Jansson arrived in New York in June 1846 and with the help of 400 of his followers who had survived the journey, founded the Bishop Hill Colony in Henry County, Illinois (adjacent to Knox County). He named the colony after his Swedish birthplace. Although 96 immigrants died during the first winter, housed in two separate dugouts or "mud caves" in ravines separated by gender, others continued to arrive from Sweden. Residents began their daily worship after Jansson rang a bell around 5:00a.m. and diligently studied English to proselytize their neighbors, as well as ground bushels of corn to boil all day for basic survival. When some tried to escape, Jansson posted guards.