Need Dutch translation of the introductory remarks for the Letters Archive:
This list of the Letters from America briefly summarizes the content of each letter, and gives the writer’s name and date for each letter. Simply click on the letter title (e.g., Letter 1-a) to see the entire letter.
Dit is de eerste brief die uit Amerika afkomstig is en bewaard is gebleven. De schrijver Gerrit Willem Bloemers behoort tot de zogenaamde “afgescheidenen” en maakt in zijn brieven graag en vaak gebruik van bijbelteksten. Hij is getrouwd met Janna te Selle en emigreert al in 1846. Hij vangt in 1865 de broers Jan Hendrik en Harmen Jan te Selle op als zij ook naar Amerika emigreren.
Juni den 6 1865 ok laat ik u weten, dat mien erste voormemem verhiender is met dat boek te stueren, die man heeft tot Nujork geweest en daar hebben zij hem zien geld afgestolen toen moest die man weer na huis toe en ik kreg het boek en den brief weer te huis en nu… Read more »
Need Dutch translation:
This is the first letter from Harmen Jan and Jan Hendrik te Selle since their arrival in the United States in October 1865. They are staying with their Uncle Gerrit Bloemers and Aunt Janna te Selle Bloemers in Wisconsin. This letter contains a fascinating detailed account of the journey from the Netherlands to Liverpool via train and then on to New York via ship. After 17 days at sea, they finally arrived in New York harbor on October 29. They spent the night aboard ship, and were taken to Castle Garden Immigration Center the next day. From New York they headed toward Gibbsville, Wisconsin, by way of Buffalo and Detroit. This letter is a wonderful record of a difficult, but ultimately rewarding, journey.
Het gaat Harmen Jan goed in Wisconsin en hij wil zijn moeder en broers die thuis zijn achtergebleven maar wat graag verslag doen van alle nieuwe dingen die hij tegenkomt. Hij heeft een ontmoeting met J.A. Sikkink en Dulmes die zojuist vanuit Winterswijk zijn aangekomen in Wisconsin. Hij neemt ze mee met paard en wagen naar zijn broer Jan Hendrik die 9 mijl verderop woont, een tocht van 3 uur.
Harmen Jan beschrijft gedetailleerd de bouw van een grote schuur waaraan hij werkt. Hij beschrijft ook het ongeluk met een zeis waarbij hij zichzelf ernstig verwondt. De gewassen op zijn land staan er goed bij en zullen zo een goede opbrengst geven. Dat is een goed vooruitzicht want hij schrijft dat de grondprijzen heel erg aan het stijgen zijn.
Harmen Jan wil weten of zijn oudere broer Gerrit Jan al getrouwd is en doet verslag van de verkoop van wat bospercelen en van de uitbreiding van zijn bedrijf en bezittingen. Hij vraagt ook aan zijn broer Derk Willem of hij zo goed wil zijn een groot formaat bijbel te sturen. Net zo een als ze thuis hebben.
Need Dutch translation:
Letter 4 is the first letter written by Jan Hendrik te Selle. He and his wife, Hanna Berendina Onnink, are still in Wisconsin, but are thinking about moving further west where “the land is better and cheaper.” Jan Hendrik talks a little about the Homestead Act, where settlers can get land for free if they stay on it for five years. He also talks at length about his land, crops, livestock, the weather, and about his life in Wisconsin.
Need Dutch translation:
Harmen Jan announces the birth of his first child, Dela (Dillije), born in April 1968 and named after his mother. Harmen Jan then writes a lengthy discussion of the weather, the crops, and the livestock, and compares the farming techniques of Wisconsin to those of Winterswijk — an interesting insight into the similarities and differences between the two areas.
Need Dutch translation:
Harmen Jan spends most of this letter berating the behavior of his older brother Hendrik Jan back home in Winterswijk, who is unhappily married to his second wife, and now wants to leave her and come to America. Harmen Jan has few kind words for Hendrik Jan, and advises him not to come, for he will not be well received by other Dutch immigrants in Wisconsin. Harmen Jan also touches on a number of other topics, and announces that brother Jan Hendrik has had a daughter named Dela.
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Apparently the beginning of this letter has been lost. The remaining portion begins with Harmen Jan describing the spring planting and the crop and livestock conditions and prices. In past years the potato crop has been infested with large potato bugs, but Harmen Jan is hopeful that this year will be better.
Jan Hendrik moved on March 28 from Wisconsin to Nebraska, but as yet Harmen Jan has had no letter from him. He heard from Mr. Onnink (Jan Hendrik’s father in law) that the move went well. In this letter to his family, Harmen Jan shares this news about Jan Hendrik and the conditions in Nebraska.
Harmen Jan closes the letter by sending greetings from himself and his family — wife Berendiena, stepson Manus Schreurs, and daughter Dela.
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Harmen Jan is replying to a letter he received from his mother and brothers on July 3, happily noting that all his family in Winterswijk is well. He says that he forwarded the letter immediately to his brother, Jan Hendrik, who had moved to Nebraska in March 1870.
Harmen Jan reports that the weather and the crop yields have been wonderful this year, but that has caused the prices to drop. Day laborers are well paid for their work, better than in Holland. However, Harmen Jan seems to discourage farmers in Holland who are thinking about coming to Wisconsin to buy a farm. Land is scarce and expensive, so the farmer may be better off staying at home.
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Apparently Derk Willem te Selle wrote an earlier letter asking his brother, Harmen Jan, whether it would be a good idea for Derk Willem and his family to consider moving to America. Harmen Jan is reluctant to give definite advice to his oldest brother, so he simply explains the costs of various items and the interest rate on borrowed money. It is hard to tell from this letter whether Harmen Jan thinks his brother should move to America or not! As Harmen Jan says, “Therefore, brother, judge for yourself what you should do about it.”
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Jan Hendrik te Selle wants to assure his family back in the Netherlands that the new territory of Nebraska is safe and prosperous. He describes the rich soil and extensive grassland. He explains the good profit he made by selling his Wisconsin land, and then moving to Nebraska, where he could get 80 acres of land for free, just by occupying and farming it for 5 years. He sounds very pleased with his decision to leave Wisconsin, and to venture southwest to Nebraska.
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More than a year has passed since the last letter we have from Harmen Jan te Selle. (He may have written others, but none are preserved in our collection.) During that year, Harmen Jan has moved his family from Wisconsin to Lancaster County, Nebraska, near his brother Jan Hendrik. He doesn’t mention any details of the move, which suggests that he may have described it in an earlier missing letter. In addition to moving to Nebraska, Harmen Jan and Berendina Aleida have a new young son, William, born 23 September, 1871.
Apparently the crops were good, except for wheat. However, Harmen Jan’s crops did not yield as much as other farmers, since he planted late. This suggests that he may have moved to Nebraska too late to prepare the ground and get his crops in as early as he should have. As always, when the crops do very well, the prices fall. As Harmen Jan says, “We have here an overabundance of life supplies, but making money is not the best.”
Harmen Jan alludes to the precarious conditions in the new Nebraska territory, where good health and prosperity can never be taken for granted. He tells the story of his neighbor, Niklaas Vandervelde, who lost his house, crops, livestock, and worst of all his oldest daughter to a sudden prairie fire!
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Jan Hendrik writes to his mother and brothers in some detail about the livestock, crop yields, and prices. He also itemizes some of his clever transactions to acquire livestock and machinery. He clearly seems proud of his accomplishments. He mentions his three young children, and a fourth child born that year who survived only a few months. Jan Hendrik asks about the health of his mother, whom he says is “al zoo Ver Op hare Dagen.”
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These brief notes were written on the back of Letter 12-a. The first note was written from Derk Willem te Selle to the Grutters family, and forwarded along with Letter 12-a, as originally requested by G.W. Bloemers in Letter 12-a. The second note was written back to Derk Willem te Selle by G.Z. Bloemers and C.A. Grutters, thanking Derk Willem for forwarding the letter, and returning the original Letter 12-a to Derk Willem as he had requested.
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