History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.

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Alfred Plugger, a noble-hearted Hollander, who advanced money to
help others, to be repaid when they could. He lost nothing by this
in the end, and died Nov. 1, 1864, with the love and benedictions
of all.
In 1847 the settlement in North Holland began. Van Raalte
told J. Vantongeren that the Indians reported good land to the
north, and directed him to search for it. He, with Jan Van Dyke,
after following the trail for five miles, found the land and returned
to report. In the winter of 1849-50 Jan Vantongeren, Gerrit Van
Dyke, his sons Jan, Jacob, Albert and Otto, and his two daughters,
all unmarried; Coenrad Smidt and family, Jan, Peter, Coenrad, William and Arent, and Jan Stag Sr. and Cars Weener, came in and
built log houses, bringing in one stove, four men drawing it on a
hand-sled. Next year Jan Spykerman and Jan Veldheer followed.
They cut a road from Holland the first winter. The first church
was a small frame, now part of the parsonage. In 1856 Herman
Grebel, of Grand Rapids, taught their first school. Arent Smidt
says he took two days to come from Holland with a team, which
stuck in the mud the first night.
In 1860 the first church was built, but a church had been organized since 1851. E. GC. Oggel was first pastor, in 1866. In 1870
B. Van Ness succeeded. Then there were 80 families, now there
are over 130. The settlement has, by industry and thrift, been a
success.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
R. KANTERS was born in the Netherlands Jan. 5, 1826; settled
in Holland, Mich., Sept. 26, 1862. Not only Mr. Kanters, but his
father and grandfather, were engaged in jetty work for the government before coming to the United States, which occupation he has
followed since his immigration heref. It was he who made the jetty
breakwater in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and now (1881) has a large
government contract on the same line in Texas. He has been
largely identified in the government of Holland City, and is thoroughly known throughout the community for his liberality, business
and social qualities. He married April 5, 1849, Christina Roos,
who was born May'20, 1822. They have eight children: Margaret
T., born June 21, 1850; Abraham M.,Aug. 10, 1851; Leendert T.,
March 19, 1853; Maria C., May 7,1855, died Oct. 29,1869; Rokus
A., Feb. 23, 1857; John D., March 15, 1858; Gerardus A., Jan.
21, 1864; Jennie R., June 21. 1866; Adrianis K., adopted son of
Girardus Roos, born Jan. 15, 1849.
ISAAC CAPPON. Among the self-made men of this locality, no one
is entitled to greater credit for his untiring energy and perseverance
than the subject of this short sketch. Born in the Netherlands
Jan. 13, 1830, he early sought a home and his fortune in the United
States. He found his way to Rochester, N. Y., in 1847, and remained a year, when in 1848 he settled in Holland, Ottawa, County,
Mich. In 1849 he was a laborer in the tannery of Mr. Pfanstiehl.
In 1856 he commenced the same business on his own account (see
history of the Cappon & Bertsch Leather Company) and now owns
the principal interest in the largest tannery in the State. Mr. Cappon has been largely identified in the government of the township

and city, having been Mayor several terms, on the Harbor and
School Boards, etc. He was married Sept. 18, 1851, to Catherine
De Boe, who was born in the Netherlands Feb. 5, 1835.
JOHN ROOST, the present Mayor (1881) of Holland City, ivas
born in Harderwyk, Holland, Oct. 9, 1823. He left his home in
the Netherlands about the same time so many of his countrymen
were seeking their fortunes in the new world, for in 1847 we find
him enrolled as a citizen of Holland Township, Ottawa County,

Michigan. By trade Mr. Roost was a wheelwright, which he followed at Holland and Grand Rapids for two years, then carried on
the wagon making and blacksmith business at Grandville till 1854,
when he settled permanently in Holland and engaged in the same
business. In 1858 he was elected Supervisor for Holland Township, and reelected in 1859-60. In 1861 he was elected County
Treasurer on the Republican ticket in a strong Democratic County.
He was appointed post master in 1861, and in 1862 was appointed
U. S. Enrolling Officer and Assistant Assessor. In 1870 he was a
member of the State Legislature.
MANLY D. HOWARD, the subject of this sketch, was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., Aug. 31, 1817, and moved to Chautauqua Co.,
in 1826. He graduated at the State Academy at Fredonia, in 1835.
He read law in the office of O. W. Moore, of Ann Arbor, and although he was never admitted to the Bar has ever done a large
amount of legal business. In 1854 he made Ottawa County, Mich.,
his home and followed lumbering, being the owner of a saw mill
till 1867. Since which time he has followed his profession coupling
with it insurance and real estate agencies. He was Representative
for two terms in the State Legislature, and a Justice of the Peace
for a number of years, and at the present is the owner of quite an
amount of real estate. He married in 1846 Sarah Stevens Bardwell, daughter of a prominent silk merchant of London, England.
Mr. Howard traces his genealogy to Earl Douglas Howard, of Vermont, who settled in Herkimer County, N. Y., in about 1800 and
died in 1820.
WM. BUTKAU, born in Germany May 26, 1830. Settled in Holland City, Michigan, in 1867, engaged in the manufacture of boots
and shoes. In the same year he was burned out losing his all, barely escaping with his family. Rebuilt the" next year and was again
burned out in the great fire of 1871. Rebuilt and commenced the
butchering business, which he still continues, owning the large city
meat market on 8th Street. He has enjoyed a large share of the
confidence of the citizens of Holland, for he has held the several
offices of Constable, Marshal and Alderman. He married Dec. 22,
1854, Mary Schrader, who was born March 30, 1827, and died Aug.
17, 1858. Second marrriage Dec. 27, 1859, to Mary Lutzan, who
was born in Germany Oct. 17, 1827, and died Aug. 16, 1873. Third
marriage, Dec. 28, 1873, to Meta Wieck, who was born in Germany
March 28, 1840. He has four children.
MARTIN DE BOE was born in the Netherlands March 19, 1837.
Emigrated to Holland, Michigan, in 1847. He was a carpenter by
trade. In April 1861, he enlisted as private in the 3rd Michigan In~fantry, discharged on account of wounds received at Fair Oaks, May
31, 1862. Recovering from his wounds he was soon after elected
1st Lieutenant in Company I., 25th Michigan Infantry. Promoted
to the Captaincy February 1863, was wounded at Nashville, Dec.
16, 1864, but served until the close of the war, in all over four years.
Upon his return he resumed his trade and is now engaged with Cappon & Bertsch. He married Nov. 2, 1859, Jane Goodluck, who
was born in the Netherlands Feb. 12, 1838.
AREND VISSCHER. The father of this subject, Jan Visscher, was
born in Genemuiden, Province Overisel, Netherlands, on the tenth
day of May, 1817, and his mother, whose maiden name was Geesje
Van Der Haar, was born in the same place on the fifth day of Aug.
1820. These were united in marriage on the second day of May
1841, and thereupon for some four or five years they engaged in mer

cantile business in their native place. Restraint in the free exercise
of their religious convictions, want of advantages for the liberal education of their children and the reasonable certainty that remaining where they were neither they nor their children could rise above
their present condition, caused them to look around for a home and
country which would in these respects offer them better facilities.

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