Gården OlPers, Långhed

OlPers is the farm located just north of the Pallars World Heritage Site.

Curiosities about the farm and the Erk-Jansarna.

In 1840, a man came from Biskopskulla in Uppland and preached a doctrine that the establishment of the time could not accept. He was a Christian and believed in God, but he did not approve of the old hymn books and religious writings. He came to our parish and preached and gained many followers. He organized book bonfires in Tranberg between Alfta and Edsbyn where he burned religious writings.

The community thought he was inciting people and the sheriff was sent after him. One day he came to Olpers, perhaps he had a meeting there. There were a lot of people there and the sheriff was after him. He crawled up to the third attic of the brewhouse and hid behind the log so no one could get to him.

Then they shouted and threatened to drop quicklime on him (a substance that corrodes) and then he eventually came out.

Erik Jansson got many followers in Långhed and finally when he could no longer stay in Sweden, he and his followers emigrated to the United States where they formed the colony of Bishop Hill in Illinois. From Långhed, 32 people followed, which was a lot of people at that time. His teachings were even shared by couples and there were many tragedies that took place in the families around here.

Later around the turn of the century to 1900 when TB was common, there were some farms that were hit hard. Olpers was one of them. Four people from the same family died and when someone new moved in, they too were infected with pneumonia, as it was called at the time. People didn't know it was contagious and they often lay in the same bed and coughed and used the same traps and didn't air the rooms or the bedding. Everything was contaminated.

But then a nurse moved into the house and she knew how to get rid of the infection. She opened the windows, burned all the bedding and cleaned the place thoroughly, and that's how she got rid of the infection.