The Bishop Hill Colony is the classic American immigration tale. Escaping religious persecution and looking for economic opportunity, Swedish immigrants in 1846 created a successful religious communal colony that lasted 15 years. Today, Bishop Hill is a state and national historic landmark, with eighteen of the original Colony buildings still in use.
One of the primary goals of the Bishop Hill Heritage Association is to share this unique history. In order to accomplish this goal, we are offering a free presentation about the Bishop Hill Colony to area libraries and schools. This presentation will be done by BHHA Administrator Todd DeDecker, who also has 16 years of JH/HS social studies teaching experience. The presentation will last approximately 45 minutes and will consist of a video, PowerPoint presentation, and artifacts from the BHHA collection(depending on which presentation is selected). You can select one of two topics for the presentation: The founding of the Bishop Hill Colony, with emphasis on immigration, or Company D, Bishop Hill’s Civil War Company. A free will donation is encouraged.
This program is only offered in January and February 2016. If you would like more details or want to set up a presentation, please email me back at bhha@mymctc.net or call me at 309-927-3899. Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Todd DeDecker
BHHA Administrator