The date of May 1, 1890, was when Charles P. Bishop took over the Salem Woolen Mill Store and started the clothing store which bears his name today. The store employed two clerks, H.S. Belle and William Woodsworth, and it had a floor space of 22 ft. by 60 ft. The first few years were difficult, with business suffering in the Willamette Valley following the Panic of 1893. But the economy improved with a great upswing at the turn of the century.

In 1902, the store moved to 136 Commercial St. N. Following a pattern of growth, the store expanded to include 138 Commercial St. N. Originally employing two clerks in 1890, the store had - - by 1928 - - 18 full-time employees. The store moved to 145 Liberty St. in 1937 and enjoyed 8,000 square ft. with two floors. This was nearly ten times the size of the original store.

Mr. Bishop was Salem's mayor from 1899-1906. He was a State Senator from 1915-1918. And, he was a trustee of Willamette University for three decades. He died at the age of 87 in 1941.

C.P. Bishop poured his energy and ambition into the store and established policies that guided it's management. He saw it through difficult years and onto a firm footing. In 1972, it was located at Center & High Streets, Bishop's was recognized at the time as one of the West's finest stores for men.

Compiled by Cynthia Harvey and Monica Mersinger

Bibliography:
Capital Journal newspaper, 1972 Supplement entitled "Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow"