Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders at the top of San Juan Hill, Cuba, July 1898
The latest issue of the Joint Archives Quarterlyincludes an article about the Holland area United Spanish War Veterans Camp No. 38 and their struggle to be remembered and honored. The article was penned by Autumn Balamucki, a Hope College history student and one of our past summer research students. Balamucki wrote about working remotely using digitized archival material during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the struggles these men faced after they came home.
Kelly Gordon Jacobsma, the Genevra Thome Begg Dean of Libraries, is Keeping Hope at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. This image will be placed in the Covid-19 Reflections collection.
The Joint Archives of Holland is seeking personal reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic from the extended Hope College family to provide a lasting chronicle of the era as seen through the eyes of those who are experiencing it.
First-person accounts are invaluable to researchers seeking to understand the past and how people felt about the events of their time, so we are collecting the personal stories from the Hope College community because this is a clear historical moment and we want to get individual experiences of people to record details of campus life and life at home.
We’re encouraging students, staff, faculty and alumni to share their stories, or to help others share their accounts. They can share their own images, journal, prose, artwork, or email correspondence — any form of expression — whether it’s on paper or in a digital form. As far as subject matter is concerned, examples of relevant topics include the economy; political messaging; level of trust in the government and media; and discussion of what’s happening in terms of the weather, relationships with family and friends, neighbors and colleagues. We are also hoping to receive survivor stories.
For those who might be uncomfortable sharing their own thoughts, Reynolds suggests interviewing others they can help others narrate their stories by conducting an interview with them and donating the recording to the archives much like the StoryCorps approach. People interested in this option can volunteer with a partner or be paired with someone they don’t know in a kind of matchmaking setup.
For those who are interested in participating but aren’t sure where to begin, or who would appreciate additional guidance, the site includes a list of questions and ideas as possibilities to write or inquire about. You may also contact Geoffrey Reynolds, director of the archives, via email at archives@hope.edu.
Since March 17, the Joint Archives of Holland has been and will continue to be unavailable until April 13, if not longer, depending on directions from Hope College.
We will offer online assistance to Hope College faculty, staff and students only. Please contact the Archivist for help at archives@hope.edu.
The Holland Area Historical Society will host a program titled “God is Reliable” on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
Winants Auditorium is located in Graves Hall at 263 College Avenue on the Hope College campus. The public is invited, and admission is free.
Reliable Sports store was a local landmark at the corner of River Avenue and 11th Street until 2018. Join former owner Ken Vos, as he describes his family’s ownership of the business since 1932 and how it grew from a bicycle repair shop to a thriving sports equipment enterprise with lots of hard work and faith in God.
The Holland Area Historical Society sponsors historically themed programs, primarily concerning Holland and West Michigan, monthly except during May, July, August, and January. The programs are funded through dues paid by the society’s members. Membership is paid annually, and costs $15 for individuals, $20 for families, and $10 for senior citizens and $5 for students. The society also has rates for non-profit institutions, corporations and life memberships.
HOLLAND -- The Holland Area Historical Society will host a program titled
“How Much Dutch: The Linguistic Landscape of Holland, Michigan” on Tuesday, February 11
at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, Hope
College, Holland, Michigan.
Winants Auditorium is located in Graves Hall at 263 College Avenue on the Hope College campus. The public is invited, and admission is free. Dutch language and culture have been part of Holland since early settlers came in 1847 and play an important part in the local economy. Join Dr. Kathryn Remlinger as she presents her findings on how language use and cultural objects communicate meanings that reimagine Holland as a “Dutch” city.
The Holland Area Historical Society now has its own Facebook page so that members and guests can access current information on becoming a member, upcoming programs, changes in venue, or cancellations due to weather. Like their page on Facebook at Holland Area Historical Society.
Read about the history of the Hope College Music Department and student research in the Joint Archives in the latest issue of the Joint Archives Quarterly.
DUE TO THE WEATHER THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED!
The Holland Area Historical Society will host a program titled “Travel Back in Time to the Ottawa Beach Hotel” on Tuesday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
Winants Auditorium is located in Graves Hall at 263 College Avenue on the Hope
College campus. The public is invited, and admission is free.
The Ottawa Beach Hotel began as merely a destination for which to sell railroad tickets and ended as one of Holland’s premier luxury hotels, serving hundreds of thousands of tourists. Join local historian Valerie van Heest as she takes us back in time to the heyday of this local landmark.
The Holland Area Historical Society sponsors historically themed programs, primarily concerning Holland and West Michigan, monthly except during May, July, August, and January. The programs are funded through dues paid by the society’s members. Membership is paid annually, and costs $15 for individuals, $20 for families, and $10 for senior citizens and $5 for students. The society also has rates for non-profit institutions, corporations and life memberships.
Subsequent presentations will be Western Theological Seminary Tour and Christmas Dessert (December 10), “How Much Dutch: The Linguistic Landscape of Holland, Michigan” (February 11), “God is Reliable” (March 10), “The Fennville Train Robbery & Other Railroad Crimes” (April 14), and “Michigan P.O.W. Camps in WWII” (June 9).
Additional information concerning the Holland Area Historical Society may be obtained by calling (616) 395-7798.
The Holland Area Historical Society will host a program titled “Misdeeds, Murderers, and Miscreants: Ottawa County’s Notorious Past” on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Winants Auditorium is located in Graves Hall at 263 College Avenue on the Hope College campus. The public is invited, and admission is free.
Ottawa County is full of stories of mysterious crimes, murders, miscreants and other dubious characters. Join Loutit District Library librarian and local historian Jeannette Weiden as we explore some of the notorious residents of Ottawa County’s past.
