History of Holland Peanut Store Presentation

 

HOLLAND — The Holland Area Historical Society will host a program titled “Sweet Success: History of Holland Peanut Store” on Tuesday, October 10 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, and admission is free.

Known far and wide for their Nutty Paddle Pops, handmade chocolates, and eclectic candy selection, customers from around the world have visited the Holland Peanut Store for decades. Come hear three generations of the Fabiano family, Samantha Stille-von Websky, Sarah Porebski, Paul C. Fabiano, and Thomas Fabiano, tell the history of this landmark Holland business and their secret to success selling sweets for five generations.

The Holland Area Historical Society sponsors historically themed programs, primarily concerning Holland and West Michigan, monthly except during May, July and August. 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 Almost Home: The Phoenix Disaster of 1847 (November 21), 150 Years of Grace: Grace Episcopal Church Tour and Christmas Dessert (December 12), 70 Years of Growing: History of Walters Gardens, Inc. (February 13), Answering the Call: Company K Sharpshooters in the Civil War (March 13), All Aboard! Early Railroads of Holland (April 10), Wheels Keep Turning: History of Elhart Auto Group (June 12).

Additional information concerning the Holland Area Historical Society may be obtained by calling (616) 395-7798.

Hidden Treasures: The Many Collections at the Holland Museum

Tuesday, September 12, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Maas Center Auditorium, Hope College
264 Columbia Avenue, Holland
The Holland Museum displays many wonderful artifacts for visitors to enjoy, and many more are kept in a state-of-the-art collections storage area. Museum Collections Manager Rick Jenkins will show and tell us more about what historically significant objects and images the museum staff has collected and kept safe but out of site in the last 80 years. This event is free to the public.

Virtual Tour of the Public Art in Holland


Did you know that there are more than 68 works of public art just in Holland? Come find out what those pieces of art are, their history, and where to find them through images and comments from Lorma Freestone, executive director of the Holland Area Arts Council. The Holland Area Historical Society will host this event on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at 7:30 p.m., at the Maas Center Auditorium, at Hope College, 264 Columbia Avenue, Holland. This event is free to the public.

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 by calling 616-738-4810 or 616-786-4847, online, or purchased at the door for $10 each.

Much of the research completed for the making of this film came from Joint Archives of Holland, Hope College, archival collection of the same name and we are a proud supporter of this event.

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, and admission is free.

The Warm Friend Tavern and Hotel opened in 1925 as a premier hotel of the Midwest. Built by the Holland Furnace Company, it brought entertainers, sports figures and hundreds of visitors to
downtown Holland. The Warm Friend, now operated by Resthaven as an independent living center, continues to be a Holland landmark. Join Glenn Lowe and Susan Etterbeek DeJong as they present the 92 year journey of the hotel.

The Holland Area Historical Society sponsors historically themed programs, primarily concerning Holland and West Michigan, monthly except during May, July and August. 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.

Questions? 616-395-7798

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 College, was added in 1940 as a gift from the Hope College chapter of the national Blue Key honor society. The arch was meant to serve as a symbol of Hope, donated during a time when the college had few true landmarks by which it could distinguish itself.
Today, the Hope College Anchor stands outside of Graves Hall, statues and plaques litter campus, and some college buildings have come into their own rights as historical landmarks. However, the archway has endured as a Hope College icon and remains one of the most recognizable features around campus.
The last time it was absent was the summer of 2006, when it was removed to repair damages sustained during a June 6 delivery truck collision. The repair took five weeks, and the arch returned to campus on July 13, 2006. Now, nearly eleven years later, a delivery truck has proved to be the enemy of the arch yet again. After another unfortunate collision, the brick pillars and bronze arch have been removed for repairs. Upon removal, the arch and the pillars were shown to have sustained significant damage from decades of weather related wear and tear. The entire structure will be replaced in order to ensure many decades more of enjoyment and recognition. The date of the arch’s return is yet unknown, but it’s safe to say that before long, the Hope icon will be back in its rightful place, an everyday sight as students pass between Van Wylen Library, A. Paul Schaap Science Center, and Graves Hall.

Kirstin Anderson, Student Research Assistant

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 needs of area residents. Come learn about the history of the library and its many homes from past director Robert Sherwood and current librarian Mary Vander Kooy.

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 campus. The public is invited, and admission is free.

The year 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of City of Holland. In honor of this event, Holland historian and author Dr. Robert Swierenga and the mayor of Holland, Nancy DeBoer, will present the controversy with the city’s founder A.C. Van Raalte leading up to this event and what is to come for the Tulip City.