Bishop, California
Encyclopedia
Bishop is a city in Inyo County
, California
, United States
. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence
. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley
, at an elevation of 4147 feet (1264 m). The population was 3,879 at the 2010 census, up from 3,575 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Bishop Creek, flowing out of the Sierra Nevada: the creek was named after Samuel Addison Bishop, a settler in the Owens Valley.
at the northern end of the Owens River Valley.
It is on U.S. Route 395, the main north-south artery through the Owens Valley, connecting the Inland Empire
to Reno, Nevada
. US 395 also connects Bishop to Los Angeles via State Route 14
through Palmdale
. Bishop is also the western terminus of U.S. Route 6. The Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony
control land just west of the town. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) controls much of the upstream and surrounding area.
Bishop is immediately to the east of the Sierra Nevada, and west of the White Mountains
. Numerous peaks are within a short distance of Bishop, including Mount Humphreys
(13,986'), to the west, White Mountain Peak (14,242') in the northeast, and pyramidal Mount Tom (13,658') northwest of town. Basin Mountain
(13,187') is viewed to the west from Bishop as it rises above the Buttermilks
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), over 97% of it land.
Bishop is known as the "Mule Capital of the World" and a week long festival called Bishop Mule Days
has been held since 1969 on the week of Memorial Day, celebrating the contributions of pack mules to the area. The festival attracts many tourists, primarily from the Southern California area.
Bishop is well known in the rock climbing
community. Near the city are numerous climbing spots that attract visitors from around the world. There are over 2,000 bouldering
problems in Bishop. The two main types of rock are volcanic tuff and granite.
climate with an average of 5.02 inches of precipitation falling per year. The wettest year was 1969 with 17.09 inches of precipitation and the driest 1989 with 1.81 inches. Measurable precipitation occurs on an average of 29 days annually. The most precipitation in one month was 8.93 inches in January 1969, which included 4.00 inches on January 4, the most rainfall recorded in 24 hours in Bishop. Snowfall averages 8.4 inches per year. The snowiest year was 1969 with 57.1 inches. The most snow in one month was 23.2 inches in January 1969.
There an average of 96.7 days annually with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 142.1 days annually with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature of 110°F was on July 10, 2002; the record low, -8°F was on December 27, 1988. Despite summer daytime temperatures usually exceeding 90°F, very low humidity results in nighttime temperatures in the fifties.
was 2,029.9 people per square mile (783.8/km²). The racial makeup of Bishop was 2,867 (73.9%) White, 22 (0.6%) African American, 91 (2.3%) Native American, 61 (1.6%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 723 (18.6%) from other races
, and 114 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,200 persons (30.9%).
The Census reported that 3,771 people (97.2% of the population) lived in households, 36 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 72 (1.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,748 households, out of which 499 (28.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 574 (32.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 181 (10.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 99 (5.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 143 (8.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 10 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 767 households (43.9%) were made up of individuals and 288 (16.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 854 families
(48.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.07.
The population was spread out with 925 people (23.8%) under the age of 18, 298 people (7.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,014 people (26.1%) aged 25 to 44, 1,031 people (26.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 611 people (15.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
There were 1,926 housing units at an average density of 1,007.9 per square mile (389.2/km²), of which 676 (38.7%) were owner-occupied, and 1,072 (61.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 1,353 people (34.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,418 people (62.3%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 3,575 people, 1,684 households, and 831 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,042.5 people per square mile (788.8/km²). There were 1,867 housing units at an average density of 1,066.7 per square mile (411.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.62% White
, 0.20% Black
or African American
, 2.04% Native American
, 1.26% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 6.49% from other races
, and 5.37% from two or more races. 17.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,684 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.6% were non-families. 44.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income
for a household in the city was $27,338, and the median income for a family was $34,423. Males had a median income of $23,433 versus $24,545 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,660. About 14.0% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Bishop is located in the 18th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Jean Fuller
, and in the 34th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Connie Conway
. Federally, Bishop is located in California's 25th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
.
Bishop maintains its own police force (the only one in Inyo County), but also has a substation of the Inyo County Sheriff's Department on the outskirts of the City. The California Highway Patrol
also has an office in town. Ambulance services are provided by Symons Ambulance.
In order to provide water needs for the growing City of Los Angeles
, water was diverted from the Owens River
into the Los Angeles Aqueduct
in 1913. The Owens River Valley cultures and environments changed substantially. From the 1910s to 1930s the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
purchased much of the valley for water rights and control. The economy of Bishop suffered when farmers sold their land. Jack Foley, a Bishop resident and sound effects specialist, mitigated the economic loss by persuading several Los Angeles studio bosses that the town of Bishop would be ideal as a location to shoot westerns.
is the namesake for the art of adding sound effects to films, with the profession named Foley artist
.
Bishop was the home of Galen Rowell
, and his wife Barbara, before their death at the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport
.
Stuntman and NASCAR
driver Stanton Barrett
also calls Bishop home.
Matt Williams, former Major League Baseball 3rd baseman and slugger, was born in Bishop.
Horace M. Albright
the second director of the National Park Service
was born in Bishop in 1890.
Artist Robert Clunie
lived and painted in Bishop for decades.
Jill Kinmont
, noted ski racer who was paralyzed in a 1955 accident, grew up in Bishop.
The actor
Robert Bray
, who portrayed forest ranger Corey Stuart in CBS
's Lassie from 1964–1968 and Simon Kane in ABC
's Stagecoach West
from 1960–1961, retired to Bishop, where he died in 1983 at the age of sixty-five.
Former child actor
Richard Eyer
, who played Bray's son in Stagecoach West, is a teacher
in Bishop.
Tod Griffin
, a television actor from 1953–1961, resided in Bishop at the time of his death in 2002.
Mountaineer Peter Croft
lives in Bishop.
Inyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence
Independence, California
Independence is the county seat of Inyo County, California. Independence is located south-southeast of Bishop, at an elevation of 3930 feet . The population of this census-designated place was 669 at the 2010 census, up from 574 at the 2000 census....
. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley
Owens Valley
Owens Valley is the arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States, to the east of the Sierra Nevada and west of the White Mountains and Inyo Mountains on the west edge of the Great Basin section...
, at an elevation of 4147 feet (1264 m). The population was 3,879 at the 2010 census, up from 3,575 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Bishop Creek, flowing out of the Sierra Nevada: the creek was named after Samuel Addison Bishop, a settler in the Owens Valley.
Geography
Bishop lies west of the Owens RiverOwens River
The Owens River is a river in southeastern California in the United States, approximately long. It drains into and through the Owens Valley, an arid basin between the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the western faces of the Inyo and White Mountains. The river terminates at Owens Lake, but...
at the northern end of the Owens River Valley.
It is on U.S. Route 395, the main north-south artery through the Owens Valley, connecting the Inland Empire
Inland Empire (California)
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
to Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. US 395 also connects Bishop to Los Angeles via State Route 14
California State Route 14
State Route 14 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, largely in the Mojave Desert. The southern portion of the highway is signed as the Antelope Valley Freeway. The route connects Interstate 5, or Golden State Freeway, near Santa Clarita and with U.S. Route 395 near...
through Palmdale
Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
. Bishop is also the western terminus of U.S. Route 6. The Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony
The Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony is a federally recognized tribe of Mono and Timbisha Indians of the Owens Valley, in Inyo County of eastern California.-Reservation:...
control land just west of the town. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) controls much of the upstream and surrounding area.
Bishop is immediately to the east of the Sierra Nevada, and west of the White Mountains
White Mountains (California)
The White Mountains of California are a triangular fault block mountain range facing the Sierra Nevada across the upper Owens Valley. They extend for approximately as a greatly elevated plateau about wide on the south, narrowing to a point at the north, with elevations generally increasing...
. Numerous peaks are within a short distance of Bishop, including Mount Humphreys
Mount Humphreys
Mount Humphreys is a mountain peak in the Sierra Nevada on the Fresno-Inyo county line in the U.S. state of California. It is the highest peak in the Bishop area. The mountain was named by the California Geological Survey of 1873 for Andrew A...
(13,986'), to the west, White Mountain Peak (14,242') in the northeast, and pyramidal Mount Tom (13,658') northwest of town. Basin Mountain
Basin Mountain (California)
Basin Mountain in California's eastern Sierra Nevada range is a large and visually prominent peak near Bishop. Basin Mountain is not as high as its neighboring peaks, Mount Tom and Mount Humphreys, but it dominates the view to the west from Bishop as it rises above the Buttermilks. It is a...
(13,187') is viewed to the west from Bishop as it rises above the Buttermilks
The Buttermilks
The Buttermilks, or Buttermilk Country, is a well known bouldering destination. It comprises the western edge of the Owens Valley near Bishop, California, in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada.The Buttermilks are located in Inyo County at...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), over 97% of it land.
Bishop is known as the "Mule Capital of the World" and a week long festival called Bishop Mule Days
Bishop Mule Days
Bishop Mule Days is an annual festival celebrating the mule, held in Bishop, California over a six day period just before Memorial Day. It includes competitive events and the largest non-motorized parade in the United States. It started as a small show in 1969 with a few hundred attendees and has...
has been held since 1969 on the week of Memorial Day, celebrating the contributions of pack mules to the area. The festival attracts many tourists, primarily from the Southern California area.
Bishop is well known in the rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
community. Near the city are numerous climbing spots that attract visitors from around the world. There are over 2,000 bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
problems in Bishop. The two main types of rock are volcanic tuff and granite.
Notable locations
- Erick Schat’s BakkerÿErick Schat’s BakkerÿErick Schat's Bakkerÿ is a bakery and tourist attraction in Bishop, California. It is known for a unique bread, called Original Sheepherder's Bread and produces 450 other products....
- Inyo National ForestInyo National ForestInyo National Forest is a federally administered forest in the United States. The forest covers parts of the eastern Sierra Nevada of California, and the White Mountains of California and Nevada. It contains two wilderness areas: the John Muir Wilderness and the Ansel Adams Wilderness...
Supervisor's Office - Paiute Indian ReservationPaiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop ColonyThe Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony is a federally recognized tribe of Mono and Timbisha Indians of the Owens Valley, in Inyo County of eastern California.-Reservation:...
- Laws Rail Museum
- Mountain Light GalleryGalen RowellGalen Avery Rowell was a noted wilderness photographer and climber. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.-Early life and education:...
Climate
Bishop, as well as the rest of the Owens Valley, has an aridArid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
climate with an average of 5.02 inches of precipitation falling per year. The wettest year was 1969 with 17.09 inches of precipitation and the driest 1989 with 1.81 inches. Measurable precipitation occurs on an average of 29 days annually. The most precipitation in one month was 8.93 inches in January 1969, which included 4.00 inches on January 4, the most rainfall recorded in 24 hours in Bishop. Snowfall averages 8.4 inches per year. The snowiest year was 1969 with 57.1 inches. The most snow in one month was 23.2 inches in January 1969.
There an average of 96.7 days annually with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 142.1 days annually with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature of 110°F was on July 10, 2002; the record low, -8°F was on December 27, 1988. Despite summer daytime temperatures usually exceeding 90°F, very low humidity results in nighttime temperatures in the fifties.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Bishop had a population of 3,879. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,029.9 people per square mile (783.8/km²). The racial makeup of Bishop was 2,867 (73.9%) White, 22 (0.6%) African American, 91 (2.3%) Native American, 61 (1.6%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 723 (18.6%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 114 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,200 persons (30.9%).
The Census reported that 3,771 people (97.2% of the population) lived in households, 36 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 72 (1.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,748 households, out of which 499 (28.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 574 (32.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 181 (10.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 99 (5.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 143 (8.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 10 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 767 households (43.9%) were made up of individuals and 288 (16.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 854 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(48.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.07.
The population was spread out with 925 people (23.8%) under the age of 18, 298 people (7.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,014 people (26.1%) aged 25 to 44, 1,031 people (26.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 611 people (15.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
There were 1,926 housing units at an average density of 1,007.9 per square mile (389.2/km²), of which 676 (38.7%) were owner-occupied, and 1,072 (61.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 1,353 people (34.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,418 people (62.3%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,575 people, 1,684 households, and 831 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,042.5 people per square mile (788.8/km²). There were 1,867 housing units at an average density of 1,066.7 per square mile (411.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.62% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.20% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.04% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.26% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 6.49% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 5.37% from two or more races. 17.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 1,684 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.6% were non-families. 44.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $27,338, and the median income for a family was $34,423. Males had a median income of $23,433 versus $24,545 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,660. About 14.0% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Politics and government
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Bishop is located in the 18th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Jean Fuller
Jean Fuller
Jean Fuller is a U.S. politician who serves in the California State Senate. A Republican, she was previously a member of the California Assembly and the Superintendent of Schools for the Bakersfield City School District....
, and in the 34th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican Connie Conway
Connie Conway
Connie Conway is a Republican politician from California. She is currently in the California State Assembly and is the Assemblymember from the 34th district which takes in many parts of California's Central Valley and High Desert areas. Prior to serving in the Assembly, Conway served as a Tulare...
. Federally, Bishop is located in California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and extends out to broad stretches of interior California along the Nevada border. It includes the cities of Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and the...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
Howard McKeon
Howard Philip "Buck" McKeon is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.
Bishop maintains its own police force (the only one in Inyo County), but also has a substation of the Inyo County Sheriff's Department on the outskirts of the City. The California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
also has an office in town. Ambulance services are provided by Symons Ambulance.
History
The Bishop Creek post office operated from 1870 to 1889 and from 1935 to 1938. The first Bishop post office opened in 1889.In order to provide water needs for the growing City of Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
, water was diverted from the Owens River
Owens River
The Owens River is a river in southeastern California in the United States, approximately long. It drains into and through the Owens Valley, an arid basin between the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the western faces of the Inyo and White Mountains. The river terminates at Owens Lake, but...
into the Los Angeles Aqueduct
Los Angeles Aqueduct
The Los Angeles Aqueduct system comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power...
in 1913. The Owens River Valley cultures and environments changed substantially. From the 1910s to 1930s the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving over four million residents. It was founded in 1902 to supply water and electricity to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding communities...
purchased much of the valley for water rights and control. The economy of Bishop suffered when farmers sold their land. Jack Foley, a Bishop resident and sound effects specialist, mitigated the economic loss by persuading several Los Angeles studio bosses that the town of Bishop would be ideal as a location to shoot westerns.
Notable residents
The aforementioned Jack FoleyJack Foley
Jack Donovan Foley was the developer of many sound effect techniques used in filmmaking....
is the namesake for the art of adding sound effects to films, with the profession named Foley artist
Foley artist
Foley is the reproduction of everyday sounds for use in filmmaking. These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass. The best foley art is so well integrated into a film that it goes unnoticed by the audience. It helps to...
.
Bishop was the home of Galen Rowell
Galen Rowell
Galen Avery Rowell was a noted wilderness photographer and climber. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.-Early life and education:...
, and his wife Barbara, before their death at the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport
Eastern Sierra Regional Airport
Eastern Sierra Regional Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles east of the central business district of Bishop, in Inyo County, California, United States...
.
Stuntman and NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver Stanton Barrett
Stanton Barrett
Stanton Thomas Barrett is a NASCAR driver and Hollywood stuntman. He has driven in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, as well in the IZOD IndyCar Series.-NASCAR:...
also calls Bishop home.
Matt Williams, former Major League Baseball 3rd baseman and slugger, was born in Bishop.
Horace M. Albright
Horace M. Albright
Horace Marden Albright was an American conservationist.Horace Albright was born 1890 in Bishop, California, the son of George Albright, a miner. He graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 1912 , and earned a law degree from Georgetown University...
the second director of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
was born in Bishop in 1890.
Artist Robert Clunie
Robert Clunie
Robert Clunie was a Scottish-American plein air painter, specializing in California landscape art with a particular focus on the rugged mountain scenery of the High Sierra.-Early life:...
lived and painted in Bishop for decades.
Jill Kinmont
Jill Kinmont
Jill Kinmont Boothe is a former alpine ski racer, who competed in the mid-1950s.Jill Kinmont grew up in Bishop, California, skiing and racing at Mammoth Mountain. In early 1955, she was the reigning national champion in the slalom, and a top prospect for a medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics, a year...
, noted ski racer who was paralyzed in a 1955 accident, grew up in Bishop.
The actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Robert Bray
Robert Bray
Robert E. Bray was an American film and television actor probably best remembered for his role as the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the long-running CBS series Lassie.-Life and career:...
, who portrayed forest ranger Corey Stuart in CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Lassie from 1964–1968 and Simon Kane in ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Stagecoach West
Stagecoach West (TV series)
Stagecoach West is a highly-acclaimed Western drama television series which ran for thirty-eight episodes on the ABC network from October 4, 1960, until June 27, 1961. Characters Luke Perry and Simon Kane operate the Timberland Stage Line from Missouri to San Francisco...
from 1960–1961, retired to Bishop, where he died in 1983 at the age of sixty-five.
Former child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
Richard Eyer
Richard Eyer
Richard Ross Eyer is a former American child actor during the 1950s and 1960s who taught elementary school in the eastern Sierra city of Bishop in Inyo County until he retired in 2006. He is the older brother of Robert Eyer Richard Ross Eyer (born May 6, 1945, Santa Monica, California) is a former...
, who played Bray's son in Stagecoach West, is a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
in Bishop.
Tod Griffin
Tod Griffin
Tod Griffin, born as Arthur Griffin , was an American actor of stage, film, and television, originally from Birmingham, Alabama.-Early years:...
, a television actor from 1953–1961, resided in Bishop at the time of his death in 2002.
Mountaineer Peter Croft
Peter Croft (climber)
-External links:*...
lives in Bishop.
FM radio
- KWTWKWTWKWTW is a radio station broadcasting a Christian Contemporary & Talk format, licensed to Bishop, California, USA. KWTW is known as The Living Proof Radio Network, which is a ministry of Calvary Chapel in Bishop...
88.5 FM - KSRWKSRW (FM)KSRW is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary music formatand features programing from CNN Radio. and Television Network broadcasting Local News and features programing from Outside Television Licensed to Independence, California, USA, the radio station serves the Bishop area. The...
92.5 FM - KRHV 93.3 FM
- KIBSKIBSKIBS is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Bishop, California, USA, the station is currently owned by Great Country Broadcasting, Inc.-History:...
100.7 FM - KMMTKMMTKMMT is a radio station broadcasting a rock-leaning Top 40 format, licensed to Mammoth Lakes, California.-External links:*...
106.5 FM
See also
- List of California public officials charged with crimes, Bishop