Elton J. Bruins, long-time professor in the Department of Religion at Hope College, spent years collecting documents by and about Albertus C. Van Raalte, founder of Holland, Michigan and early patron of Hope College. Documents were gathered from dozens of public and private collections, making a nearly exhaustive collection of Van Raalte's writings and reflections. It is these documents that make up the "Van Raalte Papers."
Digitizing the Van Raalte papers was supported by the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York. The project was done in partnership with Heritage Hall at Calvin University, which also digitized its Van Raalte collections.
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Note from A. C. Van Raalte to Rev. Wind
A. C. Van Raalte, Grace Antoon, and Nella Kennedy
A brief note of A. C. Van Raalte to Rev. Wind concerning a letter of transfer for "Brother Veenstra."
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Letter from A. C. Van Raalte to Hendrik P. Scholte
A. C. Van Raalte and Elisabeth Dekker
Albertus C. Van Raalte is now writing Hendrik P. Scholte in a critical manner, saying that the dispute between Scholte and van Velzen is clearly not of the Lord. "Chastising in order to help each other out of love is good, but chastising to shame somebody is a crime." After commenting at length about the sad quarrel between those two men, Van Raalte adds a postscript and asks to borrow five to ten thousand guilders at five or six per cent interest. Van Raalte says fifteen thousand guilders of his money is not available right now to invest in the business. Would Mrs. Zeelt be willing to loan some money? Van Raalte has given 2,200 guilders toward the new church in Ommen.
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Letter from A. C. Van Raalte to Hendrik P. Scholte
A. C. Van Raalte, Elisabeth Dekker, and Nella Kennedy
Albertus C. Van Raalte writes Hendrik P. Scholte that his brother, P. J. Van Raalte, died at the age of 41. Van Raalte indicates that he is pained in the split of the Amsterdam congregation over the difference of Scholte and Simon van Velzen. Van Raalte wonders if the Separatists are even in God's favor when such division breaks out. All this commotion is contrary to brotherly love and order. Van Raalte makes a critical remark about Mrs. Zeelt but provides no context for making that criticism.
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Contract Between A. C. Van Raalte and C. G. de Moen
A. C. Van Raalte, C. G. de Moen, Simone Kennedy, and Nella Kennedy
A contract between the Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte and C. G. de Moen in regards to the pottery factory. It reads: "This is to certify that the undersigned A. C. Van Raalte, minister of the Christian Seceding Church from Ommen, with C. Dros, manufacturer of soap and C. G. de Moen, physician and gynecologist from Leiden, will go into partnership with one another for the purpose of quarrying clay or loam from the Lemelerberg to sell it or use it in other lucrative ways, by manufacturing bricks, pans, pots or other kinds of earthenware which can be made with a profit, or to do something else, for fifteen consecutive years, starting today and ending no later than December 1855; this partnership can be expanded if so desire, and more people can join."
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Contract Between A. C. Van Raalte and Dirk Blikman Kikkert
A. C. Van Raalte, Dirk Blikman Kikkert, and Henry ten Hoor
A contract between Albertus C. Van Raalte and Dirk Blikman Kikkert of Amsterdam in partnership to produce brick, tiles, and other earthenware products.
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Excerpts from the "Report of the Synod of the Afgescheide Gereformeerde Gemeente in the Netherlands, Held from November 17 to December 3, 1840 at Amsterdam"
Van Raalte, A. Brummelkamp, and Simone Kennedy
"Verslag van de Synode der Afgescheidene Gereformeerde Gemeente in Nederland, gehouden van den 17 November tot den 3 December 1840 te Amsterdam." Te 's Gravenhage, bij J. van Golverdinge, 1841. An excerpt, "Toelichting," or Clarification, written by Albertus C. Van Raalte, pp. 18-20 in which A.C.V.R. gives his views in the church order debate, pp. 18-20; and Van Raalte and Brummelkamp co-author "Over de Vrijheid van Godsdienst", or On the Freedom of Religion, in which the authors press for complete freedom of religion for the Separatist churches, pp. 25-27. In both of these items, key theological issues are highlighted.
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Land Sold from Rev. Simon van Velzen to Dr. G. C. de Moen
S. van Velzen, C. G. de Moen, and Nella Kennedy
Rev. Simon van Velzen sold a piece of propety in Gramsberen, Province of Overijssel to Dr. G. C. de Moen, a doctor in Leiden for 2,390.50 guilders. Van Velzen had inherited a share in the propety from his deceased wife, a sister of de Moen and Mrs. Christina Van Raalte.
