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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],
[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],
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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 5: Last Name: E
- Box 18
- Folder 18: Ebbens, H. Letters: 3 items, photocopy, with 1 translation. Hammond, Indiana - Doon, Iowa. H. Ebbens to Feikema family. --- 1926-1933
- Folder 19: Ebbers, Gerrit. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Grand Rapids, Michigan - Aalten, Gelderland. G. Ebbers to relatives. --- 1948
- Folder 20: Ebbers, Katrien Janna. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with translation. Edmonton, Alberta - Grand Rapids, Michigan. K. J. Ebbers to sister. --- 1914
- Folder 21: Ebbert, J. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with translation. Nebraska - Netherlands. J. Ebbert to relatives. --- 1887
- Folder 22: Eelman, Aris Jan. Letters: 2 items, photocopy,with transcription and translation. New Holland, Michigan - Texel, Noord Holland. A. J. Eelman to wife Tettje Eelman-Bakker. --- 1866
- Folder 23: Eelman, Aris Jan. Letters: 5 items, photocopy,with transcription and translation. New Holland, Michigan - DenHelder, Noord Holland. A. J. Eelman to relative Jan Alberts Bakker. --- 1877-1886
- Folder 24: Eelman, Jan Aris. Letters: 3 items, photocopy,with translation. Texel, Noord Holland - New Holland, Michigan. J. A. Eelman to son, A. J. Eelman. --- 1866-1868
- Folder 25: Eggink, Mina Gerharda Eskes. Letter: 1 item, transcription and translation. Pella, Iowa - Nieuwstad, Limburg. M. G. Eggink to G. J. Olthuijs. --- 1872
- Folder 26: Eikelkamp, Janna. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Netherlands - Grandville, Michigan. J. Eikelkamp to brother. --- 1909
- Folder 27: Eikema, Gerhard. Letters: 13 items, photocopy. Pekin, Illinois - Winschoten, Groningen. G. Eikema to relatives. --- 1869-1900
- Folder 28: Eising, Albert. Letters: 3 items, photocopy, with translation. Hijken, Drenthe - McBain, Michigan. A. Eising to A. Timmerman. --- 1895-1899
- Folder 29: Eldering, C. H. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Hoogkerk, Groningen - Iowa. C.H. Eldering to Nieveen family. --- 1923
- Box 19
- Folder 1-2: Elgersma, P. C. and J. Family. Letters: 60 items, photocopy. Hantumhuizen, Dokkum, and Oosternijkerk, Friesland -Waupun and Randolph, Wisconsin. Elgersma family to John Wierenga and other relatives. --- 1948-1958
- Folder 3: Elias, Magdalena. Letters: 4 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Pultneyville and Sodus, New York - Sluis, Zeeland. M. Elias to A. De Priester. --- 1849-1873
- Folder 4: Elman, Mary. Letters: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Oosterend, Texel, Noord Holland - Los Angeles, California. M. Elman to S. Tilma. --- 1973
- Folder 5: Elzing, Rijnert K. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Chicago, Illinois - Irnsum, Friesland. R. K. Elzing to Jelle Elzing. --- 1870
- Folder 6: Elzing, William. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Chicago, Illinois - Irnsum, Friesland. W. Elzing to friend. --- 1870
- Folder 7: Elzinga, Tina Dykstra. Letters: 1 item, photocopy. Sneek, Friesland - Long Beach, California. T. Elzinga to A. Rollema. --- 1975
- Folder 8: Engels, Frederika. Letters: 3 items, photocopy. Dwingeloo, Drenthe - Lake Wilson, Minnesota. F. Engels to Roelof Smit and Jacoba Huisman. --- 1881-1909
- Folder 9: Enserink, A. J. Letters: 5 items, photocopy. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - Dalfsen, Overijssel. A. J. Enserink to G. H. Neuteboom. --- 1954-1957
- Folder 10-15: Enserink, Bertus (Lubbertus) and Ina (Gezina Maria Elizabeth Deurwaarder). Letters: 258 items, original and photocopy; and book. Ayelsford, Nova Scotia, --- 1959-1977
- Folder 16: Ensing, G. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Saugatuck, Michigan - Noordbarge, Drenthe. G. Ensing to K. Ensink. --- 1869
- Folder 17-21: Ensink, K. Letters: 58 items, photocopy. Noordbarge, Drenthe - Zeeland, Michigan. K. Ensink to Frederik Ensing. --- 1869-1892
- Box 20
- Folder 1-5: Eringa, Ulbe. Letters: 41 items, photocopy. Hull, Iowa. Running Water, South Dakota - Sneek, Friesland. U. Eringa to M. Y. Shaarda. --- 1892-1918
- Folder 6: Esselink, H. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Blueberry Mountain, Alberta - Peins, Friesland. H. Esselink to Jacob Zondervan. --- 1934
- Folder 7: Eulko and Trijntje. Letter: 1 item, with transcription and translation. Follega, Friesland - USA. E. and T. to brother and sister. --- 1919
- Folder 8: Evenhuis, Anna. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Groningen, Groningen - Elmhurst, Illinois. A. Evenhuis to R. Evenhouse. --- 1969
- Folder 9: Evenhuis, B. R. Letters: 6 items, photocopy. Schildwolde, Groningen - Chicago, Illinois. B. R. Evenhuis to H. Evenhuis. --- 1917-1938
- Folder 10: Evenhuis, Henry. Letters: 9 items, photocopy. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Netherlands -Oak Lawn, Illinois. Relatives to H. Evenhuis. --- 1934
- Folder 11: Evenhuis, Jan. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Groningen, Groningen - Elmhurst, Illinois. J. Evenhuis to Richard Evenhouse. --- 1969
- Folder 12: Evenhuis, R. J. Karssiens. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Joure, Friesland - Wirdum, Friesland. R. J. Evenhuis to relatives. --- 1928
- Folder 13: Evenhuis, Tale. Letters: 2 items. Nieuwe Pekela, Groningen - Oakdale, New York. T. Evenhuis to Mike van Essendelft and H. J. Brinks. 502:505 --- 1987
- Folder 14: Everhard, Hendrika Gerritdina Brinkerhof. Letters: 10 items, with transcription and translation. Holland, Michigan - Apeldoorn, Gelderland. H.G. Everhard to Jan Derk ten Broeke. --- 1885-1908
- Folder 15: Everts, Roelof. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Holland, Michigan - Grand Rapids, Michigan. R. Everts to a friend. --- 1869
Browse by Series:
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Series 1: Last Name: A],
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Series 2: Last Name: B],
[
Series 3: Last Name: C],
[
Series 4: Last Name: D],
[Series 5: Last Name: E],
[
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],
[
Series 22: Last Name: V],
[
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]
