Bishop was born to William D. and Julia Ann Bishop (née Tomlinson) in
Bridgeport, Connecticut. Although he attended
Yale University along with the class of 1884, he never graduated and instead went to work as a general ticket agent for the
Naugatuck Railroad. He married Jessie Alvord Trubee in Bridgeport on 1883-02-06. He was promoted at the Naugatuck railroad, serving as assistant superintendent from 1885 to 1886. From 1887 to 1902 he was superintendent of the
Housatonic Railroad (later, general superintendent of that railroad as well as its branches), becoming purchasing agent for the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. In 1902, he became vice-president of the
West Virginia Central and
Western Maryland Railroads; he resigned this post in 1903. In 1915, he was the vice-president or director of several companies, including Pacific Iron Works,
Western Union, American District Telegraph Company of
New Jersey and Connecticut National Bank. His grandfather Alfred Bishop et al. founded and built the railroad from New York to New Haven and to Hartford -
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. His father William Bishop was president of this railroad. Note-In 1847, Alfred Bishop, G. L. Schuyler and S. G. Miller entered in a contract to build the New York Bridgeport, RR following route laid out by Prof Twining which ended up costing $2,701,879.13. Fares were low: $1.50 from New Haven to New York, and fifty cents from Bridgeport on account of the steamboat competition. == Political career ==