Oud Aalten

Heritage belongs to everyone

Category: USA

  • Pioneers in Wisconsin – Wevers

    Pioneers in Wisconsin – Wevers

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    Amsterdam, Sheboygan (WI), 1889
    Amsterdam and Cedar Grove, Sheboygan County, with H.J. Wevers’ plot at the top right, 1889 (image: University of Wisconsin–Madison)

    In the 19th century, thousands of Achterhoekers emigrated to the United States in search of land, freedom and new opportunities. Among them was Harmen Jan Wevers (1833–1905) from Barlo. He was one of the early Dutch pioneers who settled in the largely unexplored wilderness of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

    Harmen Jan Wevers was born on April 20, 1833 on the Oonk farm in Barlo, as the son of Derk Wevers and Johanna Bloemers. He had a brother and three sisters.

    Emigration and early years in America

    In April 1849, at the age of sixteen, he left Rotterdam for the United States. The crossing took 64 days. After arriving in New York, he traveled via Buffalo, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Chicago to Sheboygan County in Wisconsin.

    Harmen Jan came to America on the same ship as Henry Walvoord, with whom he then worked as a servant for three years. After arriving in the US, Walvoord settled in Holland Township. For thirteen winters, Harmen Jan stayed with this pioneer, while he worked or went to school in the summer.

    After he had saved enough, he bought a team of oxen and earned a living as a carter, including transporting wood to the pier of Amsterdam (Wisconsin).

    Own farm in Holland Township

    In 1854, Harmen Jan bought a piece of land of forty acres (over 16 hectares), largely untouched forest. With great dedication he managed to reclaim this area and turned it into a thriving farm. He later expanded his holdings to seventy acres (almost 28.5 hectares).

    On 27 December 1856 he married Berendina Gerharda in Slaa, born on 14 October 1834 on the farm De Heuvel in Lintelo. Together they had eight children, four of whom were still alive in 1894:

    Harmen Jan saw how his new home region changed from a rugged wilderness to a fertile agricultural area. Through hard work, perseverance and dedication, he managed to build a thriving farm as a simple immigrant. He grew into a respected citizen and administrator in his community.

    In 1894 two children of the family were still alive: Harmen Jan and his sister Johanna Geertruid (1828–1912), who was married to Albert Clanderman from Sheboygan.

    Faith and Commitment to the End

    Harmen Jan Wevers was an active and valued member of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cedar Grove. Politically, he was affiliated with the Republican Party. He held the position of Supervisor (municipal administrator) for many years.

    From poor emigrant he managed to work his way up to become an independent farmer and respected citizen. Within Holland Township, he was known as one of the oldest and most reliable pioneers in the region.

    Harmen Jan Wevers died on March 19, 1905, at the age of 71. He was buried at Walvoord Cemetery in Holland, Sheboygan County.

    Grave H.J. Wevers, Holland, WI
    Grave H.J. Wevers, Holland, Sheboygan

    Sources

  • The Phoenix Disaster (1847)

    The Phoenix Disaster (1847)

    In 1847, a large group of people from the Achterhoek departed for America, hoping for a better life. Among them were dozens of residents from Aalten. Just before they reached their final destination, their ship, the ‘Phoenix’, caught fire on Lake Michigan. An estimated 250 to 300 people lost their lives.

    Phoenix disaster memorial plaque, Sheboygan
    Memorial plaque for the Phoenix disaster, Sheboygan

    The beautiful wooden boat named ‘Phoenix’ was only two years old when it steamed toward the west coast of Lake Michigan on November 20, 1847, carrying approximately 175 Dutch passengers, 23 crew members, and an unknown number of other occupants. The emigrants on board came from Winterswijk, Aalten, Varsseveld, Apeldoorn, Holten, and various other places. A day later, they were to reach their Promised Land in Sheboygan after an exhausting voyage. Children were put to sleep in the cabins for the last time.

    On November 11, the Phoenix had departed from Buffalo to sail via Lake Erie and Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. Only thirty miles from their destination, the Phoenix entered the harbor of Manitowoc. Some cargo was unloaded, but when the captain noticed the weather conditions were too stormy, he kept his ship in the harbor until the lake would calm down. The crew went ashore. Some claimed they were intoxicated upon their return.

    At one o’clock in the morning, with the lake calm and the night filled with stars, the Phoenix departed for the final leg of the journey to Sheboygan. Due to the heavy load, the boilers overheated, but the crew treated the matter lightly. However, around four o’clock in the morning, thick smoke and the stench of smoldering wood emerged from the engine room, and the alarm was raised.

    Burn or drown

    Phoenix Disaster, Lake Michigan 1847
    Painting of the Phoenix disaster

    Vain attempts were made on board the Phoenix to extinguish the fire with buckets of water. But the wooden vessel soon burned like a torch. Two lifeboats were lowered into the water, with which 43 occupants managed to cover the five miles to the coast—one using a wooden shoe as an oar; twenty-five of them were Dutch.

    The remaining passengers had two options: burn or drown. They jumped into the water but stood no chance. The water was ice-cold, and they became hypothermic within minutes. Even if one could swim, any attempt to reach the shore was futile.

    An estimated two hundred and fifty to three hundred people died, including nearly 100 children. It is remarkable how the handful of surviving emigrants still managed to start a new life. They had no choice.

    Residents of Oud-Aalten on the Phoenix

    In the middle of the last century, many people from the Achterhoek left for religious reasons. They were mostly dissenters from the Dutch Reformed Church who no longer felt at home here due to their liberal thinking. This was also true for the Achterhoek passengers on the Phoenix, including the Aalten residents Brusse, Navis, and Krajenbrink from the rural district of Lintelo.

    From oral tradition, the names of fourteen people from Aalten who became victims of the disaster are known. Regarding others, one is left in the dark. They departed from Aalten on August 16, 1847, together with 78 others. However, conservative estimates suggest that fifty to seventy-five residents of Aalten perished.

    A list of (possible) passengers of the Phoenix and who likely did or did not survive the disaster can be found on the website dutchgenealogy.nl by Yvette Hoitink.

    Podcasts and documentary

    Phoenix disaster, documentary and podcast creators
    From left to right: cameraman Maarten Schellekens, documentary filmmaker Diny van Hoften, Mary Risseeuw from Sheboygan, and podcaster Joske Meerdink.

    At the end of 2020, Winterswijk podcast creator Joske Meerdink from Omroep Gelderland accidentally came across the story of the Phoenix disaster. She was surprised that she did not know the story and noticed that the Phoenix disaster was also relatively unknown to her fellow villagers. Consequently, she decided to delve into the story.

    During her search, Joske, together with documentary filmmaker Diny van Hoften, visited Sheboygan, where they spoke with descendants of the disaster’s survivors. They also joined a shipwreck hunter to search for remains of the Phoenix (and found them!).

    Her search resulted in a series of podcasts and a two-part documentary. These can be heard and viewed at Omroep Gelderland.

    The documentary that Omroep Gelderland broadcast in early 1998 about the Phoenix disaster can also be seen here. In the documentary, made by Sacha Barraud, a group from the Achterhoek, including Aalten resident Evert Smilda, is followed as they travel to Sheboygan in late 1997 to attend the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Phoenix disaster.

    Emigration to North America

    During the 19th century, thousands of people left the Achterhoek region to build a new life in the United States. Many residents also departed from Aalten, searching for freedom, land, and new opportunities.

    Read more
    Rotterdam emigration 19th century

    Sources

  • The sailing ship ‘Kath Jackson’ (1847)

    The sailing ship ‘Kath Jackson’ (1847)

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    The ship 'Katherine Jackson', watercolour by M.A. Thomas (collection Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum)
    The ship ‘Katherine Jackson’, watercolour by M.A. Thomas, 1844 (collection Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum)

    In 1847, a large group of emigrants from Aalten emigrated to the United States by ship. They were part of a larger emigration flow from the Achterhoek in the 19th century. One of the ships on which these emigrants traveled to America was the sailing ship Katherine (Kath) Jackson, which departed from Amsterdam that year.

    The Kath Jackson was a three-master with a square transom and a length of approximately 38 meters. The ship was built in 1833 by Fickett & Thomas in New York.

    The ship sailed at the end of August 1847 and had 171 passengers on board. According to the passenger list , about three-quarters of the passengers – 131 people – came from Aalten. The other passengers came from Eibergen, Zutphen, Winterswijk, Leiden and Germany, among others.

    After embarkation in Amsterdam, the ship left the Netherlands via the Nieuwediep near Den Helder, from where the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean began. The captain of the ship was W.W. Stafford. On September 28, 1847, the Kath Jackson arrived in New York City.

    The year before, the Kath Jackson had already brought a smaller group of people from Aalten to America, namely the Grootendorst / Scheenk family.

    Heading of the Kath Jackson's passenger list, Amsterdam–New York, 1847
    Heading of the Kath Jackson’s passenger list, Amsterdam–New York, 1847

    Also read:

    Sources

  • Pioneers in Wisconsin – Duenk

    Pioneers in Wisconsin – Duenk

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    In the 19th century, thousands of Achterhoekers emigrated to the United States in search of land, freedom and new opportunities. Among them were Evert Jan Duenk and Willemina Rensink from the hamlet of IJzerlo in Aalten. They were among the early European pioneers who settled in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

    Evert Jan Duenk was born in Aalten on October 7, 1797, as the son of Hendrik Deunk and Aaltjen Siebelink. He married on 12 July 1818 in Aalten with Joanna Bernardina te Winkel (Bocholt, 1790), daughter of Joan Gerhard te Winkel and Theodora te Beest. They lived on the (Groot) Essink farm in IJzerlo.

    Children from the first marriage:

    On April 25, 1829, Joanna Bernardina died. A year later, on 6 May 1830, Evert Jan remarried in Aalten to Willemina Rensink (1809, born on the Groot Rensink farm in Lintelo on 31 March 1809, daughter of Jan Willem Rensink and Elisabeth Liesen.

    Children from the second marriage:

    Emigration

    On August 16, 1847, the family left the farm in IJzerlo and emigrated to the United States. However, Evert Jan failed to terminate the lease. He had also sold the cattle and all the things on the farm. He was summoned in the Netherlands for this and convicted in absentia.

    Evert Jan and Willemina, with their seven children, departed from Amsterdam, boarded the ship Kath Jackson and arrived in New York City on September 28, 1847. On the list of emigrants from Aalten he is registered as a farmer, less well-off. The family settled in Sheboygan County.

    Sheboygan Forward

    We found some mentions of Evert Jan Duenk in the Sheboygan Nieuwsbode, “Organ of the Dutch in North America”:

    Duenk, Gibbsville - Sheboygan Newsman, June 29, 1852
    Cow lost – Sheboygan Newsman, June 29, 1852
    Duenk - Sheboygan Nieuwsbode, August 7, 1855
    “some light bruises” – Sheboygan Nieuwsbode, August 7, 1855

    Marital problems

    At one point, Evert Jan and Willemina could no longer get along. This is evident from an advertisement that Evert Jan placed in the Sheboygan Nieuwsbode at the beginning of March 1860:

    Willemina Duenk - Sheboygan Nieuwsbode, 7 March 1860
    Sheboygan Newsman, March 7, 1860

    “Naardemaal (because, ed.) WILLEMINA DUENK, my wife, has behaved in such a way that I can no longer live in peace with her, I forbid all persons to house or guarantee her on my account, as I will not pay any debts she incurs after this day. E.J. DUENK.
    Gibbsville, March 3, 1860.”

    Sources

  • Pioneers in Wisconsin – Hilbelink

    Pioneers in Wisconsin – Hilbelink

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    Hilbelink - Holland, Sheboygan, 1889
    Map of Holland Township, Sheboygan, 1889 (image: University of Wisconsin–Madison)

    Gerrit Jan Hilbelink was born on 19 February 1813 on the Lensink farm in IJzerlo, the son of Arend Jan Hilbelink (1787–1865) and Hendrika Hoopman. On 1 October 1840 he married Garritjen te Bokkel, born on 27 February 1820 on the Groot Tammel farm in Lintelo, daughter of aren’t Jan Derk te Bokkel and Janna Tammel.

    Emigration and settling in Holland Township

    In August 1847, the Hilbelink family left Rotterdam for the United States. After a crossing of about four weeks, they arrived on Staten Island. From there they traveled on via Buffalo and the Great Lakes to Sheboygan (Wisconsin). They stayed there for only one night, and the next day they travelled by ox-cart to Holland Township, where they settled in section 27, on a piece of land that later became the property of Gerrit Jan te Lindert. They lived on this farm for about nine years.

    Gerrit Jan Hilbelink (1813–1898)
    Gerrit Jan Hilbelink (1813–1898)
    Garritjen Hilbelink-Te Bokkel (1820–1912)
    Garritjen Hilbelink-Te Bokkel (1820-1912)

    At the time, the area still consisted entirely of pristine forest, inhabited by wild animals such as wolves, bears and deer. The first years were tough: the land had to be completely reclaimed. There were few neighbors, although there was regular contact with the local indigenous population. In these rough conditions, Gerrit Jan and Garritjen built a new life.

    In 1853, Gerrit Jan’s father also followed the family to America. He settled in Lima, where he spent the last years of his life.

    Farm and community

    In 1850, Gerrit Jan bought a piece of land of 40 acres (about 16 hectares) in section 26, where the family settled. The site was again densely wooded and had to be completely reclaimed. They built a log cabin in which their children grew up. He later expanded his holdings by another 40 acres. Although he later sold part of it, it grew into a well-functioning farm with a house and several barns. Gerrit Jan also contributed to the development of local infrastructure, such as roads, and other facilities.

    Offspring

    Gerrit Jan and Garritjen had fourteen children together, four of whom were born in the Netherlands and ten in the United States. The four children born in the Netherlands died at a young age, as did one of the children in America. Nine children reached adulthood:

    • Hendrika (1849) married aren’t Jan Rensing in Newkirk, Iowa
    • Aren Jan Derk (1850) managed the parental business, married Janna Gesiena Sikkink
    • Jan William (1853), carpenter in Newkirk, married Agnes Koolbeck
    • Jane (1855), married Derk Rose
    • Grada Gesina (born 1856), married Tony Walvoord
    • Gerrit Jan Jr. (1858), carpenter in Milwaukee, married Jane Smies
    • Hannah (1860), married John W. Rauwerdink, farmer in Holland Township
    • Gertie (1863), married Jacob Leenhouse, carpenter in Milwaukee
    • Aleida (1866), married Gabe Ringoldus, also in Milwaukee

    Community and death

    Gerrit Jan and Garritjen were members of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cedar Grove, and were among the first members of this congregation. Politically, Gerrit Jan was a supporter of the Republican Party.

    In 1894 Gerrit Jan and Garritjen were respectively 80 and 73 years old. Both were then in good physical and mental health, enjoying the fruits of their long and hard lives as pioneers in the New World.

    Gerrit Jan Hilbelink died on 17 April 1898, his wife Garritjen on 5 April 1912. Both were buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery.

    Grave G.J. Hilbelink & G. te Bokkel, Cedar Grove, Sheboygan, WI
    Grave G.J. Hilbelink & G. te Bokkel, Cedar Grove

    Sources

  • Pioneers in Wisconsin – Stronks

    Pioneers in Wisconsin – Stronks

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    Holland, Sheboygan (WI), 1889
    Map of Cedar Grove in Holland Township, Sheboygan County, 1889 (image: University of Wisconsin–Madison)

    In the 19th century, thousands of Achterhoekers emigrated to the United States in search of land, freedom and new opportunities. Among them was the Stronks family from Dale. They were among the early European pioneers who settled in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

    Jan Willem Stronks was born on April 27, 1817 on the Brunink farm in Dale, as the son of Garrit Jan Stronks and Garritjen Graven. In 1846 he emigrated to the United States. Jan Willem initially had insufficient means to travel on to the west, and therefore worked temporarily in the workshops of the railroads in Schenectady, New York. Shortly afterwards he moved on to Wisconsin.

    There he met Grada Snoeijenbosch, also from Aalten. Grada was born on February 21, 1825 on the Snoeijenbosch farm on the Haart, as the daughter of Harmen Snoeijenbosch and Elizabeth Winkelhorst. In 1847 she came to Sheboygan with her family. Around 1850 Jan Willem and Grada married.

    As one of the first Dutch pioneers, they settled in Holland Township, where they bought twenty acres (about eight hectares) of forest land. The plot was still completely undeveloped. Through hard work and thrift, Jan Willem managed to work his way up to become a prosperous farmer. However, his health suffered greatly from the physical labor, and he died in 1883 at the age of 64. Grada died in 1898 at the age of 73. Both were faithful members of the Dutch Reformed Church.

    A new life for the children

    Of their nine children, three died at a young age. Six children reached adulthood:

    • Garrett John (1852–1908), Cedar Grove entrepreneur
    • Herman Elbertus (1854–1946), merchant in Baldwin, WI
    • John William (1857–1941), shopkeeper in Alton, Iowa
    • Edward (1858–1940), also a merchant in Baldwin
    • Caroline (1860–1956), married Henry Meengs, shopkeeper in Cedar Grove
    • Hannah (1865–1943), married Henry Ramaker, also from Cedar Grove

    Garrett John Stronks: From Farmer to Entrepreneur

    Garrett John was born on March 21, 1852 in Holland Township. He grew up on his father’s farm. Due to Jan Willem’s fragile health, Garrett took charge of the farm at the age of fourteen. His education was limited; In total, he did not go to school for more than a year. After seven years, he decided to leave farm life behind and focus on trade.

    In nearby Oostburg, he cut wood from the forest himself to build a shop of 18 by 28 feet (approx. 47 m²). He borrowed the starting capital from his father: 700 dollars. He knew nothing about trade, his ideas about what and how much to buy were rather vague, but despite these bumps he was determined to persevere.

    He bought twice as many goods as he could afford in Milwaukee and suddenly the situation dawned on him: he had high debts, no customers, no experience and bills to pay. When he surveyed the state of affairs, he became so despondent that he had resolved never to buy anything again, if he could sell what he had.

    But from the beginning, his business flourished; The people had confidence in him and supported his enterprise. The inhabitants of Oostburg had confidence in him and supported his enterprise. Within two weeks, Garrett was back in Milwaukee to buy more goods.

    In 1875, he moved his business to Cedar Grove, where he opened the village’s second store. There he ran a successful shop for seventeen years. From 1979 he also started with grain trading, which he devoted himself to from 1892 onwards. In addition to his own grain warehouse and other real estate, he also owned 12 acres of farmland on the outskirts of Cedar Grove.

    On October 21, 1885, Garrett John Stronks married Jessie Blanche Smith, daughter of Gilbert H. Smith. They had five children.

    Community and death

    Garrett was active in the Republican Party and served as postmaster of Cedar Grove during Benjamin Harrison’s presidency. He was considered one of the most prominent citizens of his community. His life story is that of a self-made man: started with nothing, but through commitment, courage and entrepreneurial spirit he has grown into a respected and prosperous inhabitant of Holland Township.

    Garrett John Stronks died on February 29, 1908 and was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, just like his parents.

    Grave J.W. Stronks & G. Snoeijenbosch, Cedar Grove, WI
    Grave Jan Willem & Grada Stunks in Cedar Grove, Sheboygan

    Sources

  • The sailing ship ‘Hector’ (1846)

    The sailing ship ‘Hector’ (1846)

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    Head of the Hector's passenger list, Rotterdam–New York, 1846
    Head of the Hector’s passenger list, Rotterdam–New York, 1846

    In 1846, a large group of emigrants from Aalten emigrated to the United States by ship. They were part of a larger emigration flow from the Achterhoek in the 19th century. One of the ships on which these emigrants traveled to America was the sailing ship Hector, which departed from Rotterdam in that year.

    The ship sailed at the end of August 1846 and had 190 passengers on board. According to the passenger list, 114 passengers were from the Netherlands, including at least 43 from Aalten. In addition, 72 passengers from Germany, three from France and one from Denmark were on board.

    The captain of the ship was Alfred G. Spencer. On September 17, 1846, the Hector arrived in New York City.

    Also read:

    Sources

  • Pioneers in Wisconsin – Haartman

    Pioneers in Wisconsin – Haartman

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    Map of Wilson Township, Sheboygan, 1889
    Map of Wilson Township, Sheboygan, 1889 (image: University of Wisconsin–Madison)

    In the 19th century, thousands of Achterhoekers emigrated to the United States in search of land, freedom and new opportunities. Among them was the Haartman family from Aalten. They were among the first European pioneers to settle in the largely unexplored wilderness of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

    The Haartman family lived on the farm of the same name in the hamlet of Haart near Aalten. The family consisted of father Derk Jan Haartman, mother Hendrika te Bokkel, five sons and a daughter. In 1846 they left Rotterdam for America on the ship Hector . The crossing lasted 46 days and on September 17, they arrived in New York City.

    After a short stay of six weeks in Rochester (New York), the family traveled via the Great Lakes to Milwaukee in Wisconsin. There, Derk Jan Haartman bought sixteen hectares of uncultivated land. Shortly afterwards, fate struck: illness struck the family, and mother Hendrika, three sons and the daughter died.

    Sheboygan County Establishment

    Together with his two remaining sons, Evert and Derk Jan jr., Derk Jan sr. on to Sheboygan County. In Wilson Township, they bought a piece of forest land in Section 32, for three dollars a hectare. The land had never been inhabited by white settlers before and had to be reclaimed from scratch.

    The pioneer life was hard. They had little to eat, hardly any clothing, and no comfort at all. The family’s first home was a simple log cabin with a wooden floor and a stove pipe as a chimney. Many Native Americans still lived in the area, who usually did not cause a nuisance, but sometimes came to beg.

    Wilderness survival

    Milwaukee was the nearest trading center, but at the time it had only five hundred inhabitants. Sheboygan had three small shops and there were no churches or schools yet. The area consisted of dense pine forests and the roads had to be literally cleared by the settlers.

    The colonists regularly needed provisions. Evert Haartman once walked to Milwaukee with the money he had collected in the neighborhood. With this he bought three barrels of flour, some meat and buckwheat flour. On his return, these foodstuffs were distributed sparingly among the inhabitants of the settlement. The only merchandise they could offer themselves were ash and cedar shingles, which they exchanged for food in Milwaukee.

    Family and descendants

    Evert Haartman, born on May 15, 1824, married on May 12, 1855 in Wilson Township with Janna Berendina (“Jane”) Beskers, born on July 25, 1830 on the Haverland farm in Henxel near Winterswijk. They had ten children; two sons and eight daughters. The family lived on a farm of almost 100 hectares, located four kilometers from the village of Oostburg and thirteen kilometers from Sheboygan.

    Evert Haartman (1824-1910)
    Evert Haartman (1824-1910)
    Janna Berendina Haartman-Beskers (1829-1896)

    Evert was respected in the area as a man of principles and dedication. He served as Township Supervisor several times, supporting initiatives to promote education and community. The family was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church in Wilson Township, and Evert helped build three churches. His first vote as an American citizen was for Abraham Lincoln; since then, he has remained loyal to the Republican Party.

    Derk Jan Haartman jr., Evert’s older brother, was born on July 18, 1821. He married on October 2, 1855 in Wilson Township with Aleida Gesiena Kortschot, born on September 20, 1838 on the Roerdink Kortschot farm (Roerdinkpoorthuis) in the Woold near Winterswijk. They also had ten children, four sons and six daughters.

    Final resting place: Hartman Cemetery

    Father Derk Jan Haartman died in 1860. Derk Jan Jr. died in 1889, Jane Beskers in 1896, and Evert himself in 1910. They were all buried at Hartman Cemetery in Wilson Township, a small family cemetery where other descendants and in-laws also found their final resting place.

    Hartman Cemetery, Wilson, Sheboygan
    Hartman Cemetery, Wilson, Sheboygan (Photo: FindAGrave)

    Sources

  • Emigrant family Navis

    Emigrant family Navis

    Emigrants from Aalten to the US

    The cradle of the Achterhoek family Navis is located in the Aalten hamlet of Lintelo. The oldest known mention of the name is in 1529, when Hendrik Naeves from Lintelo delivers two tijnshoenderen to his lord of Anholt. In 1997, Navis Farm had been inhabited by the Navis family for eight generations. Ancestors Jan Navis and Hermken in Bokkel leased the farm in 1730 as a church site of the NH church in Aalten.

    Among the many emigrants who have exchanged our region for faraway places (especially North America) in recent centuries, there were also several descendants of Jan and Hanneken Navis. The following is a summary of what we know about these descendants of the Navis genus.

    Christiaan Navis

    The first known emigrant from the Navis family was Christiaan Navis (Aalten, 12-02-1797), son of Jan Navis and Sophia Blekking. He married on 11-02-1824 in Winterswijk with Johanna Hendrika Linzij (Oeding (D), 13-11-1803). They had six children between 1824 and 1841. In 1844 they lived on ‘Tiggeloven‘ in the hamlet of Dorpbuurt below Winterswijk and in that year they left for North America, where they arrived in New York on 27-07-1844 with the ship ‘De Hoop’. Christiaan gave as profession: stonemason.

    Clymer Hill Church, New York
    Clymer Hill Church

    Their eldest child, Jan Willem Navis (1824), did not go to America, but left for Prussia. Their second child, Janna Sophia Navis (1826), left for Aalten according to the population register, but cannot be found there. Perhaps she changed her mind and joined the trip to America after all. About 1846 she married in Clymer, NY with Jan Willem Bekerink (Ratum, 1821). She died in 1892 and was buried in Fontanelle, Iowa.

    Daughter Christina Navis (1829) married about 1855 in the US with Jan Hendrik Verink (Kotten, 1810) and died in 1895 in Muscatine, Iowa, where she was also buried. Of the other three children, it is not yet known how they fared.

    They purchased 25 acres of land in Clymer, NY on Clymer-Sherman Road, lot 60. They later sold this to their son-in-law Jan Willem Bekerink. In 1854, he gave up a quarter of an acre of land for 15 dollars to build the Clymer Hill Church on it. The church was consecrated on September 13, 1854.

    Later, the entire family moved to Muscatine, Iowa.

    Janna Geertruid Elisabeth Navis

    She was born on 20-01-1808 in Lintelo, daughter of Hendrik Jan Navis and Antonetta Elisabeth Hoftijzer. She married on 25-08-1831 in Varsseveld with Lammert Rademaker (1806) and died on 20-01-1888 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

    Children of Hendrik Jan Navis and Janna Liefting

    Burning of the Phoenix
    The Phoenix disaster on Lake Michigan, 1847

    Willemina Navis, born on 20-03-1794 in Lintelo, widow of Derk Jan Navis, remarried in 1827 to Roelof Doornink and they left for North America in November 1846 .

    Derk Willem Navis, born on 26-07-1801 in Lintelo, married on 08-07-1826 in Aalten with Johanna Rexwinkel (1802). They left with their seven children and are then almost 80-year-old mother Janna Liefting to North America in August 1847 . On 21-11-1847 they all died on Lake Michigan, in the disaster with the propeller steamer Phoenix.

    Evert Navis, born on 04-02-1809 in Lintelo, widower of Willemina Janssen, remarried on 29-05-1845 in Aalten with Berentjen Navis, his niece, born on 30-04-1813 in Lintelo (Marode) and daughter of Geert Navis and Harmina Lammers. They left for North America in October 1846 .

    Berend Hendrik Naves

    Born on 05-06-1839 in Lintelo (Marode), son of aren’t Naves and Dersken Tieltjes (nephew of Berentje, Derk Willem and Evert Navis). He married on 13-05-1869 in Aalten with Willemina Johanna Ormel (1847) from De Heurne and in September 1869 they left for North America.

    aren’t Jan Navis

    Born on 01-12-1828 in Lintelo (Nieuw Navis), son of Garrit Jan Navis and Johanna Geertruid Heesen and cousin by marriage of Willemina Navis on father’s side. He married on 06-12-1851 in Dinxperlo with Aleida Theodora te Kampe (1820). They left for North America in 1854 together with their one-year-old daughter Theodora Johanna.

    Children of Berend Hendrik Navis and Johanna Huenink

    Arend Jan Navis, (1841-1924), left on 17-12-1859 for Prussia where he married Elisabeth Blecking in 1869 in Wertherbruch. They founded a German branch under the name Naves.

    Gerrit Jan Navis, born on 13-02-1854 in Aalten, left in September 1869 from the farm Den Bosch on the Haart to North America. He married in 1876 in Sheboygan with Hendrica Graven, born in 1852 in Town of Holland as the daughter of previous emigrants, namely Berent Graven and Aleida Berendina Snoeyenbosch from Aalten. They had seven descendants in America. Gerrit Jan died on 07-11-1927 in Sheboygan.

    The riddle surrounding Henry Navis

    When compiling ‘The Navis family 1838-1975’, an overview booklet of a Navis family in America, it was still unclear to the family who their founders Henry Navis and Hendrika Klein Hesseling were or where they came from.

    This can be read in the following excerpt from this booklet:

    “Henry Navis, came from Europe as a young man. The year, how old he was or where he came from is unknown. He was a drifter, and no one seemed to know what he was doing when he was in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa and other states.

    He married Hendrika Klein Hesseling, but their wedding date is also unknown. The parents of Hendrika Klein Hesselink are also unknown. What is known is that there were Klein Hesselings in this state who dropped the word Klein and that there is a band.

    It is not known how many brothers and sisters Henry had or who his parents were. This is in short the history of the man and woman who started this great generation of Fishing.”

    Riddle solved

    Between 1982 and 1983, the mystery surrounding the ancestry of Henry Navis and his wife Hendrika Kleinhesselink was solved by genealogical research and communicated to the descendants in America. They were thrilled that after so many years there had been clarity about the origins of their founders in the US.

    Henry Navis was born on 30-09-1838 as Gerrit Hendrik Navis in the Binnenheurne near Varsseveld, as son of Gerrit Willem Navis and Dersken ter Horst. His grandparents were Geert Navis and Hermina Lammers, brother and sister-in-law of Hendrik Jan Navis and Janna Liefting (see previous emigrants). His father Gerrit Willem died in October 1856, when Gerrit Hendrik was 18 years old. Shortly afterwards he disappeared from home and was reported as ‘absent‘ in the population register of Varsseveld. He died on 16-06-1922 in America.

    Hendrika Kleinhesselink was born on 03-07-1830 in Dinxperlo, as a daughter of Jannes Kleinhesselink and Theodora ter Horst. Her father died in 1850 and his widow left for North America with her eight children in April 1856 . Hendrika Kleinhesselink died on 29-09-1903 in America. It is known from the descendants in the US that Henry, after the death of his wife, went wandering again.

    Children of Gradus Navis and Dersken Vreemen

    Gerrit Jan Navis, born on 10-07-1845 in Lintelo, left in April 1882, unmarried, for North America. He was followed in July of the same year by his brother with his family and his sister with her son:

    Bernardus Navis, born on 13-04-1841 in Lintelo, married on 01-06-1876 in Aalten to Berendina Frederika Fukkink (1857) with their sons Gradus Theodorus (1877) and aren’t Jan (1881). aren’t Jan married in the US with emigrant daughter Minnie Voskuil (1881).

    Hendrika Johanna Navis, born on 16-01-1837 in Lintelo, unmarried mother of Jan Willem Navis (1858). Jan Willem married Dina Johanna Harmelink (Lintelo, 1864) in Kansas in 1887.

    Tombstone Bernard Navis, his wife and their young daughter Jennie – Cedar Grove Cemetery, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

    The whole family lived together at ‘t Boske until their emigration, with the exception of Jan Willem, who was a servant at ‘t Spieker. Gerrit Jan married Janna Aleida Krozenbrink (Barlo, 1861) in Wisconsin in 1884. He died in 1915 and was buried in Baldwin, Wisconsin.

    Post-war emigrants

    In 1948, Derk Willem Navis (1917-2003), son of Johan Albertus Navis and Dela Nijman (from the Arend branch), left for America together with his wife Antonia Wubbels (1918-1999) and two children. He had been a military police officer and settled in Wyoming, Minnesota as a salesman of building materials. Two more children were born in America.

    Sources

  • Traces of Brevoort in New York

    Traces of Brevoort in New York

    In the year 1660, a certain Hendrick Janszen ‘van Brevoort’ came with his wife and four children (3, 12, 16 and 17 years old) to New Amsterdam, now New York. At that time there was no official surname, and in archives someone was mentioned with first name, patronymic (Janszen, or ‘son of Jan’) and the place where they came from (in this case ‘Brevoort’). They had left Amsterdam on 8/9 March 1660 with the ship De Moesman and arrived before 30 May.

    We do not yet have more information about the Bredevoort origin of this Hendrick Janszen. Do you? Then we would like to hear from you !

    Brevoort Estate, between 54th and 55th Street, near 1st Avenue, 1866. Photo: The Museum of the City of New York
    Brevoort Estate, between 54th and 55th Street, near 1st Avenue, 1866. Photo: The Museum of the City of New York

    Hendrick’s son Jan Hendrick (1644-1714) used the surname Brevoort from 1696 onwards. In the centuries that followed, the Brevoort family in New York would grow into a well-known family with prestige and wealth.

    Jan Hendrick Brevoort bought land in Harlem, where he held the position of overseer in 1678 and 1679. In the early 18th century, he exchanged Harlem for the south of Manhattan. At his death, he left his farm in the ‘Bowery‘ to his children. His son Hendrick (1670-1718) eventually owned most of the land, which then belonged to his son, also named Hendrick (1711-1771). He further expanded the property to 30 hectares. When the Brevoort family split up their possessions and sold most of them, this gave them a fortune. The head of the family was Henry Brevoort (1747-1841).

    Henry Brevoort Jr.

    Brevort, Michigan

    Henry Brevoort Jr. (1782-1848) and his wife Laura Brevoort-Carson had a mansion built on the remainder of their land, at 5th Avenue and 9th Street. This area was on the rise and the Brevoorts took a prominent position in it. Henry Jr. was known as a literary spirit and he was friends and corresponded with the writer Washington Irving (1783-1859). In addition, he was a municipal councillor for many years.

    Henry Jr. was adventurous and traveled a lot. For example, he accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Northwest from 1803 to 1806 and spent much time in the North American wilderness, working for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company. In the north of the state of Michigan, in Mackinac County, there is a hamlet called Brevort (pictured left), named after Henry, who explored the area in 1845, along with his friend Washington Irving.

    In the city of New York in particular, various places, streets and buildings still refer to the Brevoort family. Here are a few examples.

    The bend in Broadway

    Characteristic of American cities is the rectangular street pattern. However, deviations from this pattern also occur. If you study the street pattern of New York, you will see, for example, that Broadway, one of the most famous streets in the world, also makes a bend. According to tradition, this would be due to one man, who was determined to defend his country.

    The 35-hectare farm of Henry Brevoort Sr. was located on the outskirts of the city in the early 19th century. As the population of New York increased, the city government announced plans in 1815 to extend Broadway in a straight line to 23rd Street. However, this would cut through Brevoort’s land. He protested and the city council gave in: Broadway was diverted, so that the orchards of Brevoort’s farm, where 10th Street is today, were spared.

    The Brevoort apartment complex, Manhattan

    The Brevoort, New York

    In the Greenwich Willage neighborhood, in the heart of Manhattan, there is an apartment complex called ‘The Brevoort’ at the beginning of 5th Avenue. The complex was built in 1955 and has 20 floors and 277 apartments. The building replaced the famous ‘Hotel Brevoort‘, once one of the leading hotels in New York. This is where the rich and famous and sometimes even royal guests stayed. The hotel was also known for the legendary parties that took place there. Aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh received the Orteig prize of 25,000 dollars in this hotel for his solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.

    One of the most famous residents of the current apartment complex ‘The Brevoort’ was Buddy Holly. He lived there in 1958-1959, from his marriage until his fatal end. He recorded the so-called Apartment Tapes here.

    Traces of Brevoort in Brooklyn

    There are also several places in the borough of Brooklyn where family members of the Brevoorts once owned land. This includes a street (Brevoort Place), an apartment complex (the Brevoort Houses – 13 seven-storey buildings with a total of 896 apartments), a Brevoort Playground and a Brevoort Post Office.

    Brevoort Place, Brooklyn, NY
    Brevoort Place, Brooklyn
    The Brevoort appartments, Brooklyn, NY
    Brevoort Houses, Brooklyn
    Brevoort Post Office, Brooklyn, NY
    U.S. Post Office Brevoort Station, Brooklyn

    Brevoort Theatre, Brooklyn

    Bedford-Brevoort Theatre, 1919

    Although this theater has long since disappeared, it is still worth a mention. The Brevoort Theater once stood on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Brevoort Place. When it opened in 1918, it was Brooklyn’s largest movie theater, with 1,800 seats and another 700 on the balcony. The theater also had a stage and an orchestra pit.

    Although it was mainly shown in films in the first decades, the Brevoort Theatre became famous around 1960 because many well-known artists performed there, including James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Sam & Dave, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Pattie LaBelle & the Bluebells. However, this period did not last long. The theater closed its doors for good in the 60s of the last century and was demolished in 1968.

    Sources