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Ottawa County was named after the local Native American tribe. The county was organized in 1837 but was considered a county just a few years before Michigan was a state. Rix Robinson, a fur trader, was considered an early, non-native settler to the area.
There are seventeen townships in Ottawa County. They are Allendale, Blendon, Chester, Crockery, Georgetown, Grand Haven, Holland, Jamestown, Olive, Park, Polkton, Port Sheldon, Robinson, Spring Lake, Tallmadge, Wright, and Zeeland. Some of the communities are Grand Haven, Holland, Hudsonville, Coopersville, Ferrysburg, Spring Lake, Allendale, and Jenison.
Surrounding counties are Muskegon, Kent, Allegan, Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Racine (Wisconsin).
Vande Water, Randall P.
Holland, happenings, heroes and hot shots. 1996. 4 volumes:
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F574.H6 V365 1994
Swierenga, Robert P.
Holland Michigan : from Dutch colony to dynamic city. 2014
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F574.H6 S95 2014 v.1-v.3
Lillie, Leo C.
Historic Grand Haven and Ottawa County. 1980.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F574.G73 L54z
Ewing, Wallace K.
Slaves soldiers citizens : African Americans in northwest Ottawa County. 2011.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F572.O8 E953 2011
Koevering, Adrian Van
The Dutch colonial pioneers of Western Michigan : the story of a mass movement of nineteenth century pilgrims. 1955.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F575.D9 K6 1955
Coopersville.
Coopersville Observer. 1880-1971, 1973.
LIB OF MICH MICROFILM NEWSPAPERS 2S
Grand Haven
Grand Haven Daily Tribune. 1896-1969
LIB OF MICH MICROFILM NEWSPAPERS 2S
Grand Haven
Grand Haven Tribune. 1969-2014.
LIB OF MICH MICROFILM NEWSPAPERS 2S
Holland
Grondwet. 1871-1938
LIB OF MICH MICROFILM NEWSPAPERS 2S
Holland
Holland City News. 1872-1977
LIB OF MICH MICROFILM NEWSPAPERS 2S
Zeeland
Zeeland Record. 1897-1986
LIB OF MICH MICROFILM NEWSPAPERS 2S
Bean, Hiram.
Map of Grand-Haven, Ferrysburg, and Mill-Point, Ottawa County, Michigan. 1857?
LIB OF MICH RARE MICH MAPS 4N G 4114 .G4 1857 .B43
Geo. A. Ogle & Co.
Standard atlas of Ottawa County, Michigan. 1912.
LIB OF MICH RARE MICH 4N Folio G1413.O9 O35 1912
W.W. Hixson & Co.
Plat book of Ottawa County, Michigan. 1930s.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N G 1413 .O9 H5 1930
Geological Survey (U.S.)
Michigan Holland quadrangle. 1932.
LIB OF MICH RARE MICH MAPS 4N Undersize G4114.H7 1929 .G4 1932
Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce.
Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg : the place where full measure of business and pleasure combine to make your days enjoyable. 1928.
LIB OF MICH RARE MICH 4N F574.G73 G724 1928
Herrick Public Library.
Index of obituaries from the Holland evening sentinel, 1912 - 1974. 1984.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F574.H6 I5 1984
Winter, Darlene.
Ottawa County marriage records: brides' names: an index, volumes 2-7, 1847-1902. 1991.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F 572 .O8 W56 1991
Daughters of the American Revolution. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton Chapter (Holland,Mich.)
Annual year book. 1959-1969.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N E 202.5 .M5 A26
Ewing, Wallace K.
A directory of people in northwest Ottawa County : an alphabetical directory of people from the past who lived in northwest Ottawa County. 1999.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F572.O8 E95 1999
Slotman, Gerrit H.
Two Civil War letters from Gerrit H. Slotman of the Holland, Michigan area. 1970s.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F 561 .S56z
Boersma, Loekie.
Wright Township, Ottawa County - Michigan. 1994.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F 574 .W75 B6 1995
Boersma, Loekie.
Tallmadge Township records, Ottawa County, Michigan, 1838-1882. 1995.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F 574 .T25 B64 1995
The colonization of Holland, Michigan as of 1849 / translated by Johannes W. Visscher. 1935.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N F574.H6 C6 1935
Michigan Department of Conservation.
Ottawa County - Michigan. 1965.
LIB OF MICH MICH DOCS FLAT FILE 2N G4113.O9E63 1965 .M53
Ottawa County (Mich.). Board of County Road Commissioners.
Map of Ottawa County road system and connections. 1921.
LIB OF MICH RARE MICH MAPS 4N G4113.O9 1921 .O9
West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission.
Southwest and east Ottawa County comprehensive development planning study. 1975.
LIB OF MICH MICHIGAN 2N HT393.M52 O87z
Updated 1/25/2023