BISHOP HILL OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION

BISHOP HILL, IL

20220515 09 Geneseo, Illinois Credit: davidwilson1949

The Bishop Hill Old Settlers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Bishop Hill, Illinois. Located in Henry County, Illinois, the village of Bishop Hill was established in 1846 by a Swedish religious sect known as the Janssonists. Led by their leader Erik Jansson, the group fled religious persecution and immigrated to the United States, settling in the small village, which became known as Bishop Hill.

The Bishop Hill Old Settlers Association was established in 1915 for the purpose of preserving the legacy of this unique Swedish-American community. The association works to preserve the village’s cultural heritage and promote its history through various activities and events. The association also works to protect the village’s historic buildings, including the Colony Church and the Steeple Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Bishop Hill Old Settlers Association hosts a variety of events throughout the year that are open to the public, including the annual Bishop Hill Old Settlers Picnic and the Bishop Hill Chautauqua. Other activities include historic walking tours, a Swedish Smorgasbord, a craft fair, and an ice cream social. The association also publishes a quarterly newsletter and operates a museum and gift shop filled with historical artifacts and souvenirs. The museum houses an extensive collection of manuscripts, photographs, and other Swedish-American artifacts.

BISHOP HILL OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in BISHOP HILL IL. US MID #8401700941

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

Annawan-a Be In Front After making a brief stop in town, IAIS 6988 starts rolling out of Annawan, IL, with a plethora of photographers and chasers following suite. Getting in front of the pack of them is no small feat, but a lead foot and good timing can certainly help…

Picking Up The Pieces The 6988 had been plugging along quick, and then a gasket on its water pump failed, bringing the train to a stop. Some half hour and change later, they were starting to roll ahead through the small town of Mineral. Mineral is home to an old wooden elevator, which is where a large number of railfans have congregated. There wasn't any question though, I had to join the crowd as soon as I saw the elevator. I'm still not quite over the loss of the elevator at Lodge, so I'm really grasping for anything to make up for it. The Mineral grain elevator will have to do here. It's a nice elevator.

A fun fact, this is the one and only time I've taken a vertical photo and not completely hated it. Truly, a first time for everything.

The Calling Often times when chasing, picking a spot to stop and shoot is hard to do - it’s easy to screw up and pick a bad spot, or arrive there without enough time, or whiff the shot itself. Sometimes, though, a location presents itself and you just know it’s the spot to be. On the eastern side of Atkinson, such a place presented itself - a perfect opening in a field to capture nearly all of the train pulled by IAIS 6988 and without obstructions. It’s nice when things work out that way.

Joining the Frenzy I was late to the party on the QJ, but with info sent just the night prior, I had time enough to catch the Silvis to Bureau (and return) run - the last run before the Chinese steamer's rebuild. I'm glad I was able to make it out on short notice, it was a fun chase through my home state. I haven't seen steam in operation here since 2019, which was extra fun.

There is something interesting about the juxtaposition of it all - a Chinese built steam locomotive running a mixed passenger/freight train through Illinois farmland, adorned with American and Ukrainian flags. Someone smarter than I could probably spin that rather symbolically, but all I know is that it was just pretty cool. Except the weather, that was pretty hot.

AMTRAK in the morning... ...near Altona/IL (November 2016)

Contact BISHOP HILL OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION

BISHOP HILL OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION
PO BOX 68
BISHOP HILL
IL
61419

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BISHOP HILL OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION Information

MID #	8401700941
Name	BISHOP HILL OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION
Alternate Name
Classification	Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	366087283
NTEECC	A80
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)	201212
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	41.200405, -90.1188
CODES	FIPS State Code: 17 FIPS County Code: 073 US Census Tract: 031200 US Census Block: 1096