Lessons from Holland’s past

It’s Tulip Time. Gotta love it. Today, let’s delve into Holland’s history, the good, the bad and the ugly, for history involves people, and people are sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes ugly.

Why They Came — Albertus Van Raalte (“van” is Dutch for “from” and Raalte is a town in central Netherlands), founder of Holland, Michigan, emigrated with fifty-something followers. He and his local church disliked the direction the Dutch national church was taking and broke away. This separation didn’t sit well with authorities since church and state were greatly intertwined back then. Harassed and persecuted, and coupled with tough economic times, his band departed for America.

Lessons To Consider — 1) Mingling church and state is a fool’s errand. Be glad America’s founders separated the two. Those who want to impose their religious beliefs on others fail to consider the dangers of doing so. 2) Like it or not, economic conditions and persecution greatly influence people’s decisions and actions, including immigration. When your belly is empty, integrity, ethics, and values become secondary to filling it.

Holland’s First Church — Van Raalte founded what is now Pillar Church in downtown Holland. After some years, the congregants had an ungodly split. Their arguments centered around 1) whether psalms alone be sung during services or hymns were also appropriate, 2) whether children should be educated in Christian schools or public schools, 3) whether only church members should participate in the communion sacrament, 4) whether professing members could belong to lodges, and a few other topics.

Disagreements grew so heated, the majority chained the church’s front doors. Then they wielded axe handles and blocked the entrance to further prevent the minority from entering.

Lesson To Consider — When a minority group in the Netherlands was persecuted, they cried “Injustice!” and fled. Yet when they became a majority and held sway, empathy vanished. They grew heavy-handed. Even today, a certain faraway nation, whose people had been greatly persecuted for millennia but now hold power, persecute a minority in and around them.

Van Raalte’s Vision — Holland’s founder had a three-pronged vision for the city’s success — economics, religion and education. Hence, he and others found a suitable site for commerce (fine farmland with a waterway to the Great Lakes), built Pillar Church, and established Hope College.

Lessons To Consider — Van Raalte viewed education as necessary for a community’s success. But how do today’s Americans view higher education? Is a college education a luxury for those whose families can afford the cost, or is it the nation’s lifeblood which should be financially available to all who qualify academically, even those with limited means?

Downtown Holland — Holland has a great downtown. When walking through it, our eyes gravitate to ground level. But many original shops housed their owners on the second floor, much like Dutch shops at the time. When you next wander along Eighth Street, look up. Find the bay windows through which the original owners viewed their neighborhood. Find the Dutch names recorded on several of the buildings.

Owners eventually left these upstairs apartments for homes in the city. Affordability and automobiles changed their lifestyle.

Lesson To Consider — Humans tend to live in familiar ways. But as circumstances offer alternatives, people reconsider habits, lifestyles and ways of thinking. The process is sometimes slow, but most people adapt.

Windmill De Zwaan — Considering Holland's Dutch roots, two men were driven for Holland to have an authentic Dutch windmill. Working with city fathers, they contacted Dutch authorities but were told windmills could not leave the Netherlands. They were deflated, until an opportunity arose. A windmill, destined for demolition, was available. Through fundraisers and gifts from philanthropists, the mill was disassembled and transported to Michigan. Reassembled, Holland had its own authentic Dutch windmill.

Lessons To Consider — 1)A driven group can effect a change. 2) Interestingly, naysayers at the time (there always are some) presented a dozen reasons to avoid the project. But today, Holland prides itself for having this remarkable piece of engineering from a bygone era.

Holland’s Great Fire — In 1871 most of Holland was burnt to the ground by a raging fire. People fled and the majority lost their homes and possessions. Many had insurance policies, but the insurance companies could not cover so many losses and most went bankrupt. The policy holders were out of luck.

Lesson To Consider — A segment of our society constantly whines concerning government regulation. But that same segment criticizes government for “not having done something” once tragedies occur. Such non thinkers will always be with us, will always complain, and will always point fingers after the fact.

The tragedy is leaders who deflect problems before they affect us are seldom noticed or appreciated for their vision and forward-thinking.

Summary — Learn from Holland’s history, and enjoy Tulip Time.

— Community Columnist Ray Buursma is a resident of Holland. Contact him at writetoraybuursma@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Some lessons from Holland's past