Samuel Addison Bishop, ca. 1875

In 1849, Samuel Bishop came to California looking for gold. He married Frances E. Young in 1854, who bore a son and daughter. Bishop owned the land occupied by the U.S. Army at Fort Tejon, which later became the town of Bishop. In 1867, the family moved to San José and Samuel obtained a franchise to build the San José and Santa Clara Horse Railroad. He became president of San José’s first public transportation system.