Bishop Hill, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Bishop Hill is a village in Henry County
, Illinois
, along the South Edwards River
. The population was 128 at the 2010 census, up from 125 at the 2000 census. It is the home of the Bishop Hill State Historic Site
, a park operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
immigrants affiliated with the Pietist
movement, led by Erik Jansson. Prior to founding the Bishop Hill Colony
, Jansson preached to his followers in Sweden
about what he considered to be the abominations of the Lutheran Church and emphasized the doctrine that the faithful were without sin. As Jansson's ideas became more radical, he began to lose support from many of his sympathizers and was forced to leave Sweden in the midst of growing persecution. Jansson had previously sent Olof Olsson, a trusted follower, as an emissary to the United States
to find a suitable location where the Janssonists could set up a utopian community centered around their religious beliefs. According to Jansson, this community would become the "New Jerusalem", and their beliefs would soon spread across the world. As a result, 1400 colonists emigrated from Sweden to their new home in western Illinois
.
The colony struggled early on after its founding. Many of the first 1000 colonists died from disease on the way to Bishop Hill (named for Eric Jansson's birthplace, Biskopskulla), while others became disillusioned and stayed in New York
. The quarters in Bishop Hill were cold and crowded and food was scarce. After the first winter, life at the colony began to improve. In the next few years housing was upgraded from dugouts to brick living areas, and crops were planted on 700 acres (2.8 km²) of land. By 1849, Bishop Hill had constructed a flour mill, two sawmills, a three story frame church, and various other buildings. The Bishop Hill Colony was communistic in nature, as dictated by Jansson. Thus, everything was owned by everyone and no one had more possessions than another. Work in the colony was highly rigorous and regimented. It wasn't uncommon to see hundreds of people working together in the fields or large groups of laborers engaged in other tasks.
of the colony was official, and many of its people would soon be forced to move away.
The Janssonist emigrants were the first significant group of men and women to move from Sweden
to the United States. Letters home from Janssonists to their friends and family, telling of the fertile agricultural land in the interior of North America, stimulated substantial migration for several decades and the formation of the Swedish-American ethnic community of the American Midwest.
Descendants of Erik Jansson still lived in the colony until December 20, 2004 when Erik's great-great grandson and Bishop Hill volunteer fireman Theodore Arthur Myhre Sr. died south of the Colony while on a fire service call. Other known descendents remain in Illinois.
Surviving buildings built by the Janssonists are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Bishop Hill is interpreted as a living community of Swedish-American heritage. Due to state budget cuts the Bishop Hill State Historic Site was closed for nearly 5 months from December 1, 2008 to April 23, 2009. Today the Site is open Wednesday to Friday during normal business hours.
of 2000, there were 125 people, 56 households, and 38 families residing in the village. The population density
was 232.0 people per square mile (89.4/km²). There were 59 housing units at an average density of 109.5 per square mile (42.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. 26.9% were of Swedish, 15.1% American
, 14.3% English
, 14.3% German
, 7.6% Italian and 5.9% Polish
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 56 households out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the village the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 16.0% from 25 to 44, 38.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,083, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $38,214 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $26,145. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.
Henry County, Illinois
Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,486, which is a decrease of 1.0% from 51,020 in 2000. Its county seat is Cambridge...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, along the South Edwards River
Edwards River (Illinois)
The Edwards River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in northwestern Illinois in the United States. It rises west of Kewanee in southeastern Henry County and flows generally westwardly into Mercer County, where it joins the Mississippi southeast of New Boston...
. The population was 128 at the 2010 census, up from 125 at the 2000 census. It is the home of the Bishop Hill State Historic Site
Bishop Hill State Historic Site
Bishop Hill State Historic Site was the site of a utopian religious community founded in 1846 by Swedish pietist Eric Janson in Bishop Hill, Illinois...
, a park operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic sites within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors....
.
Geography
Bishop Hill is located at 41°12′3"N 90°7′6"W (41.200711, -90.118327).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
Erik Jansson
The village was founded in 1846 by SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
immigrants affiliated with the Pietist
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
movement, led by Erik Jansson. Prior to founding the Bishop Hill Colony
Bishop Hill Colony
Bishop Hill Colony is a historic district in Bishop Hill, Illinois. Bishop Hill was the site of a utopian religious community which operated as a commune. It was founded in 1846 by Swedish pietist Eric Janson and his followers...
, Jansson preached to his followers in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
about what he considered to be the abominations of the Lutheran Church and emphasized the doctrine that the faithful were without sin. As Jansson's ideas became more radical, he began to lose support from many of his sympathizers and was forced to leave Sweden in the midst of growing persecution. Jansson had previously sent Olof Olsson, a trusted follower, as an emissary to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to find a suitable location where the Janssonists could set up a utopian community centered around their religious beliefs. According to Jansson, this community would become the "New Jerusalem", and their beliefs would soon spread across the world. As a result, 1400 colonists emigrated from Sweden to their new home in western Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
The colony struggled early on after its founding. Many of the first 1000 colonists died from disease on the way to Bishop Hill (named for Eric Jansson's birthplace, Biskopskulla), while others became disillusioned and stayed in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The quarters in Bishop Hill were cold and crowded and food was scarce. After the first winter, life at the colony began to improve. In the next few years housing was upgraded from dugouts to brick living areas, and crops were planted on 700 acres (2.8 km²) of land. By 1849, Bishop Hill had constructed a flour mill, two sawmills, a three story frame church, and various other buildings. The Bishop Hill Colony was communistic in nature, as dictated by Jansson. Thus, everything was owned by everyone and no one had more possessions than another. Work in the colony was highly rigorous and regimented. It wasn't uncommon to see hundreds of people working together in the fields or large groups of laborers engaged in other tasks.
After Jansson and today
The Bishop Hill colony underwent a major upheaval in 1850 after the murder of Erik Jansson. Jansson was assassinated by a former colony member, John Root, who was upset with Jansson for interfering with his marriage to one of Jansson's cousins. After their leader's death, the people of Bishop Hill appointed a group of seven trustees to run the affairs of the colony. Among the trustees were Jonas Olsson and Olof Johnson, who would become the primary leaders of the colony as they had been two of Jansson's closest aides. Under these two men and the rest of the trustees, the colony continued to grow and flourish. The workforce was reorganized to become more efficient and more buildings were erected. However, despite Bishop Hill's success, in 1857 financial problems arose in the midst of accusations of mismanagement against Olof Johnson. Johnson had made several large investments, without colony approval, that had turned out to be disastrous. As Bishop Hill headed for financial ruin, colonists voted to end the communal system. In 1861 the formal dissolutionDissolution (law)
In law, dissolution has multiple meanings.Dissolution is the last stage of liquidation, the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed....
of the colony was official, and many of its people would soon be forced to move away.
The Janssonist emigrants were the first significant group of men and women to move from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to the United States. Letters home from Janssonists to their friends and family, telling of the fertile agricultural land in the interior of North America, stimulated substantial migration for several decades and the formation of the Swedish-American ethnic community of the American Midwest.
Descendants of Erik Jansson still lived in the colony until December 20, 2004 when Erik's great-great grandson and Bishop Hill volunteer fireman Theodore Arthur Myhre Sr. died south of the Colony while on a fire service call. Other known descendents remain in Illinois.
Surviving buildings built by the Janssonists are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Bishop Hill is interpreted as a living community of Swedish-American heritage. Due to state budget cuts the Bishop Hill State Historic Site was closed for nearly 5 months from December 1, 2008 to April 23, 2009. Today the Site is open Wednesday to Friday during normal business hours.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 125 people, 56 households, and 38 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 232.0 people per square mile (89.4/km²). There were 59 housing units at an average density of 109.5 per square mile (42.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. 26.9% were of Swedish, 15.1% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 14.3% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 14.3% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 7.6% Italian and 5.9% Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 56 households out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the village the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 16.0% from 25 to 44, 38.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,083, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $38,214 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $26,145. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.
Further reading
- Mikkelsen, Michael A. “The Bishop Hill Colony: A Religious Communistic Settlement in Henry County, Illinois.” Church and State Columbus And America. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins Press, 1892. 11-80.
- Wagner, Jon. “Eric Jannson and the Bishop Hill Colony.” America’s Communal Utopias. Ed. Donald Pitzer. North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 1997. 297-318.