Dutch immigrants celebrate their new American home
A heartfelt Fourth of July gathering in Spaan's Grove honored the United States with poetry and song, reconciling ancestral roots with American patriotism.
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The Christian Reformed church celebration in Spaan's grove the Fourth was attended by 200 or 300 persons and was a very enjoyable affair. The program was mostly in the Holland language, but there was music and some recitations that Americans could understand. Orations were delivered by C. Bajema, H. Kok, J. Van Dyk and G. Hoeksema, while the last word in speech was by J. Slotemaker. One of the most impressive of the many patriotic songs was that called: 'Song of the Holland-Americans' to the tune of the Holland National Hymn, which reads in part: 'We love the land across the sea, We glory in its past; We pray for its prosperity, May it forever last, But tho we love old Holland still, We love COLUMBIA more.'
“But tho we love old Holland still, We love COLUMBIA more.”
Lynden’s Dutch heritage is a cornerstone of its modern civic identity. This 1910 report captures the delicate cultural navigation of first-generation immigrants affirming their loyalty to the U.S. while maintaining ties to their homeland, a sentiment that has evolved into the city's celebrated Dutch-American traditions.
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