Trinity Christian College - Palos Heights, IL

The Dutch Heritage Center is located on the upper level of the library on the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois.

The Center is open by appointment to any interested party, whether they be scholars, students or the public. No fees are charged for research use of the collection. For further information, or to set up an appointment, contact the Library Director by calling 708.239.4797.

 

What Type of Material Does the Center Contain?

• Family histories
• Business records
• Early letters
• Church and school records
• Society minutes, records
• Immigrant newspapers
• Anniversary booklets
• Journals
• Photographs
• Newsletters or publications
• Articles & books authored by Chicago Dutch
• Scrap books

The bulk of materials held in the Center cover the years 1925 to 1955.

What is the purpose of the Dutch Heritage Center?

• To provide a place for the preservation of materials of historical value related to the culture, customs and institutions of Dutch heritage in the greater Chicago area.
• To develop a research base for the serious scholar interested in the history of the Dutch people in Chicago.
• To create exhibits of general information for the layman interested in Dutch origins and development in Chicago and the larger community.
• To promote a better understanding of all phases of Chicago Dutch relationships--past, present and future.
• To provide a general meeting place and coordinating center for those who are planning projects or discussion groups relative to the goals of the center.

 

Sample Collections in the Center

 

Onze Toekomst

Onze Toekomst was a weekly Dutch language newspaper that was published in Chicago from 1894-1951.  No issues prior to 1925 are known to survive.  Onze Toekomst was a general newspaper, including sections devoted to Chicago neighborhoods (e. g., Roseland), the large Reformed and Presbyterian churches that served the Dutch immigrant community, outlying Dutch communities, marriage announcements and obituaries.  Onze Toekomst reached a high of 3500 subscribers in the 1920s, and had extended its coverage to non-Chicago Dutch communities through regional correspondents.  By the 1940s, three-quarters of the paper were in English, but even the final issues contain some Dutch material.  After 1951 the title was changed to the Weekly Observer (later the Illinois Observer and the Church Observer) and the distinctive Dutch character of the paper ceased.  A scanning project included 217 issues covering 1925-1952, contributed by the Center, and those issues are now available online along with translations of articles from other sources: Onze Toekomst online.

The Jo Ann Hofstra Stob Collection

The Jo Ann Hofstra Stob Collection includes family records for the Hofstra and Stob families and their relatives, family photos, and documents related to the Hofstra Bakery in Roseland. The collection is available for research or viewing by appointment. Guides for the collection include: Hofstra Stob Collection Guide, Hofstra Stob Visual Collection Guide, Hofstra family tree, Vanden Burg family tree, and Vander Woude family tree. A sample scrapbook from the collection was scanned by the family and is available online: Jan Dirks Hofstra Memory Book.

 

 

 

 

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