Bill and Sheila Lundquist,
Past and Current Board President

Welcome from the President

     Bishop Hill was founded as part of a Utopia on the Prairie 178 years ago by a group of Swedish immigrants, the Janssonists, and part of the great migration of Swedes to America in the 1840s following the crop failures across Europe. Bishop Hill survived the experiment and is a valuable part of our Swedish heritage in America.

     The Vasa Order of America chose to have its National Archives in this now small, but historic town. The Vasa Order of America National Archives calls Bishop Hill home and if we are able to support and fund the Archives it will become the legacy of the Order.

     Bishop Hill is a registered historic landmark, an actual living, working part of history on the immigration of Swedes to America. Please come visit the Archives and see Bishop Hill on the Illinois prairie. Our archivist, Kathy Cuff continues to collect organize and display materials and artifacts significant to the Order.

     The Vasa National Archives continues to develop collection policies, preservation protocols, and works to plan programs for us and with the other historic organizations in Bishop Hill. The last two years have been tough on all of us and Bishop Hill.

     It is my hope that in 2024 that you will visit Bishop Hill. I hope that all of the members of the Order stay safe and enjoy a bright future which includes a visit to the Archives.​

     In Truth and Unity,

          Sheila Lundquist