Sacramento County
Biographies
FRED J. BISHOP
An identification
with the horticultural interests of Sacramento county beginning during the
spring of 1901 and continuing up to the present time has given Mr. Bishop a
very favorable impression concerning the possibilities of this section and
particularly concerning the opportunities afforded by the district of Fair
Oaks. There are few places in the settlement more favorably located and
none more productive than the one which he owns and operates. This is due
not particularly to superiority of soil, although that is rich and
fertile, but especially to the care and cultivation exercised by the owner, who
follows scientific methods in the supervision of the land, the care of the
trees and the developing of the fruit. A desire to possess on the ranch a
residence worthy of the land and indicative of its value caused him to erect a
two-story house with all the modern improvements, and this building, recently
completed and tastefully furnished, now ranks among the finest in the neighborhood.
The entire life of Mr. Bishop prior to his
removal to California was spent in Kane county, Ill.,
where he was born December 15, 1858, where he grew to manhood on a farm and
where he received such advantages as country schools afforded. After he
had attained maturity he chose agriculture for his occupation and became
interested in the cultivation of land not far from the old homestead. For
a considerable period he engaged in the raising of grain and stock and also
made a specialty of the dairy business. Meanwhile he had established
domestic ties, selecting for his wife Miss Annie Forrdrescher,
who was born in Elgin, Ill., of German parentage, and who possesses the
sterling qualities of mind and heart that contributed not a little to their success.
They became the parents of five children, namely: Henry, Frank, Fred,
Charlotte and Dorothy. All are at home excepting Frank, who is married
and rents a place not far from the ranch of his parents.
A desire to escape the rigorous winters characteristics of Northern Illinois led Mr. Bishop
to dispose of his farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Kane county and
forthwith he brought his family to California. The presence of his
brother, Percy, at Fair Oaks led him to investigate conditions at this
settlement, and he was so favorably impressed that he acquired property during
the spring of 1901. This first purchase, which continues to be his home
and the scene of his extensive horticultural enterprises, comprises forty-one
acres under cultivation to peaches, almonds, oranges, and olives. Much of
the acreage is now in thrifty bearing condition and the young trees will come
from the place. The crops are marketed through the Fair Oaks Fruit
Company, in which Mr. Bishop is a stockholder and which he has assisted in
making one of the most important business enterprises of the district.
Far-reaching activities and beneficient influences have characterized the life of Mr.
Bishop, whose loyal devotion to his adopted community and commonwealth forms one
of his leading attributes. Although never losing an affectionate regard
for the home of his birth and the scenes of his early labors, he is a true Califonianian in spirit, and by developing his own place he
has aided in the upbuilding of the district, which he
has seen undergo a great change in appearance through the efforts of
energetic land-owners. The prospects of the successful cultivation of
fruit ranches convince him of the permanence of the prosperity of the region
and this, supplementing a genial climate, proves to him that he made no mistake
in the choice of his location. All movements for the general welfare
receive his cooperation and support and the same may be said of his citizenship
in Illinois, where he served with efficiency as a road commissioner in Kane
county, besides being president of the school board of his district and
afterward for nine years the clerk of the district schools.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 776-777. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.