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Although the life of a railroad man is a hazardous and strenuous one, there is something very fascinating about
it. Carl R. Bishop, of St. James, Watonwan county, has long been in railroad service and is a trusted and efficient
locomotive engineer.
Mr. Bishop was born in Garden City, Minnesota, October 4, 1869. He is a son of LeRoy H. and Emily S. (Howard) Bishop,
both natives of Winthrop, Maine, the birth of the father occurring December 23, 1840, and that of the mother, August
16, 1846. They grew up in their native town and were married there on December 25, 1866. They came to Garden City,
Minnesota, in the spring of 1867 George S. Thompson and wife coming at the same time, and Mr. Thompson and Mr.
Bishop engaged in general mercantile pursuits in that town for some time, both moving with their families to St.
James in June, 1870, and opened a general store here, also bought grain, under the firm name of Thompson &
Bishop, continuing in business until about 1880, when they dissolved partnership, Mr. Thompson taking the store
and Mr. Bishop continuing in the grain business until about 1883, when he turned his attention to buying and selling
live, stock in partnership with W. D. Rice, under the firm name of Rice & Bishop. Mr. Bishop continued in the
stock business until the fall of 1886, when he removed with his family to Minneapolis; moving to St. Paul in the
spring of 1887 and engaged in the real estate business until his retirement from active life about 1906. His death
occurred in St. Paul, October 29, 1910, and his wife died on December 27, 1912. After retiring from the real estate
business, LeRoy H. Bishop went to northwestern South Dakota, taking up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres
in Butte county. His son, Carl R. Bishop and family also took up a homestead there in 1908. Politically, the father
was a Republican, and active in party affairs. He represented his district in the state Legislature for some time,
while living at St. James. Fraternally, he belonged to the Masonic Order. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church, in which his wife was an active worker, and who later was active in the Presbyterian church, being a member
of the choir and also organist for some time, while living in St. Paul. She was also active in the work of the
Federated Women's Club. She was for some time head of the Ladies Aid Society in Merriam Park church, which had
restaurant concessions at the Minnesota state fair grounds for several years. She was a woman of many strong attributes
and was popular and influential in the circles in which she moved. She was educated at Kent's Hill Academy in Maine,
from which institution she was graduated, as was also her husband. To these parents the following children were
born: Eugene A., born on March 10, 1868, died on April 6, 1906; Carl R., Hattie Blanche, born on November 11, 1877,
is the wife of George A. Marvin and they live in Tacoma, Washington; Howard W., born on January 28, 1888, married
Hazel M. Strong, and they live at Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Carl R. Bishop received his education in the schools of St. James and the Minneapolis high school. In 1887 he began
his railroad career by accepting a position with the Omaha road, in November of that year, and he was promoted
to engineer in 1895. He was transferred to St. James in 1889 and he has since made his home there, and has been
regarded as one of the most efficient and trustworthy engineers on the Omaha for the past twenty years.
Mr. Bishop was married on August 5, 1899, to Mary E. Sickler, a native of Gordon Plains, Illinois, where her birth
occurred on September 9, 1869. She is daughter of John and Mahetabel (Macumber) Sickler, both natives of Delaware
county, New York, from which place they eventually removed to Illinois, prior to the Civil War. When the war came
on Mr. Sickler enlisted, after which he moved with his family to Iowa, where he spent one year at Ogden, removing
to Martin county, Minnesota, about 1874, locating on a farm. He also conducted a hotel at Fairmont, this state,
for some time. His death occurred in 1909, but his widow survives.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bishop four children have been born, namely: LeRoy, born in 1901, died in infancy; Beth S., September
24, 1904; Elnah M., April 25, 1907; Frances H., in 1910; died in infancy.
Politically, Mr. Bishop is a Progressive. Fraternally, he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, also the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He and his wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church.
From:
History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties
Minnesota
Their People, Industries and Institutions
John A. Brown, Editor in Chief
B. F. Bowen and Company, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana
1916.
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