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Bishop Hill Old Settlers will celebrate 180th anniversary of Bishop Hill
By Linda Cook,
6 hours agoBishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association has organized a full weekend of events in celebration of the
180th anniversary of the Bishop Hill Colony founding in 1846, a news release says. Activities will start on Friday night, Sept 11, with a street dance at the Colony Inn.
Saturday, Sept. 12, is a full day of family friendly activities that include: Caricature drawings by Draw Me Bill, five-year parade around the park, pay-at-the-door chicken dinner at the Colony School ($15 donation), music and program in the park featuring descendant speakers (bring chairs), followed by birthday cake at the Colony School.
Also featured will be authors Brita Butler-Wall and Lilly Setterdahl who will have books for sale, in addition to several live music acts: Bishop Hill High Society Band, harpist Deirdre Light, accordionist Fiona Light, and nyckelharpist Lisa Horngren.
Activities continue on Sunday with an ice cream social ($5 donation) and textile preservation
demonstration at the United Methodist Church, in addition to village dedications of a cemetery
monument and downtown restored flag pole.
Finally, the weekend rounds out with an afternoon cruise-in to the Filling Station to enjoy socializing and music by Noah Soper.
Grand marshals selected for this five-year parade include people who live, have lived in or around Bishop Hill, or made meaningful contributions to the town and are 90-plus years old.
"We are privileged to honor 27 individuals with a collective 2,500+ years of inspiration! You won’t want to miss seeing this group start off our parade. Visitors to the parade and celebration also include a group of 30+ Erik Jansson descendants gathering from all over the United States.
Jansson was the driving force and organizer influencing over 1,000 Swedish immigrants to sail
to America for religious freedom where they settled in Bishop Hill starting in 1846.
All activities are free, and are made possible by financial support from the Geneseo Foundation, Henry County Historical Society, Swede Swenson, Beth Magnuson, Jeff and Gail Olson, Patricia Hurd, and Bishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association. The village park is in the center of town, Colony School at 405 W. Main St., United Methodist Church at 405 E. Main St., and Filling Station on Bishop Hill Street (main road).
About the Bishop Hill Old Settlers Association
The Bishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association (a non-profit) is the oldest active organization in the village celebrating 130 years this year. For a detailed schedule, visit here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
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