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Collection Overview
Abstract
The Dutch Immigrant Letter Collection includes a wide spectrum of Dutch immigrant experience-Protestant, Catholic, and secular-and it is the only major collection of its kind. To assemble the Immigrant Letter Collection the archives conducted four major manuscript collection campaigns in the Netherlands and the United States between 1976 and 1990. These efforts accumulated at least eight thousand items-letters, travel accounts, immigrant memoirs, and photographs.
Of the 4,970 letters gathered (1838-1958), 2,793 were American postings and 2,179 were from the Netherlands to the United States. Half of the letters from immigrants cluster between 1873 and 1893, accurately reflecting the numerical configuration of Dutch immigration. Moreover, immigration peaks in 1848-1857, 1867-1888, and 1892-1915 are followed a year or two later by peaks in correspondence.
Unfortunately we acquired no useful examples of two-way correspondence. Furthermore, the immigrant letters represent at best 0.0032 percent of an estimated 889,000 letters mailed from the United States to Holland between 1890 and 1930.
All names reflect the original spellings, so try variants spellings (i.e. ij / y); variant spacing (i.e. vanden / van den); and variants of v.d. names (i.e. van de / van den / van der).
The collection includes letters, diaries, travel accounts, memoirs, recollections, and journals. These sources provide a wide range of viewpoints and materials for discovering the spirit and character of the immigration experience. Herbert J. Brinks, curator of the Archives from 1972-1995, collected and used the letters in the research for the following books: Schrijf Spoedig Terug, 1978; Write Back Soon, 1986; and Dutch American Voices, 1995. Nearly all the material in this collection has been transcribed and translated. This is indicated for each item in a separate alphabetized guide, Dutch Immigrant Papers Guide, and on our web site: http://library.calvin.edu/guide/collections/hh/in_house_resources/immigrant_letters/dutch_letters. Additions continue.
Subject/Index Terms
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
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Series 1: Last Name: A],
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Series 2: Last Name: B],
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Series 3: Last Name: C],
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Series 4: Last Name: D],
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Series 5: Last Name: E],
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Series 6: Last Name: F],
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Series 7: Last Name: G],
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Series 8: Last Name: H],
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Series 9: Last Name: I],
[Series 10: Last Name: J],
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Series 11: Last Name: K],
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Series 12: Last Name: L],
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Series 13: Last Name: M],
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Series 14: Last Name: N],
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Series 15: Last Name: O],
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Series 16: Last Name: P],
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Series 17: Last Name: Q],
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Series 18: Last Name: R],
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Series 19: Last Name: S],
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Series 20: Last Name: T],
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Series 21: Last Name: U],
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Series 22: Last Name: V],
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Series 23: Last Name: W],
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Series 24: Last Name: Y],
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Series 25: Last Name: Z],
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All]
- Series 10: Last Name: J
- Box 29
- Folder 21: Jager, Jan. Letters: 2 items. St. Johannesga, Friesland -Lucas, Michigan. J. Jager to Thomas Veldsma. --- 1893-1897
- Folder 22: Jager, Nolles. Letter: 1 item, with transcription and translation. Amsterdam, Noord Holland -Grand Rapids, Michigan. N. Jager to Douwe Bloksma. --- 1888
- Folder 23-24: Janse, J. Letters: 9 items, photocopy, with partial translation. Grand Rapids, Michigan -Nieuw Sint Joosland, Zeeland. J. Janse to F. P. Polderdijk. --- 1880-1905
- Folder 25: Jansen, Ben. Letters: 5 items, photocopy. Netherlands - Holland, Michigan. Relatives to B. Jansen. --- 1976
- Folder 26: Jansen, G. Jansen. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Grave, Noord Brabant - Hawthorne, New York. G. Jansen to Jan De Man. --- 1978
- Folder 27: Jansen, G. W. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. De Waal, Noord Holland - Grand Haven, Michigan. G. W. Jansen to Nell Lebbe Schornagel Lehman. --- 1941
- Folder 28: Jansen, Gertie. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Chicago, Illinois - Groningen, Groningen. G. Jansen to Geertruida Scheringa van der Nald. --- 1947
- Folder 29: Jansen, Hendrikus Wilhelmus. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Brooklyn, New York - Jutphaas, Utrecht. J. W. Jansen to cousins. --- [1900]
- Folder 30: Jansen, J. van Vliet. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Amsterdam, Noord Holland - Wilmette, Illinois. J. Jansen to Jaap Jansen. --- 1979
- Folder 31: Jansen, Johannes Theodoor. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Jutphaas, Utrecht - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. J. T. Jansen to cousin. --- 1906
- Folder 32: Jansen, Nellie. Letters: 3 items, photocopy, with translation. Rock Valley, Iowa - Franeker, Friesland. N. Jansen to friends. --- 1887-1913
- Folder 33: Jansma, A. and M. Andrea. Letter: 1 item. USA - Stiens, Netherlands to Jacob S. Oenema. --- 1891
- Folder 34: Jansma, E. Letters: 9 items. Utrecht, Utrecht; Den Haag, Zuid Holland; Appelscha, Friesland; Assen, Drenthe - Grand Rapids, Michigan. E. Jansma to Jan Jansma. --- 1924-1934
- Folder 35: Jansma, G. J. Letter: 1 item. Appelscha, Friesland - Grand Rapids, Michigan. G. J. Jansma to Jan Jansma. --- 1886
- Folder 36: Jansma, Gerrit. Letters: 5 items, photocopy, with translation. Geesteren, Gelderland - Grand Rapids, Michigan. G. Jansma to relatives. --- 1887-1889
- Folder 37-40: Jansma, Jan and Di. Letters and fragments: 54 items. Applescha, Friesland - Grand Rapids, Michigan. J. Jansma to relatives. --- 1875-1934
- Box 30
- Folder 1-2: Jansma, Jan and Di. Letters and fragments: 54 items. Applescha, Friesland - Grand Rapids, Michigan. J. Jansma to relatives. --- 1875-1934
- Folder 3: Janssens, Ineke. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Roermond, Limburg - Grand Rapids, Michigan. I. Janssens to Jan and Diane (Dini) Viveen. --- 1958
- Folder 4-5: Jeltes, Jan Simons. Recollections: 1 item,116 pages, with translation. Zuurdijk, Groningen - Grand Rapids, Michigan. --- 1819-1885
- Folder 6: Johnson, H. E. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Webster City, Iowa - Grand Haven, Michigan. H. E. Johnson to cousin. --- undated
- Folder 7: Jongema, Yme E. Travel account: 1 item, 43 pages, photocopy, with transcription. Neerlandia, Alberta - Sneek, Friesland. --- 1930
- Folder 8: Jongewaard, Cornelis. Letter: 1 item, with transcription and translation. Pella, Iowa - Netherlands. C. Jongewaard to Jan Schuitemaker. --- 1863
- Folder 9: Jongsma, Co de Heus. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Strijen, Zuid Holland - Hawthorne, New York. C. Jongsma to Jan De Man. --- 1976
- Folder 10: Jongste, W. Letters: 10 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Holland, Michigan; Paterson, New Jersey - Kalamazoo, Michigan. W. Jongste to Paulus Den Bleyker. --- 1857-1859
- Folder 11: Jonker, A. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Grand Rapids, Michigan - Emmen, Drenthe. A. Jonker to Johannes Jonker. --- 1893
- Folder 12: Joosten, G. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Rotterdam, Zuid Holland - Hudsonville, Michigan. G. Joosten to E. Venema. --- 1947
- Folder 13: Joosten, H. A. and Grietje Rubingh. Letters: 10 items, photocopy, with translation. Wildervank, Groningen; Amsterdam, Noord Holland - Graafschap, Michigan. --- 1860-1877
- Folder 14: Jorritsma, Jitse and Ybel. Letters: 4 items, photocopy. Uitwellingerga and Sneek, Friesland - California. J. and Y. Jorritsma to Piet and Lies Jorritsma Griepsma. --- 1929-1936
- Folder 15: Jorritsma, Siebren (Sam) and Ann lest. Letters: 5 items, photocopy, with translation. Chino, California - Sneek, Friesland. S. and A. Jorritsma to Lies Jorritsma Griepsma. --- 1928
- Folder 16: Jorritsma, Tjitse J. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with translation. Hynes and Montebello, California - Sneek, Friesland. T. J. Jorritsma to Lies Jorritsma Griepsma. --- 1929
- Folder 17: Jot, Geert Dirk. Letters: 2 items, with transcription and translation. Pella, Iowa - Netherlands. G. D. Jot to relatives. --- 1848-1859
Browse by Series:
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Series 1: Last Name: A],
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Series 2: Last Name: B],
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Series 3: Last Name: C],
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Series 4: Last Name: D],
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Series 5: Last Name: E],
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Series 6: Last Name: F],
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Series 7: Last Name: G],
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Series 8: Last Name: H],
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Series 9: Last Name: I],
[Series 10: Last Name: J],
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Series 11: Last Name: K],
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Series 12: Last Name: L],
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Series 13: Last Name: M],
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Series 14: Last Name: N],
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Series 15: Last Name: O],
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Series 16: Last Name: P],
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Series 17: Last Name: Q],
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Series 18: Last Name: R],
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Series 19: Last Name: S],
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Series 20: Last Name: T],
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Series 21: Last Name: U],
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Series 22: Last Name: V],
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Series 23: Last Name: W],
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Series 24: Last Name: Y],
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Series 25: Last Name: Z],
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All]
