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Zeeland, Michigan
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Zeeland is a city in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,805 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township which is politically independent. Its name is derived from the Dutch province of Zeeland. As of the 2006 census estimates, the population was 5,478.
History
In 1847, a group of immigrants in search of religious freedom made plans to fulfill their dream. The group was led by wealthy landowner, Jannes Vande Luyster, who decided to sell all his holdings in the Netherlands in order to purchase the site of the original village, some 16,000 acres (65 km²) of what is now Zeeland, Michigan.
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Encyclopedia
Zeeland is a city in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,805 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township which is politically independent. Its name is derived from the Dutch province of Zeeland. As of the 2006 census estimates, the population was 5,478.
History
In 1847, a group of immigrants in search of religious freedom made plans to fulfill their dream. The group was led by wealthy landowner, Jannes Vande Luyster, who decided to sell all his holdings in the Netherlands in order to purchase the site of the original village, some 16,000 acres (65 km²) of what is now Zeeland, Michigan. The community was named after a province of the Netherlands. He arranged for three ships to make their way to Holland, Michigan. The first ship to arrive was Vande Luyster’s group, which arrived on June 27, 1847. This ship was followed by the Steketee group on July 4, 1847, and Reverend Van Der Meulen’s group on August 1. The total number of immigrants who embarked on this journey was 457.
The first building to be assembled was a church. Zeeland was platted in 1849, with the school district being organized the following year in 1850.
Close to twenty-five years later, Zeeland had already acquired a sawmill, a wagon factory, blacksmith shops, grocery stores, and a post office.
The village officially became a city in 1907 with a population of almost 3,000. There was a two-story brick kindergarten building, a two-story brick grade school, and a brick house building. The city also had four furniture factories, one large manufacturing plant, and several mills and smaller manufacturing industries.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²), of which, 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²) of it is land and 0.33% is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,805 people, 2,283 households, and 1,490 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,927.7 per square mile (744.6/km²). There were 2,389 housing units at an average density of 793.3/sq mi (306.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.90% White, 0.59% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.10% from other races, and 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.63% of the population.
There were 2,283 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,611, and the median income for a family was $53,227. Males had a median income of $35,288 versus $26,913 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,801. About 2.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
K-12 public schools
- Zeeland Public Schools
- Zeeland East High School
- Zeeland West High School
- Ottawa Area Intermediate School District
- National Heritage Academies (Eagle Crest Charter School)
Private schools
- Zeeland Christian School
- Holland Christian School
- Unity Christian School
Higher education
- Calvin College
- Hope College
- Grand Valley State University
Industry
- Zeeland is home to several world renowned companies. Those in the city of Zeeland include:
Herman Miller (Office Equipment and Modern furniture for the home)
Howard Miller (Clocks and furniture)
Gentex (Automotive and aerospace)
Mead Johnson (Baby Formula)
Innotec (Manufacturing)
R-BO (Assembly)
Sports achievements
2003 Class C State Lacrosse Champions. Zeeland defeated Plymouth-Canton Chiefs 12-9. Mike DeJonge MVP.
2006 Division 4 State Football Champions. Zeeland West Dux defeated the Coopersville Broncos 22-0.
- 1968 Doug Veneberg threw a no-hitter for the Zeeland Chix
Notable residents
External links
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