Colonel Absalom Bishop

Colonel Absalom Bishop (HM21TJ)

Location: Decatur, TX 76234 Wise County
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Country: United States of America
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N 33° 14.075', W 97° 35.227'

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Inscription
Absalom Bishop (1804-1883) began his military service as a captain of militia in the Seminole War in Florida. He later attained the rank of colonel. Bishop lived in several states before arriving in Hopkins County, Texas, in 1852, and then in what would become Wise County in 1855. One year after his arrival, he was successful in convincing the Texas legislature to create Wise County out of Cooke County. Bishop was one of the first settlers to acquire land at the townsite he helped convince voters to select as county seat. He originally wanted the town to be called Taylorsville after General and President Zachary Taylor. However, when Taylor switched to the Whig Party, Bishop, a passionate Democrat, persuaded the legislature to name the town Decatur in honor of U.S. naval hero Stephen Decatur.

Bishop built a mercantile store which would eventually be used as a temporary post office and stage stop on the Butterfield Overland Stage Line. The colonel along with other Wise County residents convinced the Butterfield Overland Stage Line owners to relocate their route to run through Decatur and on to Bridgeport. In order to do so, they oversaw the building of bridges over Denton Creek, Sandy Creek and the West Fork of the Trinity River. By doing so, commerce increased and stage travel from Decatur to Austin also became a reality. Colonel Absalom Bishop passed away on November 30, 1883, and was buried alongside his wife in Oaklawn Cemetery. Bishop, called "The Father of Wise County and Decatur," was a colorful figure who brought to Texas a broad range of experience that allowed him to help mold a raw and wild land into a bustling town and new county.

Marker is Property of the State Of Texas

Addendum plate on reverse:

Sponsored By
GFWC - TFWC
Decatur Woman's Club
Details
HM NumberHM21TJ
Tags
Year Placed2014
Placed ByTexas Historical Commission
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, September 21st, 2017 at 1:01pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)14S E 631640 N 3678183
Decimal Degrees33.23458333, -97.58711667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 33° 14.075', W 97° 35.227'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds33° 14' 4.5" N, 97° 35' 13.62" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)940, 817
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling North
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 115 N State St, Decatur TX 76234, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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