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Holland, Michigan

Coordinates: 42°47′N 86°06′W / 42.783°N 86.100°W / 42.783; -86.100
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Holland Charter Township, Michigan is adjacent to the north of the city, but is administratively autonomous.
Holland, Michigan
City
Nickname: 
The Tulip City
Location of Holland within Ottawa County, Michigan
Location of Holland within Ottawa County, Michigan
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesOttawa, Allegan
Government
 • MayorAl McGeehan
Area
 • City17 sq mi (44.5 km2)
 • Land16.6 sq mi (42.9 km2)
 • Water0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)
Elevation
662 ft (202 m)
Population
 (2007)
 • City34,002
 • Density2,115.3/sq mi (816.7/km2)
 • Urban
95,795
 • Metro
261,854
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
49422-49424
Area code(s)616,269
FIPS code26-38640Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0628421[1]
Websitehttp://www.holland.org

Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River (also known locally as the Black River). The city spans the Ottawa/Allegan county line, with 9.08 square miles (23.52 km2) in Ottawa and the remaining 8.13 square miles (21.06 km2) in Allegan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 35,048.[2] As of the 2007 Census estimates, the population of the city was 34,002[3] with an Urbanized Area population of 95,394.[4] The city is the largest municipality of the Holland-Grand Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has an estimated population of 261,854 as of July 1,2007.[5]Holland was founded by Dutch Americans, and is in an area that has a large percentage of citizens of Dutch American heritage who live in communities with such Dutch names as Harlem, Zeeland, Vriesland, and Graafschap. City Hall still practices forms of the Dutch Reformed faith based on religious separatism as brought by the original settlers. Appointments and Management level jobs are keep in line with this founding doctrine by the elected officials. It is home to Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, institutions of the Reformed Church in America. The city is best known for its strong Dutch oversight of the community and rich Dutch history.

History

Many Native-American tribes lived in the area and were driven away when Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte, who used the Indian Removal Act of 1839 and 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.

The land was inhabited by the Ottawa who had been on the lake for hundreds of years and welcomed the new Dutch setlers with open arms and assistance. Little mention of these great people can be found in local history writings. After a cultural clash with the new Dutch, settlers relocated to Northport, Michigan. In Holland's early history, Van Raalte was a spiritual leader, as well as overseeing political, educational and financial matters. In 1847 Van Raalte established a congregation of the Reformed Church in America, which would later be called the First Reformed Church of Holland. In 1867, Holland was incorporated as a city with Isaac Cappon being the city's first mayor. There is little mention of the contributions Native-Americans made to the area of Holland by area historians. The city suffered a major fire on October 8–9, 1871, the same time as the Great Chicago Fire in Illinois and the very deadly Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin. Manistee and Port Huron, Michigan also burned.

Dutch settlements in Michigan.

Holland was known as the "City of Churches." There are 170 churches in Holland, many of which are with the Reformed Church in America and Christian Reformed Church in North America denominations. Only the Reform Church is allowed in governmental ceremonies, other religions are not recognized. The city is the home to the church that kicked off the trend of the What would Jesus do? bracelets in 1989[6]. In 1987, 23-year-old recent Hope College graduate and City Council member Phil Tanis was elected mayor of Holland, becoming its youngest mayor.

Culture

''If you are not Dutch - Then you are not much'' - is a quaint ditty often heard by long time Holland residents reflecting the culture of this West Michigan city. A quasi-Dutch culture is commercially promoted throughout Holland government and majority population. The city is home to the Holland Museum, which selects the Dutch theme for all three museums owned by the city.

The first, the Holland Museum, contains exhibits only about the city's Dutch population as seen by local residents. Little mention of the rich Native-Americans, who occupied the region before the Dutch or Hispanics who's labor built the community are noted. This museum pays homage to the local Dutch. Another, the Cappon House Museum, was built in 1874 and is a historic museum that once housed the first mayor of Holland, influential Dutch immigrant Isaac Cappon. The Settlers House Museum, contains furnishings and relics from the 19th Century. While the city has a dense population of Hispanic's and Asians these cultures are often overlooked by local historians.

Holland Harbor Light near Holland, Michigan.

Holland's downtown is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The "Snowmelt Project" established pipes transporting warm water from the nearby power plant to travel underneath downtown with the purpose of clearing the streets and sidewalks in the downtown area of any snow. Nearby Holland State Park is a Michigan State Park.

Across the channel is the Holland Harbor Light, known as "Big Red", a lighthouse in Michigan. De Zwaan, an original 250-year-old Dutch windmill, is situated on Windmill Island, a municipal park. Its height is 125 feet (38 m) with 40-foot (12 m) sails. Holland is also host to the annual Tulipanes Latino Art & Film Festival, which is held to celebrates the Latino contribution to the culture. Holland is home to the world's largest pickle factory. The H.J. Heinz Company has operated the factory at the same location since 1897 and currently processes over 1 million pounds of pickles per day during the green season. Holland was the unlikely birthplace of Slashdot, an influential early Internet weblog created by Hope College student Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda. CNN Money named Holland as one of the top five places to retire in 2006.[7]

Geography

Holland is on the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa. However, the shores of Holland are reserved as private property and tourists could be in violation of the trespassing law if found enjoying the beautiful beaches. Be sure to check where to walk while on the beach in Holland. Only two smaller beaches are allowed for public use. Holland State Park and Tunnel Park. There's also approximately 50m of public access beach space on the western reach of Riley St. This is a popular destination for young people who do not want to pay the access fees of Holland State Park or Tunnel Park. While the picturesque vistas of Tunnel Park vastly overshadow the availabilities of the Riley St. public access, it is nonetheless available for the general public.

Another popular destination, especially in wintertime is Riley Park, which is approximately 10 acres of public land about 3 country blocks west of the horrendous Riley St. and Butternut Dr. intersection. This location contains several hiking trails (A, B, C, and V—V being curtailed by a recent subdivision development), and several hills that are suitable for amateur snowboarding during the winter.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 35,048 people, 11,971 households, and 7,924 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,115.3 per square mile (816.7/km²). There were 12,533 housing units at an average density of 756.4/sq mi (292.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.18% Dutch White, 2.53% African American, 0.58% Native American, 3.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 12.41% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.21% of the population. While these numbers reflect a high density of peoples other then Dutch, little can be found to reflect these populations in appointments to local government positions or high standing community groups. The strong Dutch culture, as founded by aforementioned religious beliefs, are still in play today. Separation is still in play at city hall and in local civic organizations. This reflects the standing of government of how to deal with "outsiders" now living in Holland.

There were 11,971 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 26.8% of all households are made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,291, and the median income for a family was $50,316. Males had a median income of $36,339 versus $26,481 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,823. About 6.7% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Background

Mayor

The day to day operations of the city are under the supervision of the City Manager and his/her staff. The City Manager, not the Mayor, is responsible for selecting all department heads, preparation of the budget and supervision of all employees through his/her appointments. The position of Mayor is elected but is very limited in scope and mostly ceremonial with no real supervisory role. The current person of Holland holding ceremonial post is Albert H. McGeehan who was narrowly re-elected, serving the city since 1993. He graduated from Hope College in 1966. In 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush jokingly gave him the nickname, "Mayor Al" and the name has since stuck. McGeehan was first elected to city council in 1977, where he served four terms.

Education

The reflection of the aforementioned by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte, beliefs can be witnessed in the Holland area by the separation of the two main education systems. The Public School System and the Holland Christian School system which caters to the majority population of the city and is founded on the beliefs of separatism.


Tulip Time Festival

Main article: Tulip Time Festival

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.[8]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 park, 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.

The festival dominates Holland's majority population in that members of the city's large Mexican-American minority are advised to participate in the parades.However, at the only Hispanic Festival(Cino de Mayo) Dutch participation is almost non-existant. Reflecting that the "old dutch" ways continue to dominate community and city hall.

Churches profit by providing Dutch meals to tour groups at a heavy price. In the past, about one million tourists would visit Tulip Time each year to which the community finds innovative ways to enhance self-funded projects. It has been ranked as America's third largest town festival and was named Reader's Digest's best small town festival.[9] The Tulip Time Festival has attracted big name acts in recent years such as: Christina Aguilera in 2000, O-Town in 2001, The Verve Pipe in 2004, and Jars of Clay in 2006. Ed McMahon visited Tulip Time in 2007 along with Bobby Vinton. Unfortunately many festival goers never return or return an average of every 10 years.


  • Sign welcoming visitors
    Sign welcoming visitors
  • Tulip beds in downtown
    Tulip beds in downtown
  • Tulips line the streets
    Tulips line the streets

Transportation

See also: Holland (Amtrak station)

The city is serviced by two public airports, the recreational Park Township Airport (IATA: HLM, ICAO: KHLM), and the larger, corporate and charter jet Tulip City Airport (IATA: BIV, ICAO: KBIV). Neither facility is served by regularly scheduled commercial carriers. The city is also served by regularly scheduled Amtrak service (the Pere Marquette) east to Grand Rapids and west to Chicago with connections to all points east and west.

The city is served by the MAX (Macatawa Area Express) bus system. Which offers both fixed routes linking different parts of the city as well as large commercial centers outside the city, which is the former Dial-A-Ride system.

The city is served by the following highways:

appease==Media==

Newspapers

Radio

  • WHTC - Holland's Hometown Station 1450 AM Station
  • WYVN - Holland's Home for Classic Rock 92.7FM
  • WKLQ - Rockin' The Lakeshore 107.3FM Pure Rock
  • WTHS - Hope College Radio Station 89.9FM
  • LakeshoreRadio.net - The Lakeshore's Music Station
  • WTNR - Thunder 94.5 New Country

Television

  • MACTV - Holland Local Television Station

Athletics

Logo Club Sport League Venue Championships
Holland Blast Basketball International Basketball League Holland Civic Center None
Hope College Flying Dutchmen football College football Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Holland Municipal Stadium

Sister cities

Notable Dutch residents

Feature Films- Filmed On Location in Holland Area

Notes

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Holland, Michigan
  2. ^ American Factfinder, Holland, Michigan, Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data
  3. ^ American Factfinder, Holland, Michigan, 2006 Population Estimates
  4. ^ American Factfinder, Holland, MI Urbanized Area, ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates: 2006
  5. ^ American Factfinder, Holland-Grand Haven, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates: 2006
  6. ^ What Would Jesus DoWWJD Products Inspire Thousands, Christianity Today Library, November 7 1997
  7. ^ "Best places to retire". 2006.
  8. ^ http://www.tuliptime.com/about/festival_history/
  9. ^ HollandGO.com

42°47′N 86°06′W / 42.783°N 86.100°W / 42.783; -86.100

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