Holland, Michigan: From Dutch Colony to Dynamic City, vols. 1-3 [3 Volume Set] (Historical Series of the Reformed Church in America (HSRCA)) (Volume 80)

Holland, Michigan: From Dutch Colony to Dynamic City is a fresh and comprehensive history of the city of Holland from its beginnings to the increasingly diverse community it is today.

The three volumes that comprise this monumental work discuss such topics as the coming of the Dutch, the Americans who chose to live among them, schools, grassroots politics, the effects of the world wars and the Great Depression, city institutions, downtown renewal, and social and cultural life in Holland. Robert Swierenga also draws attention to founder Albertus Van Raalte’s particular role in forming the city -- everything from planning streets to establishing churches and schools, nurturing industry, and encouraging entrepreneurs.

Lavishly illustrated with nine hundred photographs and based on meticulous research, this book offers the most detailed history of Holland, Michigan, in print.

Historical Society of Michigan 2014 State History Award — Books, University and Commercial Press category

Calvin Spark
“While the book is encyclopedic in scope, it is written as a narrative that can be read from cover to cover to bring the heritage of Holland, Mich., to life.”
 

Robert P. Swierenga is Albertus C. Van Raalte Research Professor of History at the A.C. Van Raalte Institute, Hope College, Holland, Michigan. A specialist in Dutch immigration history, Swierenga was knighted in 2000 by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.