1G4 RURAL MICHIGAN 



the whole State. It coiihl not exliibit itself in min- 

 ing as in agriculture, and the mining industry of the 

 northern peninsula has never had a large German 

 element attached to it. Thus the iron mining county 

 of Iron, in 1910, had a German population of only 

 750 in a total of more than 15,000 inhabitants. 

 Gogebic County numbered 1,430 Germans in a popu- 

 lation of 23,333. On the other hand, the "Green 

 Garden" settlement of Germans near Marquette is 

 one of the most attractive agricultural communities 

 in the State, and the corn and cabbages, apples and 

 plums, grown within sight of Lake Superior in the 

 season of 1920 would have done credit to the best 

 agriculture of a more southern latitude. 



When ]\Iichigan had been ten years in the Union, 

 there appeared on its western shore southwest of 

 Grand Eapids a colony of Hollanders. Eeligious 

 differences in the mother-land had caused this band 

 of pilgrims to come overseas and, after some investi- 

 gation, they established themselves in their Michigan 

 "Canaan," where, as the Moses of their exodus. 

 Pastor Van Eaalte notes, fruit-raising, with general 

 farming, might prove a desirable form of agriculture. 

 Although some of the immigrants settled in Iowa, 

 the major portion of them came to Michigan. They 

 included heads of families, persons of the middle 

 classes and of rural experience. They were very 

 religious and have been tenacious of their faith and, 

 to some extent, of their language to the present time, 

 although readily assimilated to the common life of 

 the State. They held education in high esteem, as 



