Rev. Nathan Bishop

From the "History of Lagrange County, Indiana (1882 Clearspring Township: Chicago F.A. Battey and Company Publishers 1882

In 1834, John Sprout settled at first with Anthony Nelson upon the line, but afterward moved upon Section 19, where he died in 1878. Nathan Bishop of North Carolina, sometimes called the first settler, came April 12, 1834, with his young son Robert, and nephew, Robert H., and entered upon land in Section 22. Nathan Bishop, a Free-Will Baptist, was the first preacher in the township. He held services at his home for many years, and organized a society which met there, but gradually died out. In addition to this work, Mr. Bishop preached at various places throughout the town. He died March 3, 1850. His eldest son Robert, who was born in 1799, still lives on the old farm. In the early days he was the only blacksmith in the town, and, with his father, built and worked the first tannery in that vicinity. James Gordon, a son-in-law of Nathan Bishop, came with him and had the honor of sowing the first wheat in Clearspring, on Section 28, and of being the first mason.

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