Zwolle (New Orleans, DeQuincy, Many: richest, vacation, financed)

[Lian]

Hi,

I'm from the Dutch city called Zwolle.
and I recently found out that there is a Zwolle in the state of Louisiana too
I was wondering what the Lousiana Zwolle was like, and if the town has dutch roots? When was the town founded?

Our Dutch Zwolle is over 900 years old. Official records dating from 1040 mention the Dutch Town of Zwolle.

I'm just curious what the Lousiana Zwolle is like, How big it is and so forth. and if it is anything like our dutch Zwolle.

[Opelousasbear]

Here is the story of Zwolle and probably how it got its name.

"Visionary Arthur Stilwell built the Kansas City Southern Railroad from Kansas city to Port Arthur, Texas. He had reached Van Buren, Arkansas in 1893 when he ran out of funds. This was during the Panic of 1893 when investment capital was simply not available. Stilwell went to Zwolle, Holland and met with a rich coffee merchant whom he had met earlier on a European vacation - Jan De Goeijen (anglicized to John De Queen)." Moderator cut: copyright article

This was taken from the site, by clicking on the site you can find more information about the town.

Zwolle, Louisiana: Rich culture, history, character

Hope this helps.


[/SIZE]

[Lian]

thank you so much... I'll definitly take a look at that website...

[Rosinante]

It's also famous for its tamales. They hold a tamale festival every fall.

The town is not far from the Toledo Bend recreation area, and has been mentioned on the "Motorcycle Roads" website.

State Route 191, Louisiana

As well as in the online notes of a local historian:

Riding the Bend Page One

[markfrances]

Zwolle is one a chain of cities in Louisiana along the KCS railroad line that reflect Dutch investment in the company. Two others include DeRidder and DeQuincy.

[Lian]

Thank you for the comments. Because of your information I was able to find so much more information about Zwolle, Louisiana.

So, apperently there are more cities/towns in Louisiana that have dutch roots.. I really find it interesting

[Kurt]

Many people don't realize that the Dutch were the richest people in the world in the 1600's and well into the 1700's. A lot of New York money was based in old New Amsterdam and the Hudson River Valley. Go a bit further north into eastern Oklahoma and find Mt. Wilhelmena. I may be butchering some spelling. Alot of American railroads were financed with Dutch money or those with ties to the Netherlands--i. e., Vanderbilt, Roosevelt, Stuyvesant. Since New Orleans dealt in subtropical products there were ties to the Dutch islands of the Caribbean, Guyana, and even the Dutch East Indies.

Zwolle has a large number of people with a Mexican heritage and some of that is mixed with Native American, French, and Spanish. Zwolle is very proud of its heritage and will welcome you as long as you respect their unique culture. I am in love with Toledo Bend Lake so I get there rather often.