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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],
[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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- Series 6: Last Name: F
- Box 20
- Folder 16: Faber, A. W. Poem: 1 item, 5 leaves. 1 item, 5 leaves. Wommels, Friesland - Orange City, Iowa. Entitled, Iets over de Reis naar Amerika. --- 1948
- Folder 17: Faber, Hessel and Hiltje Herder. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Orange City, Iowa - Beetgumermolen, Friesland. H. and H. Faber to Jacob Piers Boonstra. --- 1918
- Folder 18: Faber, Martin. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Grand Rapids and Byron Center, Michigan - Netherlands. M. Faber to relatives. --- 1902-1923
- Folder 19: Farnsworth, Bertha Huntley. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Newark, New York - Oostburg, Zeeland. B. Farnsworth to Noel Hontelez. --- 1968-1972
- Folder 20: Feikema, D. F. and Hillie. Letters: 5 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Franeker, Friesland - Doon, Iowa. D. F. and H. Feikema to relatives. --- 1893-1899
- Folder 21: Feikema, Frank. Letters: 2 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Franeker, Friesland - Doon, Iowa. F. Feikema to relatives. --- 1948
- Folder 22: Feikema, H. F. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Franeker, Friesland - Doon, Iowa. H. F. Feikema to children. --- undated
- Folder 23: Fennema, Gerrit. Letters and recollections: 10 items, 13 leaves and 9 letters, photocopy. Hallum, Friesland - Grand Rapids, Michigan. L. M. de Vries, Janke Miedema, Geert S. Tolsma, S. van der Woude, Jacob Jonker and other friends to G. Fennema. --- 1904-1915
- Folder 24: Ferwerda, John. Letters: 2 items, photocopy. Chicago, Illinois - Dokkum, Friesland. J. Ferwerda to J. Visser Ferwerda. --- 1969-1972
- Folder 25: Fledderus, H. Letters: 2 items, transcription, with translation. Fremont, Michigan - Netherlands. H. Fledderus to relatives. --- 1877
- Box 21
- Folder 1: Fokkema, Eelkje Dirks Algra. Letters: 6 items, photocopy, with transcription and translation. Grand Rapids, Michigan - Rinsumageest and Suawoude, Friesland. E. Fokkema to Nieske, Aan and Hijlkje Dirks Algra van der Meulen. --- 1893-1912
- Folder 2: Foppinga, M. Letter: 1 item. Haren, Groningen - Lansing, Illinois. M. Foppinga to A. Bulte. --- 1977
- Folder 3: Fox, James. Letter: 1 item, photocopy. Williamson, New York - Cadzand, Zeeland. J. Fox to W. J. Robijn. --- 1950
- Folder 4: Fraanje, Krijn family. Letters, schrijfboek: 25 items. Grand Rapids, Michigan -Borssele, Zeeland. Cornelia Steenblok. Krijn, Gillis, Anthonie, and John Fraanje to relatives and friends. --- 1873-1936
- Folder 5: Franse, J. Letters: 9 items, photocopy. Thamesville, Ontario - Serooskerke, Zeeland. J. Franse to A. van Winklen. --- 1946-1962
- Folder 6: Franse, T. Letters: 5 items, photocopy. Thamesville, Ontario - Serooskerke, Zeeland. T. Franse to A. van Winkelen. --- 1948-1966
- Folder 7: Frederiks, Marinus and Geertje. Letters: 9 items, photocopy, with transcription. Utica, New York - Middelburg, Zeeland. M. and G. Fredricks to J. S. Frederiks. --- 1847-1858
- Folder 8: Freriks, Hendrik. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with transcription. Vriesland, Michigan - Wapserveen, Drenthe. H. Freriks to Jan Egberts Blok. --- [1870s]
- Folder 9: Frijns, J. Letters: 3 items, photocopy. Heerlen, Limburg - Knoxville, Tennessee. J. Frijns to A. Benning. --- 1957-1966
- Folder 10: Fritzemeier, G. Letter: 1 item, photocopy, with translation. Huron, Michigan - Grand Rapids, Michigan. G. Fritzemeier to Jacobus Schoonbeek. --- 1961
- Folder 11: Furens, Elizabeth. Letters: 3 items, transcription, with translation. Markham and Sanford, Florida - Netherlands. J. and S. Furens to relatives. --- 1894-1923
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],
[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]
