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In 1852 Mr. Wolters was appointed postmaster and the office was located in the store. From this time on the business development was rapid for a number of years. New stores were opened by De Booy & Barendregt, Geurt Thomassen, A. J. Betten. James Muntingh and others.
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North side of Square in 1856, showing Pella National Bank and Gazette Office on second floor.
While the emigration of 1849 was the greatest and most important to the colony of any year in our history, except that of 1847, the following year (1850) proved the contrary. Only the two families whose names we give below, came in that year:
Preesman, Pieter Reus, de Arie Mrs. Preesman, P. Mrs. Reus, de Arie Jr. Preesman, Anna Reus, de Pieter Reus, de Nelis Reus, de Arie Reus, de Marinus
Even more stimulating to the financial and business conditions of Pella, than the coming of the Hollanders in '49, was the mad scramble for the California gold fields. In the fall of 1848 the report of gold in California spread like wildfire over the land. In the spring of '49 the great rush for the gold fields commenced, and for some three or four months caravans of covered wagons passed through Pella in almost unbroken succession. And after the gold fever had subsided, for a number of years a more or less steady stream of emigrants continued to pass through Pella, some in search of gold in California and Colorado, and others, like the Mormons, to build homes in Utah and Oregon.
From a Hollander, an eye witness, we have the following description of the gold seekers' rush through Pella.
"They came in all sorts of ways. Many wagons were drawn by six, eight or ten yoke of oxen. Some were drawn by cows; most people had two teams