The older citizens of Pella remember him as a worthy and public-spirited citizen
who enjoyed the full confidence of the community. He married Miss Alice J.
Lindsey in 1857. She was born in Pennsylvania. At the time this was written
(1881) they had four children: Arazella I., Inez Josephine, John B. and Alice
Pearl. Lost five.

JACOB DE HAAN

Was born January 4, 1803. The place of his birth was Hendrik Ido Ambacht,
Netherland. In his native land he was engaged in raising flax and preparing same
for the manufacture of linen cloth. Not being allowed his religious freedom, he
turned his thoughts to America, America [sic] with his family of four children,
namely: Pieternella, later Mrs. Jacob Colyn; Cornelia, later Mrs. P. J. Koelman;
Teunis, and Dingeman, the oldest son, Mathew, remaining in Holland, and his wife
having died several years previous.

After a long voyage upon the sea they reached America and traveled to Baltimore
by train and from there by tug boats on water and stage coach on land, and
arrived at Pella, the city of refuge, on the 24th day of June, 1849.

Their friends who had settled here two years previous received them with open
arms and kindly housed them for a few weeks until he could locate himself a
place for a home. He soon purchased a large tract of land adjoining what was
then laid out as the town of Pella, on the south side. Later he laid out that
part of Pella south of University street and west of East Third street, and
known as the De Haan Addition, and containing what is known as the South Pella
Square, which he donated to the city for a future park.

After purchasing the land, he immediately made plans for building a substantial
home, and his boys, Teunis and Dingeman, then aged seventeen and eighteen years,
were set to work hauling sand, brick and lumber with ox teams, the brick being
hauled from a yard near what is now Howell Station, and made by the Hollanders,
who thoroughly understood the making of brick, and the lumber being hauled from
the sawmill. Carpenters and masons were employed and the home was completed the
same year.

This homestead, of which we give an illustration, still stands as a landmark
after a period of seventy-three years, and is still in good repair. The old
picket fence shown in the illustration was sawed from native walnut lumber and
enclosed a large garden and is still in its original place. The first wall paper
brought to Pella was put in this house, and the first single harness made in
Pella by Van Stigt was purchased by Jacob De Haan.

Jacob De Haan was a man very highly respected among the early settlers and was
one of those men who took a great deal of interest in the welfare of the people
of Pella and surrounding country. During his life in Pella he was connected with
the First Reformed Church, and served as elder for a number of years and later
helped to organize the Third Reformed Church, where he again served as elder
until the time of his death, which came on the 20th of November, 1891, at the
age of eighty-eight years.