Having been raised in Central New Jersey, I am well-aquainted with its Dutch roots. The Dutch Reform Church pealed out its bells every Sunday at 10 am, and offered a Strawberry Festival in June, and a Peach Festival in August (thin ice-cream) Its cemetery was peopled by Ten Eyks, Van de Veers, Staats, and many others of Dutch descent– and so was our school.
My grandparents lived in a house, built 1750, built by the Dutch. As I write, it stands, but may soon be doomed to destruction
Since I have an article coming up on the Dutch settlement of this area, I was excited to come across
The Island at the Center of the World, by Russell Shorto,
The epic story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America.
Good writing, good story. I highly recommend it!
Melody Amsel-Arieli 