Dutch-American Heritage Museum

In 1950, one might still have heard this on a Sunday morning in town. A century ago, Orange City could well have gathered a choir as big as this one, even bigger. It's a hymn and a psalm, and, quite frankly, also something of a folk song. To the hearty tradition of Dutch Calvinists, it's far better than even a whole pocketful of peppermints. https://youtu.be/BQPgfMLb1CM

Buy something sparkly for your valentine this year? The museum has several boxes and items from one of Orange City's earliest jewelry stores owned by Albert Stuart. Stuart immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands in 1896 at the age of 21 years. He was a watch repairer by trade and later entered the jewelry business. He operated a store in Orange City for many years; newspaper notices indicated as early as 1902. Mr. Stuart was also well-known for his detailed mo...del windmill on display in his store window. Enjoy reading about it in this excerpt from the March 8, 1911, Sioux County Herald. He sold his store and retired in 1948.

We thought you might enjoy a glimpse into the annexthis is looking south from the north window alcove. We demolished down to the studs and installed new wiring, insulation, and drywall. Painting was completed last week. We're planning on adding a feature to the west wall--original shiplap will be reinstalled where the wall shows a slight indent. Next stop--ceiling and flooring.

Things are moving along!

Last weekend museum volunteers cleaned and moved items back into the main museum. This weekend, creating new exhibits began! This one is about the early home and family life of early settlers to Orange City. "Gezelligheid Kent Geen Tijd" is a common Dutch expression which roughly translates into "Coziness knows no time."