Do You Know The Powerful History of The Bishop Home In Casper?
The history in Casper is busting at the seams and there's a prominent location that if you drive on 2nd street very often, you've seen but may have not paid much attention to. The story of the home is fascinating and because of the Cadoma Foundation and Bishop family, it still stands as a major part of the history of Casper, Wyoming.
The Bishop home is one of the oldest and at the time biggest homes in Casper. The home has stood at 818 East 2nd Street since 1907 when it was built by W.T. Evans. Evans built many of the early buildings in the Casper area like the town hall in 1890 and Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in 1891. He's also the founder of the town of Evansville.
Marvin L. Bishop, his wife and their two daughters moved to Casper in 1892, four years after the town was established, to take the position of postmaster. M.L. was appointed to the position by then President Grover Cleveland and even though he wasn't the first in the position, he was the first to be in the position for more than two years and was important in helping get Casper stable as the community developed.
Not only was Bishop the postmaster, he operated M.L. Bishop's Cash Store for 'Fine Groceries', which was one of the few businesses here in the 1890's. He and his family also were an important part of establishing the First Methodist Episcopal Church.
After his rein as postmaster, Bishop became a sheep rancher and for the next 40 years. His daughter, Katherine, then homesteaded Cadoma which was a bit west of Casper and good things continued to happen for the Bishop family. The Chicago and Northwestern Railway chose this location as the first railroad station, which led to the families businesses to thrive and over the next couple of years build an wool empire and the eventual building of the historic Bishop Home in Casper.
When the home was built, it was different than any other home in Casper. After it was finished in 1907, a trend began and changed the style of homes that were being built in the Casper area. Times were good in Casper and in the next few years, large homes began popping up in the Wolcott District based off the style that began with the Bishop Home.
The Bishop family name is one that is prominent here in Casper, M.L. was a major player in all things Casper and lived in the home until is death in the late 1930's. His wife, Leona, lived in the home for another decade before passing in 1948. All of their kids lived in Wyoming with the youngest, Lucile, living in the Bishop Home until her death in 1997.
Today, the home is still standing and a big part of the scenery of 2nd street. The Bishop Home is now a part of the Cadoma Foundation and is taken care of and kept up by donations to the organization. The home is open for tours Tuesday's, Thursday's and Saturday's from 10am-2pm. It's only $2 per person or $6 for families and the proceeds go into the foundations
Check out this video tour of the Bishop Home from YouTuber Rachel Hoffman and make plans to see it for yourself.