ORANGE CITY- 1870, Sioux County, Holland Township,
Incorporated 1884
Cemetery
- West Lawn Cemetery, Elmer Huisenga or City Clerk is the
record keeper. A hotel fire destroyed the early records prior to
1903. Plot records have been reconstructed where possible.
Morticians
- Van Etten was an undertaker from 1930s through 1970s. Before his
time there were several earlier morticians.
Churches
- First Reformed Church was organized 6 May 1871. They have a
1921 history written in Dutch and a 1971 history, both are available
at the Public and Ramaker Library in Orange City.
- Christian Reformed Church was established 14 July 1871. A
1971 History is at both libraries.
- American Reformed Church was organized 1885.
- Trinity Reformed Church
- Hope Reformed Church
- Faith Lutheran Church
- Redeemer and Dover Alliance Churches
Libraries
- Orange City Public Library, 112 Albany SE Orange City IA
51041 Ph: 712-737-4302. Hours - Mon-Thurs 9-9pm, Fri 8-5pm,Sat
10-5pm. The Public Library does not shelf a lot of genealogical
related material because of the close proximity of Ramaker Library
which houses the Dutch Heritage Room with resources as listed below.
Items of interest: 1913 and 1935 Atlases of Sioux County;
accelerated Index of the 1836 Iowa Territorial Census; History of
Orange City Tulip Festival, Anniversary Histories of Pella, Orange
City, Maurice and Sioux Center; many Church Anniversary
Booklets; a section on Iowa Histories; many others mentioned in the
Bibliography. Microfilm of the Sioux County Capital Democrat
newspapers from abt 1935 to presemt. Microfilm reader.
- Ramaker Library on Northwestern College Campus -- (Photo Postcard~courtesy of the David Shedlock Iowa Collection)
- Dutch Heritage Room - Located in the Ramaker Library at
Northwestern College Orange City Iowa Judy Hilbelink is curator.
It has the largest collection of Dutch material in the area.
Items of interest: 1870,1880,1900,1910, & 1920 Census of
Sioux County on microfilm; Sioux County Atlases for 1908
(Standard Historical - this is especially valuable for Sioux
County research), 1923, 1970, and 1976; Iowa Atlases for 1912
and 1924; Dutch Immigration Index 1820-1880 and Dutch Households
in US Census 1850,1860,1870 by Robert P. Swierenga; Sioux County
Cemetery Index and card catalog transcribed between 1979 and
1982. Information listed is from headstones in all Sioux
cemeteries. Regional Histories Index Card Catalog serves as a
means of surname access to the contents of many Iowa regional
histories, the books referenced are in the Dutch Heritage room
F621-F657. For Sioux County History books see The Story of Sioux
County by Charles Dyke and A History of Sioux County by G.
Nelson Nieuenhuis.
Many family histories, town and church histories of this area;
histories of other Dutch settlements; many books useful for
research of Dutch in New York; Guide to Dutch-American
Historical Collections of Western Michigan; Guide to Archives of
Central College of Pella; early Justice Dockets, deed, mortgage
contracts, marriages etc. of Sioux County; old letters of Henry
Hospers; John Hospers’ Diary (Dutch); letter of Sjoerd Sipma
sent to the Netherlands from Pella; Most of the books listed in
the Bibliography. A microfilm reader-printer is available.
The vault in the Dutch Heritage Room contain many to the above
items, ask a library assistant for access. Internet access to
College Catalog in which regional histories will be included.
Newspaper files
- De Volk Vriend (Dutch Language) 20 Jun. 1874 through 27
December 1935 is on microfilm at the Ramaker Library.
- Sioux County Herald from 1872 though December 1907 is on
microfilm at Ramaker Library Northwestern College.
- Contacts - Judy Hilbelink, curator Ramaker Library, Anita Vogel is
reference librarian.
Sioux County Courthouse
- Note - birth, marriage, and death records are now in Recorder’s
office.
- Clerk of Court - Most of the records have been micro
filmed. In about 1984 the LDS Genealogical library microfilmed the
older records 1870-abt 1930. The Greater Sioux County Genealogical
Society has purchased mirco filmed copies of the older births,
marriages deaths, naturalization and probate records. These can be
viewed and printed at the Sioux Center Library. The old birth and
death records are very incomplete.
- Recorder - has land records and can trace location by use
of the grantor-grantee index. Of particular interest is the book of
original owners of land. From this record you can obtain the
Homestead Certificate Number and the legal description of the land
and can then send for the Homestead papers from the National
Archives.
Histories
- Centennial Anniversary Book of Orange City 1870 - 1970,
- History of Orange City Tulip Festival by Vander Stoep,
- Biography of Henry Hospers by Niewenhuis;
- History of Education in Sioux County to 1940;
- Holland Township by Thomas Noteboom 1966.
- The Story of Sioux County by Charles Dyke 1942;
- Siouxland a History of Sioux County by G. Nelson Niewenhuis
- 1984.
- Plus many more area town histories. Items located in Dutch
Heritage Room Ramaker Library on the Northwestern College Campus
Orange City, IA.
Other
- Historical Society - Phares LeFever was secretary Museum is
south of Court House.
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