Nils W. Olsson's book: Passenger Arrivals in NY

[Karen Kelsey]

In the 1840s there were many Swedes who came to the U.S. in search of religious freedom.  Many of them settled at the Bishop Hill colony in western Illinois, which was established by Erik Jansson.  I have searched the 1850 U.S. Federal census to see if I can find names of the Bishop Hill residents at that date, but only a few are listed.  However, on the Internet can be found a surname list of original settlers of Bishop Hill, which was researched by Robert Nelson. Since I cannot find my own ancestors in the 1850 census for Henry County, and yet they are listed as original settlers of Bishop Hill, is there a chance that the information came from Olsson's book of Passenger Arrivals in NY 1820-50??  Does this book list the surnames of the passengers and their destinations, or their reason for leaving Sweden?  If so, perhaps the Kelseys (Källström) got listed as settlers because of immigration records, rather than any actual census documentation.  What does that book include?  Thanks!

[Elisabeth Thorsell]

The book consists of transcriptions of all Swedes from arrival manifests from U.S. ports, and many of them have since been identified by Dr. Olsson in Swedish and American sources.
 
There are a number of Källströms listed here, so if you give their full names and their place of origin in Sweden, I can see if they are listed in the book.

[Karen Kelsey]

I have received much needed information about this family from this site.  Now I am trying to learn why they were listed as original settlers at the Bishop Hill colony.  They were Methodists, and Augustus married into a prominent Methodist family with strong ties to Jonus Hedstrom, and also to the anti-slavery movement. Those facts make it possible that the Källströms were dissenters from the Swed. Lutheran church.  Bishop Hill experienced many deaths from Asiatic Cholera, and both of the Källström parents died of that disease in Chicago, so they might have spent time at the colony or with other dissenters who carried the disease.  All three sons married in Stark County, IL, which is contiguous to Henry County, where Bishop Hill was located.
**EMIGRATION DATE:  MAY 25, 1846, but I do not know when they arrived in NY.
--CARL CHRISTOFFER ERSSON KÄLLSTRÖM Born: 4-Aug 1798 in Lundby, Tillinge Parish, Uppsala Län.  He was a soldier and a shoemaker.
--STINA OLSDOTTER  Born: 7-Aug (or 7-May) 1796 in Torstuna, Uppsala Län
---JAN OLOF (or John Olif) CARLSSON [KÄLLSTRÖM]
Born: 3-Feb 1832 in Syllby, Österunda Parish, Västmanland län
---AUGUSTUS (GUSTAF) A. CARLSSON [KÄLLSTRÖM]
Born: 12-Mar 1834 in Syllby, Österunda parish
---CHRISTINA LOVISA CARLSDOTTER [KÄLLSTRÖM]
Born: 4-April 1837 in Syllby, Österunda Parish, Västmanland län
---JULIUS CARLSSON [KÄLLSTRÖM]  Born: 20-Nov 1840 in Syllby, Österunda Parish, Västmanland län
   Thanks for looking for them in Dr. Olsson's book!

[Elisabeth Thorsell]

Karen, according to Dr. Olsson's book, mentioned above, the Källström family recieved their passports in Västerås on June 19, 1846. They arrived in New York on 1846 Sep. 15 on the ship Charlotte from Stockholm.  
 
They travelled in the company of about 140 other Swedes, among who one finds for instance Jonas Olsson and his family. Jonas Olsson was the brother of Olof Olsson who had been sent to America in 1845 by Erik Jansson to find a new home for his followers, so this ship Charlotte sems to have been filled with followers of Erik Jansson.
 
However, when they arrived in the U.S. many became doubtful of the teachings of Jansson and left the company of his followers, which is what the Källströms might have done.

[Karen Kelsey]

Thanks so much, Elisabeth.  I am sure that the family was acquainted with followers of Erik Jansson through their Methodist faith, both in Sweden and here.  I think that the four children grew up in Stark county, near Bishop Hill.  John Olif told his children that a man named Reed helped him set up in a shoemaking business, and there were two shoemakers named Reed in Stark County.  They all married in Stark County, not Henry County.
   In a previous discussion, Jöran Johansson cited a quote that told about settlers who had stayed in Chicago: In 1880 there was a book published in Chicago, Svenskarne i Illinois - historiska anteckningar (The Swedes in Illinois - historical notes). The text is in Swedish and there are a lot of misspellings and misunderstandings, but I think most of the information may be correct.
 At page 234 it said that Oct 3, 1846 there was a large number of immigrants, all from Västmanland, arriving at Chicago. They had intended to go to Bishop Hill, but in Chicago they changed their mind and stayed. Among them were Anders Larson, Jan Janson (brother to Erick Janson, the founder of Bishop Hill), John P. Källman (Chalman), Pehr Erson, Peter Hessling, A. Thorsell and a man named Kjellström. All of them were living together the first time in a house at Illinois Str, between Dearbon Str and State Str.  
Thereafter some notes are made about a few of them, but Kjellström isn't mentioned anymore.
 
So between your research, and the quote that Jöran found, I feel certain that the family did not live at the colony.
 
   And yes, many immigrants came to the U.S. but decided not to live in the primitive homes at Bishop Hill in 1846.  I feel that the Källströms came with the Janssonists, but did not live there.  They were entered as original settlers because of the work of Robert Nelson, who referred to Olsson's Passenger Arrivals in NY.  I appreciate that you took time to look this up for the Kelsey family.