Village of Bishop Hill The Village of Bishop Hill is a prosperous station on the Rock Island and Peoria Railroad, occupied almost entirely by Swedes, foreign-born, and the younger generation of them born in this county. Here, among the old, you will hear only the Swede language, and among the young, a curious mixture of Swede and English. They are all, however, educated in English, and it is bur a few years until this will be practically the only language spoken among them. The town has a population of 350 souls, and excellent school and church buildings. The Swede Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1864, with twenty members, the principal of whom were: Eric Bengtron, Jonas Engstrom, Eric Soder, Jons Watstrom, George Ericson. meetings at first were held in the Bishop Hill Schoolhouse, and in private residences. Soon after the organization a wagon-shop was bought for $400, and Church services were held in the second story of this building until 1868, when a church building was erected, at a cost of $3500. In their order the preachers were N.O. Westergreen, Peter Challman, A.J. Anderson, Eric Shogren, W.K. Eklund and J. E. Bergren. There are over 200 in the congregation, with a flourishing Sunday School. A few years ago several of the members of this Church emigrated to Kansas, where they now reside. Page 820 Portrait & Biographical Album of Henry Co., Illinois