The Poor Farm: A Documentary

The Poor Farm: A Documentary film will premiere at the Park Theatre on River Street in Holland on May 24 at 6:00. There will be beer, wine, and snacks and a fabulous silent auction with lots of experiential items. Music provided by Ruth and Max Bloomquist of “Michigan Girl” fame. Advanced tickets can BEST be secured …

History of the Warm Friend Hotel Topic of Program

The Holland Area Historical Society will host a program titled “The Warm Friend Turns 92” on Tuesday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Maas Auditorium, Maas Conference Center, Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Maas Auditorium is located at 264 Columbia Avenue on the Hope College campus. The public is invited, …

Hope Arch Gone for Now – Will Return Soon

For just a few times since its pillars were first installed in 1912, the Hope College arch is conspicuously missing from its place outside Graves Hall. The Hope College arch is a landmark around campus. Its brick pillars were donated by the Class of 1912, and the decorative metal arch, which includes the words Hope …

History of Herrick District Library Program

The Holland Area Historical Society will host the program “History of Herrick District Library” on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at 7:30 p.m., at the Maas Center Auditorium, Hope College, 264 Columbia Avenue, Holland, Michigan. This program is free to the public. The City of Holland opened its first library in 1867 to serve the intellectual …

City of Holland History Presentation

The Holland Area Historical Society will host a program titled “150th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the City of Holland” on Tuesday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Maas Auditorium, Maas Conference Center, Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Maas Auditorium is located at 264 Columbia Avenue on the Hope College …

The Internet Archive

We’re increasingly cataloging our lives online, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, seemingly endless YouTube videos. It’s a digital-first and often digital-only world. The advantages of this unlimited digital storage seem obvious, but how permanent are some of those records? How do we preserve digital history?Internet history is fragile. This archive is making sure it doesn’t disappear.

Ottawa County Poor Farm History

Read about the interesting lives of several Ottawa County Poor Farm residents, as well as an article on the Rottschaefer family, missionaries in India, in the latest issue of the Joint Archives Quarterly newsletter.

Carousel Mountain Ski Resort Topic of Meeting

Many Hollanders, including the presenter, spent lots of their winter season leisure time at Carousel Mountain and have fond memories of the former Laketown Township ski resort. Presenter Robert Sligh will help us remember that magical time from 1963-1973 through his memories, interviews with the founder’s daughter and local skiers, and archival documents, artifacts, and …

Eastmanville Poor Farm History

What do a reformer, an aerospace executive, and a man saved by a beer have in common? They all lived in Holland and at the Eastmanville Poor Farm during their lives. As county citizens celebrate the sesquicentennial of this important site, come learn more about Ottawa County’s home for the poor and needy from local …