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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],
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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],
[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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- Series 15: Last Name: O
- Box 44
- Folder 1: Oelen, Fake. Letters: 4 items, photocopy, with translation. 's Hertogenbosch, Noord Brabant - USA. F. Oelen to relatives. --- 1882
- Folder 2: Oelen, Hendrikje (Hattie). Letters: 6 items, photocopy. Muskegon, Michigan - Hoogeveen, Drenthe. H. Oelen to A. Kikkert. --- 1926-1947
- Folder 3: Oelen, Hilbert. Letters: 10 items, photocopy, with partial transcription. Hull, Iowa. Holland, Michigan - Hoogeveen, Drenthe. H. Oelen to H. Oelen. --- 1899-1952
- Folder 4-6: Oelen, Jan. Letters: 39 items, photocopy, with transcription. Iowa, South Dakota, Michigan - Hoogeveen, Drenthe. J. Oelen to Henderikus Oelen. --- 1886-1921
- Folder 7: Oggel, Dina Maria. Letters: 5 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Pella, Iowa - Axel, Zeeland. D. M. Oggel to relatives. --- 1887-1899
- Folder 8: Oggel, Dirk Cornelis. Letters: 12 items, photocopy, with partial transcription and translation. Groningen, Muskegon, and Holland, Michigan - Axel, Zeeland. D. C. Oggel to relatives. --- 1855-1901
- Folder 9-11: Oggel, Engelbert Christiaan. Letters: 30 items, photocopy, with partial translation. Holland and Grand Haven, Michigan; New York and New Paltz, New York; Pella, Iowa; Kankakee and Chicago, Illinois; Honolulu, Hawaii; St. Thomas, West Indies - Axel, Zeeland. E. C. Oggel to relatives. --- 1856-1909
- Folder 12: Oggel, Heintje Can Bruggen. Letters: 4 items, photocopy. Rotterdam, Noord Holland. Orange City, Iowa - Axel, Zeeland. H. Oggel to relatives. --- 1887-1889
- Folder 13: Oggel, Hendrik Petrus. Letters: 7 items, photocopy. Orange City, Iowa - Axel, Zeeland. H. P. Oggel to relatives. --- 1855-1896
- Folder 14: Oggel, Johannes Pieter. Letters: 9 items, photocopy. Zeeland, Michigan - Axel, Zeeland. J. P. Oggel to relatives. --- 1855-1869
- Folder 15: Oggel, Marinus Jacobus. Letters: 11 items, photocopy. Kalamazoo, Michigan - Axel, Zeeland. M. J. Oggel to relatives. --- 1882-1899
- Folder 16-17: Oggel, Pieter Jan. Letters: 16 items, photocopy, with partial translation. Terneuzen and Nieuwdorp, Zeeland; Ommen, Overijssel; Arnhem, Gelderland; Grand Haven, Michigan - Axel, Zeeland. P. J. Oggel to relatives and D. C. de Pree. --- 1841-[1859]
- Folder 18: Oldenburger, Haije Letters: 6 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Maxwell City, New Mexico - Surhuizum, Friesland. H. J. Oldenburger to relatives. --- 1893-1920
- Folder 19: Olthoff, K. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Zwolle, Overijssel - USA. K. Olthoff to [J. Rubingh]. --- 1873
- Folder 20: Olthuis, Gerrit Jan. Letter fragment: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Cincinnati, Ohio - Goor, Overijssel. G. J. Olthuis to relatives. --- 1872
- Folder 21: Ondersma, Ralph. Recollections: 1 item, 7 leaves, translated photocopy. Hallum, Friesland - Grand Rapids, Michigan. Entitled, Some of Pa's Memories: Recollections of Ralph Ondersma. --- 1886-1968, 1967
- Folder 22: Oosten, Trijntje Begeman (Mrs. Arie). Letters: 6 items, with translation. Delfzijl, Groningen - Grand Rapids, Michigan. T. Oosten to W. De Leeuw. --- 1946-1948
- Folder 23: Oostenbrug, Th. M. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Hospers, Iowa - Leeuwarden, Friesland. Th.M. Oostenbrug to Watze van de Ploeg. --- 1882
- Folder 24: Oostenrijk, Pieter. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Ferrysburg, Michigan - Eenrum, Groningen. P. Oostenrijk to Roelof Huizenga. --- 1874
- Box 45
- Folder 1: Oosteralting, J. and H. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with transcription, and translation. Hull, Iowa - Erm, Drenthe. J. and H. Oosteralting to friends. --- 1895
- Folder 2: Oosterheerdt, Grietje. Travel account: 1 item, 10 leaves, photocopy, with translation. Cicero, Illinois - Uithuizen, Groningen. G. Oosterheerdt to Albertus Visscher. --- 1911
- Folder 3: Oosterhuis, M. A. de Man. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Beesd, Gelderland - Hawthorne, New York. M. Oosterhuis to Jan De Man. --- 1978-1979
- Folder 4: Oosterloos, Willem. Letters: 3 items, photocopy. Bedum, Groningen - Grandville, Michigan. W. Oosterloos to C. Schoonveld. --- 1977-1978
- Folder 5: Oosting, P. Letters: 3 items, photocopy. Fremont, Michigan - Heesselt, Gelderland. P. Oosting to H. den Uyl. --- 1920-1946
- Folder 6: Op de Woerd, J. A. W. Travel account: 1 item, 16 leaves, photocopy. Amsterdam, Noord Holland - Brighton, New York. --- 1914
- Folder 7: Oreel, P. J. Letter: 1 item. Wolphaartsdijk, Zeeland - USA. P. J. Oreel to F. Verbrugge. --- 1915
- Folder 8: Osinga, S. Letters: 4 items, photocopy, with translation. Albany, New York - Het Bildt, Friesland. S. Osinga to friend. --- 1847
- Folder 9: Oudegeest, W. J. Letter: 1 item, translation. Engelen ('s Hertogenbosch), Noord Brabant - Thornton, Illinois. W. J. Oudegeest to Arie Rietveld. --- 1880
- Folder 10: Overbergen, Lambertus. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Pella, Iowa - Coevorden, Drenthe. L. Overbergen to relatives. --- 1890
- Folder 11: Overweg, Mr. and Mrs. Letter: 1 item. Leersum, Gelderland - Hawthorne, New York. Overweg to Jan De Man. --- 1978
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],
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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],
[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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