Fresh from the Netherlands, a small nation dotted with dikes, ditches,
deltas and dams, the Dutch who settled here in early 1847 well knew the
terrors of living next to the sea. But because they also understood the
enormous importance of waterways for trade, farming and transportation, they
bought acreage at the head of Lake Macatawa Bay, about 6 miles east of the
point where the bay joins Lake Michigan.
Fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, the 60 emigrants came to
western Michigan with their leader Albertus Christian Van Raalte, a Protestant
minister who earlier had scouted the swampy, mosquito-rich territory with six
compatriots. To their dismay, the newcomers soon learned access to their Great
Lakes lifeline was blocked by a sandbar, so they hand-dug a channel. Hundreds
of men, women and children who arrived from the old country during the next
few months rolled up their sleeves and pitched in.
The story of how these industrious, God-fearing pioneers and their heirs
persevered during hard times to secure a respected place in American society
is told today by the Holland Museum and the nearby Cappon House Museum through
collections of farm implements, home furnishings, church-related items,
clothing and other artifacts. Visitors also will find records of additional
channel construction, for which the state helped pay, that eventually brought
ships bearing tourists and goods to the scene, as well as photos and
descriptions of Holland’s Phoenix-like rise from the ashes of a devastating
fire that struck on Oct. 8, 1871, the day of the Great Chicago Fire and
another that enveloped Peshtigo, Wis., claiming 1,200 lives.
The Holland Museum began as the Netherlands Museum, established in 1937 and
housed in a building provided by the city. The initial collection boasted 19th
Century Dutch materials related to the town’s original settlers. With public
support and that of the Netherlands government, it gradually acquired large
numbers of Dutch-related items both here and abroad.
Following an extensive fundraising campaign, the city bought the old,
18,000-square-foot U.S. Post Office and remodeled it to showcase the area’s
cultural, social, economic, religious and maritime heritage. Renamed the
Holland Museum, the agency moved to these quarters eight years ago. Delft,
dollhouses and decorative arts are among the treasures on display,
highlighting immigrants and industry, faith and fire, ships and sand dunes.
Cappon House, the other Dutch treat, is an Italianate-style mansion built
in 1874 at a cost of $10,000 by Isaac Cappon, who arrived from the Netherlands
in 1848 at the age of 18. Elected the city’s first mayor, he established the
Cappon & Bertsch Leather Co. with his partner, John Bertsch, earning a fortune
through U.S. Government Civil War contracts.
The city bought the house in 1978 for use as a museum; Lavina, one of
Cappon’s 16 children, willed the city the contents, which represent about 80
percent of the original furnishings. Filled with patterns of the past, the
house echoes the daily life of a prominent Victorian-era family.
Operating under the umbrella of the Holland Historical Trust founded in
1986, both museums are listed on the Michigan State and National Registers of
Historic Places.
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The Holland Museum is open daily during Tulip Time (May 11-21, 2000);
otherwise closed Tuesdays and major holidays (New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial
Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). Regular hours: 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday;
2-5 p.m. Sunday. Tulip Time hours: noon-5 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. other
days. Admission: $3 adults, $2.25 seniors/students, $7 family; combo ticket
with Cappon House, $4 individual, $8 family. Accessibility: Wheelchair
accessible. Miles from downtown Chicago: 152. Address: 31 W. 10th St.,
Holland, MI 49423. Phone: 888-200-9123.
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The Cappon House Museum is open the first Saturday of the month from
November through May; open Wednesday through Saturday from May through
October; open daily during Tulip Time. Regular hours: 1-4 p.m. Tulip Time
hours: noon-5 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. other days. Admission: $2, $5 family;
combo ticket with Holland Museum, $4 individual, $8 family. Accessibility: Not
wheelchair accessible. Address: 228 W. 9th St., Holland, MI 49423. Phone:
616-392-6740.
Area information: Holland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, 800-506-1299.