The Bishop Hill Colony was a religious community founded in Illinois in 1846 by Eric Janson and his followers. The small Swedish colony survived for only 15 years, but it left a lasting mark on immigration history. The exhibition, A Community on the Prairie: Bishop Hill, Illinois, described the formation of the Bishop Hill Colony by Swedish immigrants, the dissolution of the colony, and the growth of the village of Bishop Hill into modern times.
This traveling panel show was originated by the Bishop Hill State Historic Site, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and organized by the Bishop Hill Heritage Association. The exhibition also contained Bishop Hill artifacts from our own collection.
A Community on the Prairie: Bishop Hill, Illinois was made possible through the generous support of the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and the Swedish Council of America.
Exhibition no longer on display.
