West Michigan’s Entrepreneurs
Holland 1870; original photo courtesy of the Holland Museum
Presentations by Steve VanderVeen on West Michigan’s Entrepreneurs
“Holland’s Entrepreneurial Heroes, 1840-1870,” presented at the Herrick Library, April 13, 2022
“Holland’s Entrepreneurial Heroes, 1870-1900,” presented at the Herrick Library, Dec 14, 2022
“Holland’s Entrepreneurial Heroes, 1900-1930,” presented at the Herrick Library, Feb 15, 2023
“Zeeland’s Earliest Entrepreneurial Heroes,” presented at the Howard Miller Library for the Zeeland Historical Society, March 15, 2023
“Isaac Cappon: Holland’s First Major Industrialist,“ presented at the Holland Museum, December 7, 2023
“Holland’s First Entrepreneurs,” presented at Holland Historical Society (Pillar Church), June 8, 2024
“Unrecognized Trailblazers: A Sample of Holland’s Female Entrepreneurs from the Anishinaabek to the Present,” presented at the Holland Museum, March 20, 2025
“The Entrepreneurs Behind the Warm Friend Story,” presented at the Resthaven Warm Friend, April 24, 2025
Articles by Steve VanderVeen on West Michigan’s 19th Century Entrepreneurs
Synthesis:
Seven Lessons for Future Entrepreneurs
Context:
Why Van Raalte, van de Luyster, and the Dutch Left the Netherlands
Why the Dutch were Predisposed toward America
The People Who Arrived in West Michigan Before the Dutch
Why Land in America was Affordable, Part 1
Why Land in America was Affordable, Part 2
First-Person Accounts of the Dutch In West Michigan
Overview of Holland’s Early Entrepreneurial Activity
Overview of Groningen’s Early Entrepreneurial Activity
Overview of Zeeland’s Early Entrepreneurial Activity
Articles by Steve VanderVeen on Holland’s 19th Century Entrepreneurs:
The Fairbanks [Old Wing Mission]
The Harringtons [Harrington Coal]
The Keppels [Keppel and Sons Hardware]
The Van Raaltes (Entrepreneuring and Banking)
Henry Woodruff [Van Raalte’s home]
The Van Der Haars (Farming and Gold Mining)
The Binnekants (Boarding, Baking, Building, Printing)
The Slags and Schadderlees (Shipbuilding, Shipping, and Retailing)
The Posts (Entrepreneuring) [Waverly Stone]
Jan Vissers (Baking, Saloon Keeping)
The Pfanstiehls (Shoe Making and Retailing, Tanning, and Hoteling)
The Van Der Veens [Van Der Veen Hardware] [Holland Furniture Company]
The Cappons [Cappon and Bertsch Leather Company]
The Walshes [Walsh’s Drug Store]
The Howards (Lawyering and Insuring)
The Coatsworths (Fruit Growing)
The Souters (Agricultural Innovating)
The Berend Scholtens [Rivulet Hurst Diary]
The Kanters (Ship and Pier Building)
The Jacob and “Blake Jake” Van Puttens [Van Putten’s Butter Tub and Pail Factory]
The Jacob G. (“White Jake”) Van Puttens [Holland Furniture Company][Ottawa Furniture Company]
The Boones [Boone’s Livery][City Hotel]
The Kleyns (Designing High-end Homes)
The Van Arks [Phoenix Mill] [Holland Furniture Company] [Bay View Furniture Company]
The Pessinks (Confectioning and Baking)
The Beaches [Beach Milling Company]
The Diekemas [Diekema, Kollen, and Ten Cate]
The George Kollens [Diekema, Kollen, and Ten Cate]
The Hummers [West Michigan Furniture]
The Beckers [Becker and Beukema Mill] [Home Furnace Company]
The Kings [C.L. King Basket Company]
The Ver Schures (Investing and Administrating)
The Marsiljes (Insuring and Investing)
Benjamin Scott, Luke Lugers, and Gerrit Schuurman [Scott-Lugers Lumber Company]
Leendert Mulder and Otto Doesburg [Holland City News] [De Grondwet] [De Hollander]
The Bastian Steketees [Steketee’s]
The Alfred Huntleys [Western Electric Light Company]
The James Brouwers [Jas. A. Brouwer]
The Meyers [Meyer Music House]
The Seifs [Holland City Brewing]
The Van Putten Sisters (Grocery Retailing)
The Van Tongerens [Wooden Shoe Factory] [Holland Bowl Mill]
The Oldemulders [Wooden Shoe Factory]
Articles by Steve VanderVeen on Groningen’s 19th Century Entrepreneurs:
The Rabbers (Milling, Entrepreneuring)
The Kolvoords (Milling, Manufacturing)
The Andries Steketees (Shipping)
The Hendrikus Scholtons (Tavern Keeping; Intermediating)
The Gerrit Boones (Farming and Milling)
The DeRoos [Walsh-DeRoo Milling] [The Holland-Chicago Transportation Company]
The Veneklasens [Veneklasen Brick] [Zeeland Brick Company]
Articles by Steve VanderVeen on Zeeland’s 19th Century Entrepreneurs:
The van de Luysters (Farming, Leading, and Lending)
The Kremers [Harold and Kremers] [The Holland-Chicago Transportation Company]
The DeSpelders (Manufacturing)
The Den Herders [Zeeland State Bank]
The LaHuises [LaHuis Department Store]
The DeKruifs [DeKruif’s Drug Store] [DeKruif’s Farm Implements]
The Huibert Keppels [Unity Mills]
The Van Koeverings [The Zeeland Record]
The Klandersmans (General Store Retailing)
The Van Loos [Zeeland Furniture Company]
The Wichers [Wichers Lumber][State Commercial and Saving Bank]
The Frank Boonstras [F. Boonstra]
The Jan DePrees [DePree Hardware] [DePree Drug Store] [DePree Chemical] [Herman Miller]
The William DePrees [DePree Hardware]
The Foxes (Hat Making and Gun Selling)
The Sikke Brouwers [Brouwers Saloon] [Phenix Cheese Company]
The Van Brees [Van Bree’s Drugs]
The Van Hovens [Zeeland Print Shop]
The Dekkers and the Van Kampens [Dekker’s Jewelry]
The Frises [L. Fris News Depot] [Fris Office Outfitters] [Fris Supply Shop]
Holland’s Neighborhood Grocery Stores, 1890-1930
More stories below…
Articles by Steve VanderVeen on West Michigan’s 20th Century Entrepreneurs
The Holland Sugar Company and Its Location
The Visschers [The Holland Sugar Company] [The Holland Furnace Company]
The Entrepreneurs Behind the Warm Friend Tavern
The Ver Planks [Zeeland Ornamental][Royal Casket Company]
The Kollas, Landwehrs, and Cheffs [The Holland Furnace Company]
Churchford, the Houstons, and Bartlett [Holland Rescue Mission] [Gateway Mission]
Unrecognized Trailblazers: A History of Some of Holland’s Female Entrepreneurs
The Berghorsts [BJW Berghorst]
The Coopers [Holland Motor Express]
The Donnellys [Donnelly Mirrors]
The Padnoses [Louis Padnos Iron and Metal]
The Vogelzangs [Vogelzang Hardware]
William and Alvin D. Bos [A.D. Bos Vending]
The Jack DeWitts [Big Dutchman]
The Con DePrees [DePree Drug Store] [DePree Chemical]
James DeYoung [Home Furnace Company] [Holland BPW]
Dena Muller [Standard Grocery]
The Ver Hages [VerHage Motors]
The Bosches [Western Machine Tool Works]
The Van Den Bosches [Van Den Bosch Feed] [Zeeland Lumber]
The Marvin DeWitts [Bil-Mar Turkey Farms]
The Van Wierens [Van Wieren Hardware]
The Story of Borr’s Shoes [Holland Shoe Company] [Borr’s Bootery]
John Gras and John Gras [John’s Battery and Electric]
The Repcolite Story [Repcolite Paints]
Walter Lane [Bush and Lane Piano Company]
The McLeans [Holland Sugar Company] [Thompson Manufacturing Company]
The Polls [Holland Transplanter] [Mechanical Transplanter]
The Fabianos [Holland Peanut Store]
The Huizengas [The Corner Store] [Huizenga Food Center]
Otto Szekely [O.E. Szekely Company] [The Flying Dutchman][Vac-A-Tap] [Holland Maid]
Melvin Boonstra [Zeeland Wood Turning Works]
The Slikkers [Slickcraft] [S2 Yachts] [Tiarra Yachts]
The Houtings [Maplewood Dry Cleaners]
Ed Prince [Prince Corporation]
The Zwieps [Zwiep’s Greenhouse]
The Herricks [Tecumseh Products] [Herrick Public Library]
The Van Zoerens [Chemical Specialties]
Robert Linn [The Roamer Steel Boat Company] [Bay Haven Marina] [The Hatch]
Norm Archer [Carousel Mountain]
The VandePoels [Superior Sports Store]
Ed, Joyce, and Ken Vos [Reliable Sport and Ski Haus]
The Lamberts and Myricks [Lambert’s Poultry and Fish]
The Geerds [Holland Ladder] [Geerds’ Shoe Store, Holland Hitch]
Frank and Anna Diepenhorst [Holland Food Club]
The Golds [Marigold Lodge] [The Vapor Car Heating Company]
More stories below…
Articles by Steve VanderVeen on West Michigan’s 21st Century Entrepreneurs
Virgil Gulker [Love, INC][Kids Hope USA]
Lupita Reyes (Serial Social Entrepreneur)
Henry Morse and the Wysongs [Hemco Gage]
The Meeuwsens [Zeeland Farm Services] [ZFS] [Zeeland Freight Services]
Barb Aalderink [Fusion Graphic Consultants]
Luciano Hernandez [Tiger Studio]
Tom Van Dokkumburg [Dokk’s Firehouse Dogs]
Willie Watt [Escape Ministries] [Lifeline Ministries]
Barbara Lee Van Horssen [Momentum Center]
A.J. Westenbroek (Program and System Innovator)