Table 5: U.S. Ports of Arrival by Netherlands Province of Origin, Pre- and Post-
1860 (in percent)
Provinces
New York
Baltimore
New Orleans
Boston
Philadelphia
35-60
61-80
35-60
61-80
35-60
61-80
35-60
61-80
35-60
61-80
Western:
Noord-Holland
95
93
2
3
3
0
1
1
1
0
Utrecht
54
96
37
4
8
0
2
0
0
0
Zuid-Holland
90
99
4
0
6
0
0
1
1
0
Northern:
Drenthe
86
94
12
3
2
0
0
3
0
0
Friesland
82
98
4
0
12
0
0
1
1
0
Groningen
100
98
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
Eastern:
Gelderland
85
85
5
5
7
0
1
2
2
0
Overijssel
87
97
5
1
7
1
l
1
2
0
Southern:
Limburg
100
100
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Noord-Brabant
92
99
1
0
2
0
7
2
0
0
Zeeland
94
95
4
0
1
0
1
1
0
3
Source: Data file: Dutch Immigrants in U.S. Ship Passenger Manifests. 1820-1880
In the years 1870-1884 the Reverend A.H. Bechthold, pastor of the Holland
Reformed Church of New York, and his son met each Dutch immigrant ship and hel
ped their compatriots during their stay in the city.23 Until 1881, the usual Dutch stop
ping place was the Holland Hotel at 3 Battery Place near Castle Garden, kept by a Mr.
Rolffs. When it closed in 1881, the Dutch immigrants were directed to the German
Immigration House sponsored by the Lutheran Mission Society. The cost was $1 per
day per person.23
The rural Dutch found the bustling city of New York a threatening and strange
environment, teaming with 'sharks' and 'runners', some of whom posed as Dutch-
speaking 'friends' who tried to swindle the new arrivals. As Dominie Baay warned in
a letter to the homeland: 'trust no one', including countryman who speak Dutch, and
get out of the city as soon as possible. Since the Hudson River steamship departed for
Albany daily at 6 p.m., Baay recommended transferring baggage from the ocean ves
sel to the steamship on the day of arrival and proceeding directly to Albany, where
there were helpful and trusted Dutch-speaking clerics, notably Isaac N. Wyckhoff of
the Second Reformed Church. Similarly, Baay warned about staying in Buffalo and
urged his followers to board the lake steamer for Milwaukee without delay. Another
Seceder, J. Berkhout, reported in a letter to the Netherlands in 1848: 'New York is in
many places a danger for pedestrians because of the masses of carts and wagons and
the din of the people going back and forth. I said big, busy, dangerous, also dirty, but
gracefully-built New York.'25
The Empire City was ideally situated geographically and had adequate inland
transport to enable the Dutch to reach their ultimate destinations in the Great Lakes
region where most colonies were concentrated. The usual route inland was the
Hudson River-Erie Canal waterway to Buffalo, and then the Great Lakes passage to
TRAVEL ROUTES OF ZEELAND EMIGRANTS
25
