH) Railroads (LCSH) Bishop, Samuel A
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