Bishop, California 1981

This authentic 1980s color photograph, captured in 1981, provides a detailed view of Main Street (Highway 395) in Bishop, California. The archival image features a prominent Western Auto store with its bold red lettering on a white building, situated next to Culver’s Sporting Goods. Road signs at the intersection indicate the direction to California Highway 168, the local Hospital, and “Short St.” Further down the thoroughfare, vintage petroleum and lodging signs are visible, including Union 76, Texaco, and the Piute Lodge Motel. The street is filled with period-correct vehicles, including a white Toyota pickup truck in the foreground and a tan Jeep CJ traveling north. Pedestrians in early eighties attire are seen walking along the concrete sidewalk near a vintage telephone booth. Bishop remains a vital transit point for travelers exploring the Eastern Sierra and is still standing today as a thriving mountain community. While Western Auto has since closed as a national chain and many of these specific storefronts have transitioned to new businesses, the wide-open layout and spectacular high-desert setting remain iconic to the region. This factual record preserves the automotive culture and local commerce that defined this California highway town. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.