August 2013 - Holland Michigan
Street banners reflecting the town's Dutch history.
Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte, who were escaping from persecution in the Netherlands.
Van Raalte took the land due to its proximity to the Black River where it streamed to Black Lake (now Lake Macatawa) which, in turn, led to Lake Michigan. At the time, the land was inhabited by the Ottawa people who had been on the lake for hundreds of years. The native people moved north, under pressure from new Illness brought from the settlers.
Each May Holland hosts an annual Tulip Time Festival. Tulip planting and the festival began in 1930 when 250,000 tulips were planted for the event. Currently six million tulips are used throughout the city. Tulips are planted along many city streets, in city parks and outside municipal buildings as well as at tourist attractions like Dutch Village, the city-owned Windmill Island Gardens, and at a large tulip farm named Veldheer Tulip Gardens. It is normally held the second week of May, right when the numerous tulips planted around the town are blooming. Cruise ships such as the Yorktown from the Great Lakes Cruising Company make Holland a port of call.
Lovely art, and your photos are great!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Holland MI or the original Holland, but your photos certainly make this city look very appealing. NYC near me also has a great deal of Dutch influence, especially in names of locations and streets, but otherwise the historical traditions have pretty much disappeared. I would love to see that tulip festival. Happy Blue Monday. Linda
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful it must be to live there!
ReplyDeleteI like that blue tulip banner.
Have a good Blue Monday, Jackie.
Those are great banners and very welcoming. Here are mine if you care to check them out http://www.mariasspace.com/2013/08/my-day-at-bay.html
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