USA > Illinois > Henry County > Bishop Hill > A history of Bishop Hill, Illinois : also biographical sketches of many early pioneers in Illinois, 100 years > Part 14
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ship might have 150, another 75, while a third about 50. The time the journey took was long, usually about three months. One sip was five months on the way, including a stop in Eng- land for repairs. One ship, with about 50 emigrants, was lost on the sea; another suffered shipwreck on the American coast.
From New York the journey was made up the Hudson river to Albany and thence on the Erie canal to Buffalo; next on the Great Lakes to Chicago. From Chicago the greater num- ber went on foot, while wagon transportation was secured for the luggage, with which a few aged ones and children might ride.
Eric Janson and some others had been a few weeks at Jonas Hedstrom's at Victoria, when a company of emigrants from Malung parish arrived. A few weeks more were spent there. On August 1st Olof Olson had purchased for $250, of a settler in Stark county, 40 acres on section 9, and 20 acres on section 17 in Weller township, Henry county. On August 21st there were bought for $1,100, 156 acres on section 8. Hither then-to Red Oak Grove-went Janson, Olson and the other immigrants. Here were log houses, wheat to harvest, and a few cattle.
A good place to establish the colony was found on section 14, on a certain hillock, where was a spring, a small wood at hand and a little creek.
Eric Janson bought 160 acres on this section, September 26. On the same day were purchased from the government for $400, 160 acres on section 24, and 160 acres on section 23.
Thus was Bishop Hill begun, named after the parish that gave Janson birth.
A few log houses and dug-outs were here when more emi- grants came. Some of these emigrants came first to Red Oak Grove, then hither. More dug-outs were made until in time they were over a dozen in number; into them the fall rains crept as well as other unpleasant things.
Diseases came. In Red Oak a number died because of the changed climate and food. A monument is today standing in Red Oak to the memory of 50 who died in '46-'47. During the winter of '47 there died 96 in Bishop Hill, of whom 11 perished of the measles.
Yet, amid such circumstances, the praises of Zion were sung. A tent-church was raised in the fall of '46, in the form
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of a cross. It seated 800 persons. Every morning Janson called the people to morning prayers.
In the spring of '47 arrived those immigrants who came to New York the previous fall, when the canals were frozen. However, a score of men came overland in the winter to con- -
struct an earthen wall.
Besides the log houses and dug outs, a few houses were built of sod, some of which served as kitchens. In '47 the first frame house was built. Since the tent-church burned town, ac- cidentally, services were held in the woods until the new church was erected in 1848. Several who had lived in dug-outs now moved into the dwelling rooms in the lower stories of the church.
In time the industries increased. The cultivation of flax was taken up in earnest. Of the flax crop of '47 there were made 12,4731/2 yards linen. The next year there were woven 4.129 yards of carpeting and 12.454 yards linen. In '51 the zenith was reached, 31,579 yards of woven goods were produced. From beginning to end, that is, from '48 to and including 1860, 169,386 yards of woolen goods 'were manufactured.
More land was bought in '47 and '48. On October 19, 1849, Eric Janson bought of Robert D. Foster, for $3,000, 1,116 acres of land in and around LaGrange, now Orion.
In August, 1849, the Asiatic cholera was introduced by a few Norwegians. A child of six months died, thereafter grown persons. Protection was sought at other places, among which was La Grange. But on came the uninvited guest. At LaGrange 70 died. There, today, a gravestone marks their resting place. After three weeks the pestilence ceased, but many a one over the hundred mark was gone.
In 1850 more emigrants came from Sweden. On Lake Michigan a number died of cholera; of 37 who came from the district of Angermanland only 7 reached their destination. From Chicago emigrants now often went on to Henry by water.
In 1847 adobe was manofactured. But in '49 brick-mak- ing was carried on. 100,000 bricks were made the first month. After the cholera the work was resumed, 10,000 to 12,000 being made daily.
The first grinding of flour was on hand-mills. Then two grist mills were built, one run by water and one by wind. In
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'49 work was begun on the big steam mill, which had a capacity of 100 barrels a day.
In March, 1849, a company went to California to seek for gold. The company numbered JJonas Olson and eight others. They reached their destination in August, after a journey of over 2,500 miles.
But while afew were in California to seek gold, and others in Sweden to bring emigrants, cloud came over the colony. The voice of the leader was hushed one day, and that forever here. Yet, not before its owner, Eric Janson, had preached his last sermon on the text: "I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith." The 13th of May came and went. The leader's remains were laid away; but the great God was alive and went about.
After Janson's death, his wife, Sophia Janson, authorized Andrew Berglund as responsible for the leadership of affairs.
The successor of Berglund was Jonas Olson, who had re- turned home in February, 1851.
Since the land was owned in the names of different in- dividuals, and since certain privileges could be obtained through a charter, such a document was obtained January 17, 1853. The Colony was organized with seven Trustees in whose names all Colony property was vested. The Trustees were Olof Johnson, Jonas Olson, Jonas Ericson, Jacob Jacobson, Jonas Kronberg, Swan Swanson and Peter Johnson.
May 6, 1854, a set of By-Laws were adopted; all those persons who, in course of time, signed them, numbered 526.
In 1854 the Colony performed much labor at Galva in building operations; much work was also done for the C. B. and Q. R. R., then under construction.
At the annual meeting, January 22, 1855, it was reported that the Colony owned the following: 8,028 acres of land; 50 town lots in Galva, valued at $10,000; ten shares of stock in the Central Military Tract R. R., valued at $1,000.00; 586 head of cattle, 109 horses and mules, 1,000 hogs, and other assets such as wheat, flax, broom corn, provisions and general merchandise.
In 1858 the Colony numbered 655 males and females, of whom 147 were males over 20 years; 258 females over 20 years;
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78 males and females between 15 and 20 years; and 172 males and females under 15 years of age.
On January 10, 1859, Peter Johnson (who was a brother of Eric Janson) resigned from the office of trustee. In his stead Olof Stoneberg was elected.
In December, 1859, a Colonist wrote to a friend in Sweden : "We have, in general, had a healthy season; no deaths since August last year."
In 1860 the Colony built the last brick building-the school house. Interested in education, Eric Janson had early secured instructors in English for the benefit of the Colonists. The school was maintained each year. It was suitable, therefore, to end with the building of a school house-a contribution to en- lightenment, as Jansonism had been to religious freedom.
On February 14, 1860, the Colony was divided into two parties-the Jonas Olson party with 265 shares, and the Olof Johnson party with 160 shares; the Johnson party divided up its holdings the following year among its members, while the Olson party underwent further subdivisions before its property was individualized.
A few words in retrospect :
What did Jansonism and the Bishop Hill Colony accom- plish ? The former was undoubtedly one of the means which helped to give Sweden religious freedom; it also helped to break the ice for a great emigration of the people of the North to the United States.
The Bishop Hill Colony was built when Chicago was a town ,and Peoria on the east and Rock Island on the west, were small places. The influx of Swedish property, together with Swedish energy and will, made the Colony a significant factor in the progress of Northern Illinois.
But we cannot point out all that Jansonism and the Bishop Hill Colony have done -- eternity alone will make it clear.
Historical Facts of the Bishop Hill Colony
Martin Johnson, J. Helsen and myself were assigned to this work. This we find a difficult work as there does not appear that any record was kept in the early days of the Colony.
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No record seems to have been written till the years 1853-54, when the Charter and By-Laws were granted by the Legislature.
We have not been able to ascertain who was the author, but Mr. N. Heden presided as Chairman and E. U. Norberg as Secretary.
Those that have attempted to write a history of the Colony have had to rely on this and the memories of the oldest living settlers.
Schooling in those days was very rare, only a few had this opportunity.
We find Kelt and Company wrote a history of Henry County about 23 years after the first settlers of Bishop Hill. They give a short history of the Colony.
We find that in the year 1880 Captain Eric Johnson pub- lished a book called "Svenskarna of Illinois." It gives a chapter as a history of the Bishop Hill Colony, a reliable account of the origin in Sweden, the persecution, emigration to this country, the toils and sufferings of the early days. In 1881 he pub- lished the "Swedish Citizen" in Moline, Illinois, April 16, same year, he has a list of the births, as well as the present residences of the Charter members.
Capt. Erik is a son of Erik Johnson, founder of the colony. This history is accurate and reliable.
We find Mikel Mikelson, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, in 1892, wrote a history of the Colony, largely copied from Erik Johnson's. He gives vent to a bitter denunciation of the management of the Colony.
We find that Philip Stoneberg, a student of Knox College, born and raised at the Colony, is writing a history of the Col- ony, which we believe is well written in Swedish language.
Erik Johnson and his followers in the year 1845-56, opened an emigration to this country, the United States of America, to thousands of Swedes to this land of religious liberty, where men can worship the God of Heaven, as their consciences dic- tate without any permission. This Fiftieth Anniversary is to us more than an ordinary event; our mind goes back to the early days of toil and suffering, strangers then in a strange land, living in tents and dug-outs. Improper food and ex- posure were attended with fearful mortality. The scourge of Asiatic cholera was brought in by emigrants in the month of
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July, 1849. About 150 of our strongest men and women died in a few weeks. A person at noon, healthy and strong, would lic a corpse at sunset. Peace to their dust.
The original number that emigrated were about 1100; the adult Charter members were 454, of this number only 99 are alive to-day; of the seven Trustees, two are alive. They are Swan Swanson and Jonas Olson. Mr. Olson is now in his 94th year and will take part in this reunion.
August 2, 1846 the first piece of land was bought on section 8, Weller township. Shortly after 160 acres were bought for $1100.
Together with a log house and some growing corn, this corn was about all we had to live on through the winter of 1846-'47.
The log house, first building owned by the Colony, was moved to section 13, Weller township, and occupied by John Bjork, now deceased.
We leave the subject here now to our descendants. Whence came you and whither are you going ?
N. RUNQUIST.
This is a later photo taken of Eric Janson's birthplace. House stood in foreground. Upper left, Biskops Kulla Church, Sweden.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
President John Root made a model presiding officer.
Below we give brief sketches of the lives of the Colonists whose portraits appear elsewhere in this book.
Rev,. Jonas Olson was born in Sweden, December 18, 1802. He came to the Colony in 1846. He was one of the most prom- inent men in the Colony affairs and succeeded the Prophet, Eric Janson, on the latter's death. He is now very feeble but was present during the reunion.
Andrew O. Bergland was born in Sweden January 10, 1814, and died in Bishop Hill, August 17, 1896. He left Sweden in October, 1846, and was shipwrecked on the North Sea. He was rescued and remained in England till January, 1847, when he sailed for New York. He arrived in New York in March, and in Bishop Hill three months later. He was one of the Colony preachers. One of his sons, Major Eric Bergland, is now an officer in the U. S. Army.
Jacob Jacobson, formerly of the firm of Swanson and Jacobson, was born in Sweden, March 18, 1817, and died at Bishop Hill, December 15, 1883. He held a prominent place in the business affairs of the Colony and was superintendent of the "Ox Boys," with whom he was very popular, for a number of years. He arrived in Bishop Hill in February, 1847, having traveled the distance from Toledo, Ohio, on foot.
Swan Swanson was born in Sweden, May 28, 1825. He came to Bishop Hill in November, 1846. He was prominent in the later Colony affairs and served a number of years as post master of the village, and as township treasurer. He was en- gaged in a general merchandising business, in partnership with Jacob Jacobson, from 1861 to 1873.
Martin Johnson, who succeeded Rev. Jonas Olson as preacher in the Colony church, which position he now holds, was born in Sweden, April 9, 1831. He arrived in Bishop Hill in September, 1846. He served as Justice of the Peace a number of terms, and also as Supervisor and treasurer of this township.
Olof Johnson was born in Sweden, January 30, 1820, and died at Galva July 18, 1870. He came to the Colony in 1846, and was made business manager and financier of the Colony. He returned to Sweden in 1849 and raised $6,000 for the col- onists. He was a man of great executive ability.
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Charley A. Gabrielson, born in Döderhult, Småland, Sweden, June, 1842. Came to Bishop Hill 1862. Married 1866 to Mary Johnson from Malung, Sweden.
Peter Johnson, born 1840 in Malung, Sweden, came with the first shipload of colonists. Served with Company D, 57th Regi- ment, promoted to Sergeant. Served as Sheriff and Town Trustee. Married to Anna K. Norstedt, Mora, Sweden.
Olof Brolin, born in Mora, Sweden, 1829. One of the colony's first members. Broommaker. Married 1860 to Anna Larson from Söderala, Sweden.
A. Arnquist, born in Söderala, Helsingland, April 29, 1847. He came to Bishop Hill in 1870, worked as a clerk in the J. E. Lindbeck Store 1877. Started on his own 1878. Married Anna E. Berg from Woxna, Sweden.
A. Barlow, born February 19, 1830, in Östervåla, Westman- land. Tailor and harnessmaker. Married Elisabeth Johnson, Feb- ruary 1851. Also a member of the colony.
Helen Berglund, born April 14, 1840, in Mora, Dalarna. Married to Jonas Berglund 1866. Came to Bishop Hill 1846. All sisters and brothers died the first year.
Peter Engstrom, born 1841, in Wermland, Sweden. Arrived in Bishop Hill 1868. Worked as a blacksmith with P. O. Blom- berg. Started his own business at Nekoma 1871. Married to Karin Johnson from Ovanåker, Sweden.
Lars Ericson, born 1854, arrived with parents to Bishop Hill 1847. Served with the Union Army 4 years.
Peter Peterson, born in Mora, Sweden. Arrived in Bishop Hill with parents 1854.
A. Florin, born in Söderala, Sweden, September 23, 1847. Arrived in Bishop Hill 1868. Worked as a carpenter.
Olof Olson, born July 13, 1843, in Alfta, Sweden. Came with parents to Bishop Hill 1850. Served in Illinois 148th Regiment. Married 1866 to Mary Malmgren.
Anna Maria Stråle, born 1800 in Thorstuna, Westmanland, Sweden. One of Eric Jansons first admirers in Sweden. Ar- rived in Bishop Hill 1846.
Eric Krans, the village blacksmith, born in Mora, Sweden, came to Bishop Hill 1850. Served with the 151st Illnois Regi- ment in the civil war.
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Peter Wickbloom, the village shoemaker, born in Alfta Swe- den 1810, came to Bishop Hill 1847.
Peter Wexell, the village tailor, born in Söderala, Sweden. Came to Bishop Hill 1847.
P. O. Blomberg, born in Woxna 1821, came to Bishop Hill 1847. Police magistrate, road commissioner and school trustee. Married Kristina Mattson 1842.
Olof Stoneberg, born in Forsa, Sweden 1818. School director and corporation trustee.
Jon Johnson, brother to the founder of Bishop Hill, born in Thorstuna, Sweden 1803. Came to Chicago 1846. Farmer in Jefferson, outside Chicago.
John Bergstrom, born December 25, 1837, in Ovansjö, Swe- den. Served with the 28th Iowa Regiment 1861. Married to Kristina Florin, one of the first colonists.
Peter Bloom, born 1807 in Alfta, Helsingland. Member of the expedition sent by the colony to California 1849. Married to Martha Ericson from Alfta, Helsingland in 1845.
Sven Bloom, born 1846 in Sweden. Came to Bishop Hill 1870. Worked as a well digger. Married to Anna Olson 1876.
J. P. Chaiser, station agent in Bishop Hill, born in Uppland, Sweden 1844. Married to Betsy Lindbeck. Prominent Lumber and grain dealer. ......
Jonas Danielson, born 1834 in Omot Bruk, Sweden. Arrived in Bishop Hill 1847.
Jonas Elbloom, born in Alfta, Sweden 1834. Walked by foot from Ohio to Bishop Hill. First wife Katrina Söderquist, second wife Johanna C. Björk. Overseer of the colony ware- house in Galva.
Olof Krans, born in Sälja, Westmanland, Sweden 1838. Ar- rived in Bishop Hill 1850. Member of the colony to 1861. Learned the blacksmith trade during these years. Served with Company D, 57th Regiment. Learned the painter's trade in Galesburg. Later moved to Galva in 1867. Well known as a sign and landscape painter. Married Kristina Appelquist from Blomfors Bruk. Östergötland, Sweden.
Aug. Bandholtz, born in Kiel, Germany 1822. Arrived in Bishop Hill 1848. Had charge of the colony mason and brick- laying. Married to Kristina Bostrom from Delsbo, Sweden in 1847. Later moved to Andover.
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Jonas W. Olson was born in Soderala, Sweden, June 30. 1843. He was the son of Rev. Olof Olson, the founder of the Colony. Mr. Olson is the present post master of Galva. He served a term in the Illinois legislature and was the Demo- cratic nominee for Congress in the 10th Illinois District in 1894. He is an eloquent speaker and an able politician.
Hon. Eric Johnson, son of the Prophet, Eric Janson, was born in Biskop's Kulla, (Bishop Hill) Sweden, fifty-eight years ago. His early life was spent in the Colony here on the farm. He has been quite prominent as a journalist and publisher, served for a time as captain during our Civil War, was elected to the House of Representatives of Nebraska. His present home is League City, Texas.
Notes of the Reunion
Rev. Jonas Olson is now the oldest living representative of the Colonists. He will be 94 years old next December, but was able to attend the exercises in the Park last Wednesday, in an invalid's chair.
Peter Wickblom and N. G. Hollander were the next oldest people in attendance. They are both nearly 87 years of age, but notwithstanding his age Mr. Wickblom gave an interesting talk on Thursday afternoon.
The whole park was illuminated with Chinese lanterns on Wednesday night.
Peter Johnson and Lars Ericson are the only ones now living in Bishop Hill who came over with the very first of the Colonists, having arrived here in July, 1846.
The old Colony bell which was used in the exercises last week, and now in use as a school bell, is very nearly as old as Bishop Hill, having been purchased either in 1847 or '48.
Over two thousand people were fed by the hospitable Hill- ites on Wednesday and Thursday and there was "any quantity" of provisions left.
In the "Steeple Building" two rooms were devoted to relics. Quaint old plows, spinning wheels, coffee mills, lanterns, grain cradles, etc., were there, each labeled with the name of the owner or donor. A quaint old gun was on exhibition, the barrel
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of which had been used by a soldier in the army of Charles the XII, now in possession of Eric Anderson. A wedding coat of N. G. Hollander, made in Sweden in 1835. A beautiful hand made linen table cloth, with raised figures, by Mrs. Christine Olson.
Mrs. N. Runquist of Galva, who was present at the re- union, was twenty weeks on the ocean and lay seven weeks on the dock at Liverpool waiting for the ship to be repaired.
The Swedish flag used in the decorations about the grand stand in the park was made for the occasion by the ladies of Bishop Hill. They were unable to procure one in Chicago.
Olof Krans is entitled to much credit for the faithful re- production of old Colony scenes in a series of large paintings. The first dugouts were reproduced, principally from memory and measurements, in one painting. Then there were field scenes of planting, harvesting, pile driving, etc. It was a very interesting collection and deserves, and will no doubt have, a place with a permanent collection of relics, records and souvenirs.
Thursday's meeting was given up to reminiscences and short talks. The meeting was called to order by the ringing of the Colony bell at 10:30 o'clock. A number of letters were read which had been received from former residents of Bishop Hill, and who are now located in all parts of the United States, ex- pressing regret at being unable for various reasons to attend this reunion. There were letters from California and Oregon, Massachusetts and New York, as well as points nearer home. Rev. A. T. Westergreen, of Geneva, Illinois, gave a very pleas- ing address, followed by John Helsen, after which free dinner was announced for evrybody at the Auditorium, the older ones being given first place. After dinner short addresses or talks were given by Eric Bengston, Peter Wickblom, Dr. J. F. Van- nice, Martin Johnson, and J. W. Olson. The program was plenti- fully interspersed with music by the chorus and male quartets.
After the meeting was over all the old members of the Col- ony present were photographed in a group by E. J. Vannice and a very good picture secured.
There were present from a distance: Walter Bjorklund, Davenport, Iowa; Nelson N. Florine, Britt, Iowa; John W. Strom, Moline, Ill .; Mr. and Mrs. Frenell, Alpha, Ill .; Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hawkinson, Moline, Ill .; Mr. Christine Bandholtz,
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Osco; Mr. and Mrs. Gustof Chilstrom, Orion; Mrs. Kate Hult- man, Davenport, Iowa ; ; J. A. Nye, Chicago, Ill .; Mrs. D. Chil- strom, Orion, Ill .; E. B. Severin, Molne, Ill .; Mrs. Catherine Nelson, Peoria, Ill .; Nellie C. Nelson, Peoria; Mrs. Kate Har- man, Central City, Neb .; Mr. and Mrs. I. V. Hoar, Rock Island, Ill .; Capt. Eric Johnson, League City, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wickstrom, Galesburg, Ill .; Mr .. and Mrs. S. G. Anderson, Davenport, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Berggren, Galesburg, Ill .; Mrs. F. A. Olson, Galesburg, Ill .; S. J. Swason, Gales- burg, Ill .; J. E. Norling, Chicago, Ill .; Nels Soder, Madrid, Iowa; Mrs. Anna Peterson, Genoa, Ill .; Andrew Chaiser, Chi- cago, Ill .; A. P. Hanson, Rockford, Ill .; Rev. A. E. Wenstrand, Chicago, Ill .; Chas. F. Holmes, Galesburg, Ill .; P. E. Wistrand, Ottawa, Ill .; Nels F. Sanborn, Lakeport, N. H .; Carl Eklund, Evanston, Ill. ; Mrs. E. L. Rhoadarmer, Milan, Ill. ; Bertha John- son, Princeton, Ill .; Lena Bjorklund, Davenport, Iowa; Rev. A. G. Westergreen, Geneva, Ill .; Otto Brinberg, Moline, Ill .; Mrs. Matilda Warner Rutherford, Hepburn, Iowa; Mrs. Lottie (Westburg) Holden, Bellevue, Mich .; S. N. Holden, Bellevue, Mich.
Letters of regret received from Eric Croft, Los Angeles, Cal. ; John A. Nelson, Wa Kceney, Kans .; Eric and David Aline, Eugene, Ore .; Rev. V. Witting, Worcester, Mass .; Mrs. S. Alex- ander, Monroe, Neb .; Andrew Nordberg, Cedarville, Kans .; Rev. H. W. Eklund, Brooklyn, N. Y .; Mr. and Mrs. D. Danielson, Wayne, Kans .; Erik and Martha Soder, Madrid, Iowa; Oscar Peal, Moline, Ill .; E. C. Johnson, Chicago, Ill .; Olof Norlin, Minden, Neb .; Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Anderson, Stratford, Iowa; Andrew Nordean, Loyalton, Cal .; Olof Jones, Stratford, Iowa.
Editorial by Mr. E. E. Fitch in the Galva News, October 1, 1896
The Swedes took Bishop Hill last week for sure, but the credit of capturing the quaint old town on its fiftieth anni- versary doesn't belong to them alone by any means. Hundreds of the old neighbors of the colonists who knew something of their liberty-loving spirit that impelled them to turn their faces away from the Fatherland, with all its endearing ties of kinship; with its tender memories of mountain and sunny up-
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land and dell; with its hallowed recollections of the happy hours of life's rosy morning; these old neighbors, who knew also something of the sublime faith and heroic endurance which buoyed up these colonists in their new home through trials and sufferings almost too great for mortals to bear, were there and entered into the spirit of the festivities with as much enjoyment as the colonists themselves.
It is not our purpose in this article to give any account of the wonderful religious movement in Sweden which resulted finally in the establishment of the Colony here. Nor shall we speak of the early days of the colony life. This ground is cov- ered fully by speeches and historical papers published in this issue.
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