Van Raalte Papers: 1870-1879

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  Meeting Minutes of the Council of Hope College

  Abel T. Stewart and Mary Otterness

  The Council of Hope College was scheduled to meet on 5 August but no quorum was present so the meeting was postponed to the 13th. Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte chaired the meeting. The application for a lease of land for the proposed blast furnace was read and considered. But no mention was made as to final decision on the request. Financial reports were given but the details of the reports were not given. Two motions that occurred at the session of the 13th and of the 14th were passed by majority by not unanimously. Dr. Van Raalte was authorized "to use the Rail Road bonds for the for the support of the Primary and Femal [sic] Departments."

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  Meeting Minutes of the Council of Hope College

  Abel T. Stewart and Mary Otterness

  The Council of Hope College met on the 23rdin the newly finished library but a quorum was not present so the regular meeting was held the next day with Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte in the chair. Prof. Charles Scott was present as an advisory member of the council. The order of examinations was presented to the council. It was reported that a lady from Amsterdam, New York, gave the college twenty-two books and the theological department, eighty-six volumes. The books came from the widow of Rev. Henry Snyder. Dr. Thomas De Witt gave 250 volumes to the college. A gift of $200 for the library was given by Samuel B. Schieffelin. Mr. William A. Hall of Hastings on Hudson, New York, gave $1,000 for a new printing press.[Pres. Phelps had served the Hastings congregation before he came to Holland Academy in 1859.] The Holland Relief Committee gave $1,000 to Hope College for expenses incurred from the October, 1871 fire. Prof. Scott was permitted to receive $200 to expend on the house he was renting from the college since his home burned in the fire. The final meeting of this session was concluded on 30 April.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Council of Hope College

  Abel T. Stewart and Mary Otterness

  The Council of Hope College met in regular session with Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte in the chair. Rev. Christiaan Vander Veen sent a letter saying that he was too ill to continue as editor of De Hope. One request was presented "for a Case of a part of Hope College property for a Blast Furnace and Mr. Walsh was requested to meet the Council at 4. P. M. and explain the full object of such request." No mention was made of the results of this meeting. Temporary teaching assignments were made. Van Raalte was reelected president. The meeting concluded on the 26th.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Executive Committee of the Council of Hope College

  Abel T. Stewart and Mary Otterness

  The executive committee of the Council of Hope College met with Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte in the chair. The meeting was also attended by Pres. Philip Phelps Jr., Rev. Christiaan Vander Veen, and Rev. Abel T. Stewart. A proposition of Otto Doesburg was read. The committee resumed its meeting on 25 August. It was referred to Van Raalte to examine the lease of property to the Iron Company.

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  The Executive Committee of the Council of Hope College Minutes

  Abel T. Stewart and Mary Otterness

  Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte chaired this meeting of the executive committee of the Council of Hope College. Pres. Phelps was authorized to draw $5,000 from the Board of Direction of the Reformed Church in America for back salaries and "sundries."

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  Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte Received a Statement That He Paid His Bill of $2.00 at the P. & A. Steketee Company That Dealt with "Dry Goods, Groceries, Crockery, Glassware & c."

  The P. & A. Steketee Company

  Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte received a statement that he paid his bill of $2.00 at the P. & A. Steketee company that dealt with "Dry Goods, Groceries, Crockery, Glassware & c." The items Van Raalte had purchased included butter and soap.

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  An Article, Entitled,"Ons Eben-Haezer Dankoffer Memorial," [Our Ebenezer Thanksgiving Memorial] by Rev. Cornelius Van Der Meulen and Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte Appeared in De Hope

  Cornelius Van Der Meulen, Albertus C. Van Raalte, and Nella Kennedy

  An article, entitled,"Ons Eben-Haezer Dankoffer Memorial," [Our Ebenezer Thanksgiving Memorial] by Rev. Cornelius Van Der Meulen and Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte appeared in De Hope, p. 1. The authors announced the formation of a board to administer the Ebenezer Fund. The authors gave a careful description of the purpose of the fund and why local congregations should raise money for it.

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  A Bill of John Van Landegend, Dealer in "Hard-ware, Stoves, Nails, Glass, Tin and Sheet Iron-Ware" on 8th Street

  John Van Landegend

  This document is a bill of John Van Landegend, dealer in "Hard-ware, Stoves, Nails, Glass, Tin and Sheet Iron-ware" on 8th Street. The long two-page bill included all the items that Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte had purchased the previous calendar year. A wide variety of hardware is listed including four porcelain doorknobs. (I mentioned this because I found a porcelain doorknob on the Van Raalte property some years ago after the demolition of the Van Raalte barn and is displayed on the "Van Raalte shelf' in my office.) The question is: was he making all of these purchases at a time when the Van Raalte home was under considerable enlargement?

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  Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte Received a Statement That He Paid Up His Bill at "Pauels, Van Putten & Co., Proprietors of Plugger Mills," for the Sum of $95.45 for the Year 1872, Months March Through November

  J. Pauels Van Putten and Erica D. Heeg

  Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte received a statement that he paid up his bill at "Pauels, Van Putten & Co., Proprietors of 'Plugger Mills," for the sum of $95.45 for the year 1872, months March through November. Items on the bill included payment for 1,600 pounds of flour in addition to large amounts of bran, fine meal, and cornmeal. These large amounts for each item category may indicate that Van Raalte was supporting the family of son, Albertus. Undoubtedly, Albertus's abandoned wife, Helena, and their five children depended on Van Raalte for support.

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  A Cash Book of 39 Pages Belonging to A. C. V. R in Which He Recorded Property Transactions

  A. C. Van Raalte

  A cash book of 39 pages belonging to A.C.V.R. in which he recorded property transactions. Several of the accounts reveal the properties owned by Van Raalte family members. Many of the entries are in A.C.V.R.'s handwriting but not all.

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  A Letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps

  A. C. Van Raalte

  A letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps in which he expresses his disagreement for the apparent support of the Union School, as action he deems dangerous to the support of Hope College. "This Christian Community is rightly served on their dearest interest to become an appendix only to a political caucus....As long as people dance around the school-board you can do nothing with them."

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  A Letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps

  A. C. Van Raalte

  A letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps about business matters although A.C.V.R. is almost too ill to discuss anything now.

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  A Letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps

  A. C. Van Raalte

  A letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps about selling the railroad bonds to sustain the Female and Primary Departments.

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  A Sermon of A. C. Van Raalte

  A. C. Van Raalte

  A sermon of A. C. Van Raalte on the commemoration of the Holland Fire, published in Pioneer Preacher by Gordon Spykman, pp. 106-112.

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  The Third Copy of a Letter of Albertus C. Van Raalte to Pres. Philip Phelps, Jr., About the Railroad Bond and Gift of $685.00 Already Given by Van Raalte

  A. C. Van Raalte

  The third copy of a letter of Albertus C. Van Raalte to Pres. Philip Phelps, Jr., about the railroad bond and gift of $685.00 already given by Van Raalte.

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  A Letter of Albertus C. Van Raalte to the Executive Committee of the Hope College Council

  A. C. Van Raalte and Erica D, Heeg

  A letter of Albertus C. Van Raalte to the Executive Committee of the Hope College Council, stating that he appreciates the sympathy of the Council but he must return his resignation praying that the Lord will "restore in some measure the functions of the injured and prostratic organs" of his body. V.R. claims that he has to withdraw from all mental labors at this time. The particular document is the number two copy with deletions and additions to the text of his letter.

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  A Copy of a Letter Written by Albertus C. Van Raalte to Pres. Philip Phelps, Jr., Whom V. R. Addresses as Acting Treasurer of Hope College, Concerning More Business in Regard to the Railroad Bond and Paying Off Obligations Van Raalte Made to Hope College

  A. C. Van Raalte and Erica D. Heeg

  A copy of a letter written by Albertus C. Van Raalte to Pres. Philip Phelps, Jr., whom V.R. addresses as acting treasurer of Hope College, concerning more business in regard to the railroad bond and paying off obligations Van Raalte made to Hope College.

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  A Document from Account Book III in A. C. V. R.'s Handwriting

  A. C. Van Raalte and Erica D. Heeg

  A document from Account Book III in A.C.V.R.'s handwriting. It concerns a gift of $4,000 from the sale of property to the Council of Hope College. Other property transactions are mentioned as well.

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  Albertus C. Van Raalte States at the Top of This Letter That it is a Copy of One Sent to Pres. Philip Phelps, Jr., Concerning Hope College Business Matters

  A. C. Van Raalte and Erica D. Heeg

  Albertus C. Van Raalte states at the top of this letter that it is a copy of one sent to Pres. Philip Phelps, Jr., concerning Hope College business matters.

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  A Letter from Albertus C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps

  A. C. Van Raalte and Erica D. Heeg

  A letter from Albertus C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps; it informs Phelps that Dr. M. Cohen Stuart is arriving on the last train from Grand Rapids that evening. Cohen Stuart interviewed Van Raalte during this visit. He then wrote up the interview and published it in his book. The interview gives us a very good description of Van Raalte as a person in his later years. The title of Cohen Stuart's book is: Ses Maanden in Amerika, published by Kruseman and Tjeenk Willink, Haarlem, the Netherlands, in 1875, pp. 300-323. Cohen Stuart said that, "He is one of those people with whom one cannot associate without becoming richer in spirit and heart, in wisdom and love.

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  A Letter of A. C. V. R. to His Son and Daughter-in-Law, Ben and Julia Van Raalte

  A. C. Van Raalte and Erica D. Heeg

  A letter of A.C.V.R. to his son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Julia Van Raalte, congratulating them upon the birth of their first child, a daughter. A.C.V.R.'s piety shines through the letter and he signs his letter, your affectionate father.

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  A Letter of A. C. V. R. to the Rev. A. T. Stewart, Secretary of the Council of Hope College, Submitting His Resignation as President of the Council of Hope College Due to His Lingering Illness

  A. C. Van Raalte and Erica D. Heeg

  A letter of A.C.V.R. to the Rev. A. T. Stewart, Secretary of the Council of Hope College, submitting his resignation as President of the Council of Hope College due to his lingering illness.

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  Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte is Writing the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  A. C. Van Raalte and Nella Kennedy

  Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte is writing the consistory of the First Reformed Church?? The writing is very unclear and difficult to read.

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  A Letter of the Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte to the Rev. John H. Karsten

  A. C. Van Raalte and Simone Kennedy

  A letter of the Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte to the Rev. John H. Karsten, pastor of the Alto Reformed Church, Waupun, Wisconsin, concerning several matters. V.R. presses Karsten to have his people contribute to the Ebenezer fund. Parenthetically he informs Karsten that he fell from a platform and hurt his knee. While laid up, the anniversary committee [?] asked him to formulate a statement which will go on a memorial plate for the monument to be erected presumably. V.R., full of advice as usual, suggests that they have to "make good use of our time, we should not let our people doze off to sleep, we should not keep good work and correcting influence away from them. We have to form public opinion—in these matters we should lead them, not the other way around."

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  A Brief Note Appeared in De Hollander

  A. C. Van Raalte, R. Pieters, H. Uiterwijk, K. Schaddelee, and Simone Kennedy

  A brief note appeared in De Hollander that reported: "The first year of our 'Ebenezer Memorial Fund' benefiting the Grammar School of Hope College has come. That is why we, to whom the notes are made payable, request that interest be paid to the Rev. H. Uiterwijk and Mr. K. Schaddelee." The names appended to the report were "A. C. Van Raalte, R. Pieters, H. Uiterwijk, K. Schaddelee."