1955 - This is Knox County - Illinois Ancestors

EUROPEAN ARRIVALSWhen that Swedish communistic colony, Bishop Hill,located just north of Galesburg in Henry County, began todisintergrate in the 1850' s following the murder of ErikJansson, its founder, many of the colonists moved southwardinto Knox County and became farmers. One who helped in thismovement was the Reverend Jonas Hedstrom, a Methodistclergyman who had emigrated from Sweden and become a residentof the village of Victoria in Knox County." Steady immigration from Sweden followed, " says the.Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox Count/" The Irish first appeared in force in 1854, as laborers onthe railroad . . . For some time they remained content withthis employment, but, little by little, they began to seekother outlets for their energy, many going to work uponfarms.... The first considerable European accession, however,was the Scotch settlement in the northeastern part of thecounty, chiefly in Copley. "LINCOLN- DOUGLAS DEBATEA unique historical landmark in Knox County is OldMain, most ancient of the buildings on the Galesburg campusof Knox College. It was here, on the raw windy afternoon ofOctober 7, 1858, that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglasstaged the fifth of their series of seven Great Debates durinfcthe Illinois senatorial campaign of that year. Today,this old Knox College building is the only edifice associatedwith the Great Debates that is still standing.17