Lars Paul Esbjorn was born in Sweden in 1808. A committed member of the Lutheran Church, Esbjorn arrived in the United States in 1841. Over the next few years he started congregations in Illinois at Andover, Galesburg, Princeton and Moline. In 1849 Esbjorn became head of the First Lutheran Church. He was replaced by Lars Paul Esbjorn in 1852. Esbjorn died in 1870.