Pat, on 6/14/01 8:49 AM, said: >Could anyone tell me if there was a Swedish settlement in Knox county near >Altona? Are there any records available in this area? Pat: Galesburg, and to a lesser degree all of Knox County, was a settlement for Swedes from about 1850 to 1890 in particular. Bishop Hill, as mentioned by someone, was a settlement of Swedes, but differs from the typical Swedish immigration pattern. Those folks, whom today would likely be considered a cult, generally immigrated as a group, and often shunned contact with other Swedes. The typical immigration pattern for Swedes was typically that a "pioneer" found a good spot, found a place to live, and then sent for friends and relatives. Most immigrants from the 1860s onwards left Sweden with a name and address of a friend in the USA. This friend would typcially help the new immigrant to find a job and a place to live. My great-grandfather came to Henderson Grove (just north of Galesburg) this way in 1875, and thousands of other Swedes came to Knox County in much the same way. One of the very best sources for information on Swedish immigration, especially to the midwest would be the Swenson Swedish Immigration Reseach Center at Augustana College in Rock Island. Most Swedes looked for a church after finding housing and a job, and the Swedish churches did an excellent job of record-keeping -- not as good as their Swedish counterparts, but far more so than other churches of the time. Swenson has most of the Swedish church registers for those churches in Galesburg, as well as most of the midwest. The good part is that they have preserved these documents; however, they DO charge for research. Fortunately, it is a small amount -- $20/hour, and that is cut in half for members. Associate membership is $25/year, so it doesn't take long for the savings in research to make membership a profitable move. Also, most research is done in less than an hour, and they are very thorough. And, yes, I am a member, but I really have no other interest in their operation. You'll find them at: http://www.augustana.edu/administration/swenson/ Give them a try -- I think you'll find they will be able to help, perhaps much more than you might expect. Good luck in your research, Tom Lundeen