Holland was founded by Dutch Americans. A large percentage of citizens are of Dutch American heritage. It is located in the western region of the State of Michigan and is on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa. The city was settled in 1847 by Dr. Albertus Van Raaltre. The land was inhabited by the Ottawa Indians and welcomed the new Dutch settlers. Holland was incorporated as a city in 1867.
Holland’s downtown is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The project “Snowmelt” established pipes transporting warm water from the nearby power plant to travel under the streets and melt the snow, thus keeping the streets free of snow or ice. The De Zwann is an original 250 year old Dutch windmill which is located in the municipal park. The H. J. Heinz Company processes over a million pounds of pickles in one day. It has been located in the same location since 1897.
The Tulip Festival began in 1930 with 250,000 tulips planted for the event. Currently over six million tulips are planted along city streets and city parks as well as tourist attraction sites. It is normally held in the second week of May to correspond to the blooming of the tulips. Over a million visitors come to the Tulip Festival each year. It has been ranked as the third largest town festival and the best small town festival by Reader’s Digest.
The Festival can be reached by car or by Amtrak. It is a real treat to take the train especially if you have never been on one.
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