Bishop Hill Reframed

Know about the book -

Bishop Hill Reframed is written by Lilly Setterdahl and published by . It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 057885046X (ISBN 10) and 9780578850467 (ISBN 13).

Bishop Hill Reframed is a 246 page non-fiction book, with photographs, about the history of Bishop Hill. Written by Lilly Setterdahl, this book provides an overview of the history and legacy of this small Illinois town started by Swedish immigrants as a religious communal colony in 1846. Bishop Hill Reframed presents an honest description of the Bishop Hill Colony. It begins with a look at the principal founder, his beliefs, and escape from Sweden's unfree society in the 1840s. It continues with letters penned by colonists and other eye witnesses, articles on specific subjects, conversations with descendants, Civil War letters, and a Roster of Officers and Men of Company D, 57th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1865. The book's cover shows the primitive housing in 1846 and the prosperous town in 1855, both scenes painted by the colony's own artist Olof Krans. The colonists' willingness to work side by side to create a town in the wilderness-despite the cholera epidemic and the murder of "the prophet" in 1850-continued unabated until disputes about dogma led to dissension. Hard economic times and other problems made it necessary to sell large tracts of land to satisfy the lenders, resulting in the dissolution of the colony in 1860-61. The book is illustrated with photographs from Sweden and Bishop Hill, the historic buildings in the village, past activities, and images of the stoic pioneers, men and woman, who built this town. Today, Bishop Hill is a state historic site and a national historic landmark due to its large impact on Swedish migration to the United States. Containing 17 pre-Civil War buildings that are still in use today, Bishop Hill is today an historic tourism destination. Lilly does a great job of tying together the history of the 19th century Bishop Hill Colony with 21st century Bishop Hill, using never before published documents. Bishop Hill Reframed is a must read for people who enjoy Swedish, U.S., or immigration history.