Holland

Sister cities

• Santiago de Querétaro

History

Ottawa County was originally populated by Ottawa Indians. In 1846, Reverend George Smith established the Old Wing Mission as an outreach to the native population. The Ottawa living here were primarily practicing Catholics, but Smith tried converting them to Protestantism. While generally unsuccessful in converting the Native population, the two groups worked together relatively closely for a short time. This attempt to work and live together was not valued by the next group who arrived. Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte. Dire economic conditions in the Netherlands compelled them to emigrate. Van Raalte and his colony settled on land in the midst of the Ottawa (Odawa) people's Old Wing Mission Colony near the Macatawa River (also known as the Black River) where it streams into Lake Macatawa (Called Black Lake prior to June 4, 1935) which, in turn, leads to Lake Michigan via a channel. The Dutch settlers and the Ottawa people never got along. Dutch settlers began stealing sugar and venison from the Ottawa. The Dutch were unwilling to accept the Ottawa people's mix of Catholic and Native culture. Soon, Dutch leaders tried to force the natives into wooded land in Allegan County. Eventually, the natives moved north to preserve their way of life and culture. Chief Peter Waukazoo and Reverend George Smith decided to move the community and the Ottawa Mission from Holland up to Northport (on the Leelanau Peninsula), voyaging on boats and canoes. In Holland's early history, Van Raalte was a spiritual leader, as well as overseeing political, educational and financial matters. In 1847, Van Raalte established a congregation of the Reformed Church in America, which would later be called the First Reformed…

Geography

Holland is located at 42.7875235, -86.1089301.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,301
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  16,115
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  15,994
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,946
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,026
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  14,237
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  13,611
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,658

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2015-05-02
  5 km S of Galesburg, Michigan