Indiana McCaslins

From Narrative of Henry Bishop's life by his daughter, Carrie Bishop Culbert: Lewis was nine years old when George left to work for himself as he said there wasnt land enough for two. there was just an eighty. Lewis did not like books or school and begged to help in the field so his father let him stay out a good deal summers. Unfortunately the teacher employed said she couldnt get along with black eyed children so father arranged to send him to an adjoining district. He was considered very nice looking and was popular with the young people. One fall and winter he went to school in Osage. The next year he attended a seminary in Nora Springs, Iowa. It was called Prof. Colegroves [sic] Academy. In 1892 Henry Bishop sold his farm in Chickasaw County and moved to Nora Springs. Their daughter, Carrie, was teaching in Cresco. Lewis was in Nora Springs and some old neighbors had moved there. There was a Baptist church there so they bought a home there and made new friends. (Father) Henry Bishop took his team and a cow and did work that he could get, worked his garden and helped his wife Ann who took boarders during the school year. Lewis staid [sic] at home and worked first in a furniture store and later in a lumber yard [sic]. Lewis married one of the young ladies, Myrtie Clark [sic], that [sic] had boarded there when she attended Colegroves [sic] school. Grandpa Bishop again did carpenter work and built the house that Lewis and Myrtie first lived in. Here Verna and Baby Henry were born. Grandpa and grandma helped care for the children and Myrtie, who was not well after Baby Henry was born. Partly because their regular physician was out of town and the attending physician was indifferent to her needs. Lewis and his family moved to Terril Iowa. There Baby Henry sickened and died. The heart broken grandparents, Henry and his wife Ann, went to console the parents and assist at the last hour in laying Baby Henry in his last resting place.

In the 1880 US Federal Census for New Hampton, Chickasaw, Iowa, Lewis (age 9) was living with his father, Henry (age 55 , farmer), his mother, Ann M. (age 47, keeping house), his brother, George H. (18, helping on farm), his sister, Carrie E (age 14, at school). Lewis is not at school which confirms Carries account of their childhood. (He seems to have been a determined and headstrong child).

In the 1885 Iowa State Census for New Hampton, Chickasaw, Iowa, 60-year-old New York-born farmer, Henry Bishop and his 51-year-old Pennsylvania-born wife, Anna Marie [sic] [Stevens] Bishop have in their household their two youngest New Jersey-born children, 19-year-old Carrie and 14-year-old Lewis. Henry is a farmer, Ann is keeping house and Carrie is a school teacher. Everyone's parents were "native born".

In the 1900 US Federal Census for Lloyd, Dickinson, Iowa, Lewis (age 29, birthplace transcribed incorrectly as Kentucky - its an illegible New Jersey) is living with his wife, Myrtie J (should be Myrtie I, age 25), his daughter, Verna (age 3) and his son, Henry (age 8 months). He is a lumber dealer.

The 1910 US Federal Census for School District 17, Valley, Montana, shows Lewis (misspelled as Louis, age 39), his wife, Myrtie (misspelled Myrtle, age 35), his daughter, Verna (listed as son, age 13) and his two sons, Clark (age 6) and Ray (age 1-1/2) living next door to his mother-in-law, Gracia Clarke. His wifes brothers, Lyle and Guy are also living close by.

The 1920 US Federal Census for Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, shows Lewis (misspelled Louis, age 49) living in an apartment at 1829 10th Avenue South, with his second wife, Clara (age 39), his sons by his first wife, Myrtie Clarke, Clark (age 16), Ray (age 11) and Claras daughter, Eleanor (10 months old). He is a car salesman.

In the 1930 US Federal Census for Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, Lewis (listed as Daniel, age 59) is living in a rented house at 615 Sixth Street S.E, with his second wife Clara E. (age 50), his son, Clark A. (age 26), Clarks son, David (listed as his nephew, age 6), Ray (middle name given as Allen instead of Urban, age 21), and his daughter, Eleanor (age 11). He is an unemployed automobile salesman. Clark and Ray are working for NW Bell Telephone Company, Clark as a Tester and Ray as a Rackman or frameman. Most of this information is confirmed by the 1930 Minneapolis City Directory, however, Lewis profession is given as salesman for Spring Realty Company.

The 1940 US Federal Census for Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota records 69-year-old, New Jersey-born Lewis Bishop, his 60-year-old, Iowa-born wife, Clara Bishop, and their 21-year-old, Minnesota-born daughter, Eleanor. The family is living at 3836 Aldrich Ave So for which Lewis pays $40 a month. The family was living in Minneapolis in 1935. Lewis has completed eighth grade. Clara has completed one year of college. Eleanor has completed three years of high school. Lewis has a job and is not looking for work. He has worked 50 hours in the past week and 52 weeks in the past year as an upholsterer in his own shop. As owner, he does not receive a salary or wages. He does have an outside source of income. Neither Clara nor Eleanor is employed nor looking for work. Clara is a housewife and Eleanor is a student. They do not have an outside source of income.