.
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:
[Series 1: Last Name: A],
[
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],
[
Series 7: Last Name: G],
[
Series 8: Last Name: H],
[
Series 9: Last Name: I],
[
Series 10: Last Name: J],
[
Series 11: Last Name: K],
[
Series 12: Last Name: L],
[
Series 13: Last Name: M],
[
Series 14: Last Name: N],
[
Series 15: Last Name: O],
[
Series 16: Last Name: P],
[
Series 17: Last Name: Q],
[
Series 18: Last Name: R],
[
Series 19: Last Name: S],
[
Series 20: Last Name: T],
[
Series 21: Last Name: U],
[
Series 22: Last Name: V],
[
Series 23: Last Name: W],
[
Series 24: Last Name: Y],
[
Series 25: Last Name: Z],
[
All]
- Series 1: Last Name: A
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Aaltje. Letters: 3 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Sibley, Iowa - Netherlands. Aaltje to an uncle. --- 1907
- Folder 2: Aaltje [de Geus, nee Korf]. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Edmonton, Alberta - Urk, Flevoland. Aaltje to J. de Vries. --- 1957
- Folder 3-7: Aanen, D. K. and Eimert. Letters: 34 items, photocopy. Hoornaar, Zuid Holland - Pella, Iowa. D. K. and E. Aanen to Jan and Nicolas Hospers; and Mrs. Edward Cooke to D. K. and Arie Aanen. --- 1860-1934
- Folder 9: Aarnout, Hermina. Letter: 1 item, transcription, with translation. Ackley, Iowa - Andyk, Noord Holland. H. Aarnout to her mother. --- 1865
- Folder 10: Aberson, J. Uges. Letters: 46 items, published letters. Dauphin, Manitoba - Groningen, Groningen. Published in Het Nieuwsblad van Het Noorden. --- 1929-1964
- Folder 11: Abrahamse, Marinus Johannes. Memoirs: 1 item,16 leaves, photocopy, with transcription. Oostkapelle, Zeeland - Seattle, Washington. --- 1874-1965
- Folder 12: a'Campo, Josephine Boshouwer. Letters: 20 items, photocopy. New Plymouth, Idaho - Hoensbroek, Limburg. J. A. Campo to Wies Boshouwer. --- 1945-1950
- Folder 13: Achterberg, Nelly. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Woudenberg, Utrecht - Bussey, Iowa. Nelly Achterberg to Josie Groenendijk. --- 1945
- Folder 14: Adema, Jelle. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Den Helder, Noord Holland - Dyer, Indiana. Jelle Adema to C. H. Ooms. --- 1977
- Folder 15: Adema, Jelle R. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Witmarsum, Friesland - Chicago, Illinois. J. R. Adema to N. Dijkstra. --- 1928
- Folder 16: Admiraal, Jan. Letters: 5 items, photocopy. Maassluis, Zuid Holland - Rochester, New York. J. Admiraal to F. Krol. --- 1952-1955
- Folder 17: Akkerman, Arendje Bregman. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Roseland, Illinois - Burgerbrug, Noord Holland. A. Akkerman to W. Nomes Akkerman. --- 1882
- Folder 18-21: Akkerman, Dineke Praagman. Letters: 51 items, photocopy. Glennie, Michigan - Arnhem, Gelderland. D. Akkerman to family. --- 1961-1962
- Box 77
- Folder 8: Aanen families --- 1843-1998
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Ale. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Amsterdam, Noord Holland - USA. Ale to his brother and sister-in-law. --- 1945
- Folder 2: Alexander, M. Cadovius. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Bergenfield, New Jersey - Netherlands. M. Alexander to Bertha Antonijsen. --- 1928
- Folder 3: Algra, J. T. Letters: 11 items, photocopy, with translation. Ee, Friesland - Pella, Iowa. J. T. Algra to J. R. Gorter. --- 1867-1889
- Folder 4-5: Algra, Reinder Jochum. Letters: 17 items, photocopy, with translation. Ee, Friesland - Pella, Iowa. R. J. Algra to J. D. Douma and Jacob Reinders Gorter. --- 1870-1897
- Folder 6: Allema, P. Letters: 11 items, photocopy. Suawoude, Friesland - Ripon, California. P. Allema - D. Vander Meulen. --- 1967-1979
- Folder 7: Allewijn, J. L. Letters: 3 items, photocopy. Kalamazoo, Michigan - Netherlands. J. L. Allewijn to cousins. --- 1912-1913
- Folder 8-11: Alsdorf, Jan Arnold. Letters: 101 items, photocopy. Eloy, Arizona - Heerlen, Limburg. J. A. Alsdorf to family. --- 1911-1959
- Folder 12: Anborgh, J. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Dordrecht, Zuid Holland - Hawthorne, New Jersey. J. Anborgh to Jan De Man. --- 1973
- Folder 13: Anema, Dirk. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Sexbierum, Friesland - USA. D. Anema to his friend Anne. --- 1895
- Folder 14: M. H. Annyas to relatives.Annyas, Maaike Huigen. Letters: 22 items, transcription with partial translations. Pella and Galesburg, Iowa - Het Bildt, Friesland. --- 1879-1902
- Folder 15: Anonymous. Letters: 17 items, published letters, translation. Pella, Iowa - Gelderland, Netherlands. Published in De Hollanders in Iowa, Brieven uit Pella, van een Gelderschman; Arnhem, D. A. Thieme --- 1858
- Folder 16: Anonymous. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Waupun, Wisconsin - Aalten, Overijsel. Anonymous to mother. --- 1885
- Folder 17: Anonymous. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Colijnsplaat, Zeeland - USA. Anonymous to Jan, Betje, Joppa. --- 1887
- Folder 18: Anonymous. Travel account: 1 item. 10 leaves with transcription and translation. Burum, Friesland - Chicago, Illinois. --- 1880
- Folder 19: Anonymous. Letter: 1 item, with translation. Vijfhuizen, North Holland. Anonymous to brother, sister, nephew, and niece. --- 1945
- Folder 20: Anonymous. Travel account: 1 item, in Dutch. Cleveland, Ohio --- 1922
- Folder 21: Antvelink, Gradus. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Deventer, Gelderland - Grand Rapids, Michigan. G. Antvelink to Gerrit Jan Antvelink. --- 1882
- Folder 22: Apol, A. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Wirdum, Groningen - USA. A. Apol to Evenhuis family. --- 1935
- Folder 23: Apol, John. Letters: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Grand Rapids, Michigan --- 1927
- Folder 24: Apol, John. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Grand Rapids, Michigan - Loppersum, Groningen. J. Apol to Geert Werkman. --- 1940-1950
- Folder 25: Arendneven, Hendrik and Janna Kragt. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Nieuwleusen, Overijssel - Holland, Michigan. H. and J. Arendneven to Harm Broek and Klaasje Kragt. Published in Nijluusn van Vrogger. vol. 15, no. 3, (sept 1997). --- 1889
- Folder 26: Arink, Bernhard. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Long Island, New York - Groenlo, Gelderland. B. Arink to relatives. --- 1852
- Folder 27: Arnaud, Louise. Letters: 2 items, published letters, with translation. Boston, Massachusetts - Arnhem, Gelderland. Louise Arnaud to A. Brummelkamp. Published in Stemmen uit Noord-Amerika. Amsterdam, Hoogkamer & Comp. --- 1846
- Folder 28: Asman, J. P. and Hendrikje van der Schuur. Letters: 3 items, transcription and translation. Terhorne, Friesland - USA. J. P. Asman to relatives. --- 1866
- Folder 29: Aukema, Neeltje Holkema. Letters: 39 items, translation. Ureterp, Friesland - USA. N. H. Aukema to her children. --- 1941-1945
- Folder 30: Austhof, Willem and Louise. Letters: 4 items, photocopy, with transcriptions and translations. Bedum, Groningen - Grand Rapids, Michigan. W. and L. Austhof to Jacobje and Klaas Hoekzema. --- 1904-1905.
- Box 3
- Folder 1-5: Avink, Harm. Letters: 25 items, photocopy and microfilm, with translation. Blendon, Michigan - Lochem, Gelderland. H. Avink to W. Bouwmeester. --- 1883-1943
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Last Name: A],
[
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],
[
Series 7: Last Name: G],
[
Series 8: Last Name: H],
[
Series 9: Last Name: I],
[
Series 10: Last Name: J],
[
Series 11: Last Name: K],
[
Series 12: Last Name: L],
[
Series 13: Last Name: M],
[
Series 14: Last Name: N],
[
Series 15: Last Name: O],
[
Series 16: Last Name: P],
[
Series 17: Last Name: Q],
[
Series 18: Last Name: R],
[
Series 19: Last Name: S],
[
Series 20: Last Name: T],
[
Series 21: Last Name: U],
[
Series 22: Last Name: V],
[
Series 23: Last Name: W],
[
Series 24: Last Name: Y],
[
Series 25: Last Name: Z],
[
All]
