– -Jacob Pool (*1847)

terug

Spring Lake village Ottawa County MI

Census 1880

Bovenstaande gegevens uit de volkstelling van 1880 gaven even verwarring, want ik maakte er uit op dat Jacob getrouwd was. Maar dat bleek een vergissing mijnerzijds. Verder staat er bij Geziena vermeld dat zij lijdt aan “scrofula”. Het Latijnse woord scrofa betekent zwijn. Bij deze ziekte treden namelijk zwellingen op van de klieren in de hals waardoor de zieke inderdaad enige overeenkomst toont met een varkentje. Ze had dus een dikke keel, maar de ziekte werd ook wel in verband gebracht met tuberculose. Wat de waarde is van deze notitie van de meneer van de volkstelling is onduidelijk. In ieder geval heeft Geziena het overleefd.

Ten slotte is er de census van 1890. Daarin staan echter alleen Jacob en Geziena. Geen Ralph te bekennen. Ralph zou in dat jaar 21 oud zijn en hij was mogelijk vertrokken om elders de kost te verdienen. Er staat bovendien dat Geziena drie kinderen heeft gekregen waarvan er eentje nog in leven is. Vraag is dan welk kind daarmee bedoeld wordt: Jacob of Ralph? Jacob is genaturaliseerd Amerikaan; hij kan lezen en schrijven en hij spreekt bovendien Engels. Dat laatste kan Geziena echter niet. Het huis waarin ze wonen is zijn eigendom en er berust geen hypotheek op.
In 1908 overleed Jacob  Pool:

Connie Scheurwater was in het archief in Grand Haven en vond deze gegevens:
JACOB POOL (in the records spelled: POEL) died on October 17, 1908. He was single and his occupation was a shoemaker. He was born in The Netherlands. His age was 61 years, 7 month, and 21 days. His mother is listed as Geneva Pool. Vergelijk het originele Death Record. De aangifte van het overlijden werd gedaan door moeder Geziena Pool (dus niet “de Vries”).
Jacob overleed aan acute pulmonale congestie, oftewel hij heeft het plotseling heel benauwd gekregen en is vermoedelijk gestikt of overleden door een hartaanval.

Het graf in Spring Lake MI is ongetwijfeld van deze familie, maar de namen en data zijn een beetje wonderlijk.

Ga maar na: Er ligt een Ralph Pool, overleden 17 Januari 1895. Dat zou heel goed de tweede zoon van Geziena en Tjipke de Vries kunnen zijn, maar … dan zou hij Ralph DeVries heten, zoals in de Census van 1880 waar hij Ralph T. DeVries heet.
En wie is Geziena met als datum 1 Januari 1869? Die datum komt overeen met de geboortedatum van Ralph DeVries, maar Geziena is bij die bevalling zeker niet overleden, dat was pas in 1911. Was deze Geziena misschien een doodgeboren tweelingzusje van Ralph? Ach nee, want dan zou zij in het kerkboek hebben gestaan.
Een ander graf dat in aanmerking komt voor het in 1867 kindje van Geziena en Tjipke is hier vermeld (E-cw DeVries Ralph n. d. S.L.-Evert). Helaas is er geen datum vermeld.
En waar hebben ze Tjipke DeVries ter aarde besteld?

Als ik mijn fantasie de vrije loop laat zou ik me het volgende kunnen voorstellen. Moeder Geziena en voor-echtelijk kind Jacob hadden een sterke band met elkaar, anders was hij niet meegegaan op dit grote avontuur. Toen zij op gevorderde leeftijd toch nog trouwde met Tjipke heeft Jacob weinig gelegenheid gehad om met zijn stiefvader ook een band op te bouwen. Ze hebben samen niet veel tijd gehad (7 jaar).
Drie jaar na de geboorte van Roelf overleed Tjipke en eenmaal weer samen met zijn moeder heeft Jacob dit kind grootgebracht. Moeder en zoon hadden samen een kind. Dit klinkt wat incestueus, maar in ieder geval stonden ze samen in den vreemde voor een lastige taak om brood op de plank te krijgen en dit kind op te voeden.
Toen overleed hun (wellicht – moeder was 45 bij de geboorte – hulpbehoevende of gehandicapte) kind in 1895 op 26 jarige leeftijd, en Jacob moest een graf kopen. Dat deed hij en hij noemde zijn halfbroertje waarvoor hij eigenlijk als vader was opgetreden: Ralph Pool. Zo zal het wel gegaan zijn …..

advertentie in “Historical and Business Compendium of Ottawa County, Michigan, 1892-3” By: Potts & Conger

Interessant is ook dat er gegevens zijn over “Jacob Poel’s Shoe Repair store” in Spring Lake:
116 West Savidge Street (click om het huis in Spring Lake te zien anno nu)

Before Nixon’s Meat Market was located here during the 1920s and into the 1960s, Jacob Poel’s Shoe Repair store occupied the building.
In 1912 Elden [Edward] Hammond Nixon purchased a meat market at this site that had been started by John Vos, who sold the business around 1911 to Jacob Vander Wagon and Charles Schroeder. Nixon‘s Meat Market operated into the 1960s, first run by Elden Nixon I and then by his son, Elden II. They also owned a meat store at 124 Washington in the mid- to late 1920s. At some point Jacob Poel‘s Shoe Repair store occupied this building. In the early 1960s Jack Tighe‘s Hardware and Sporting Goods Store replaced Miller Hardware at this address. The Tighe store was closed by the mid-1960s. Gamble Hardware Store moved here from 124 West Savidge around 1970, but was gone before the end of the decade. Rapid Design occupied the site before moving to 116 South Jackson in 1980. Charles J. Smith was Manager of the company, which specialized in tool and die design. Great Lakes Windsurfing was in business here by the mid-1980s.
Bron: Historic Buildings (Jacob Poel’s Shoe Repair store in 116 West Savidge Street)

Dus toen Jacob overleed in 1908 bleef Gezina er vermoedelijk nog wonen (achter of boven de winkel). Toen ook zij overleed in 1911 werd de hele zaak opgedoekt en verkocht aan John Vos. Jacob en Gezina hadden er gewoond vanaf 1869.

En dit vond ik in de kranten:

The Evening Tribune
Grand Haven, Mich. 12 May 1893

Smoking Ruins Mark the Scene

Smoking ruins mark the scene today of the fire that laid Spring Lake desolate yesterday morning. Where were pleasant homes and large homes and large houses yesterday are the smoldering ashes and that bleak openness which mark such devastation as Spring Lake has undergone. From the river to the lake and from Jackson St. three bocks east is the area that the red fiend covered.
Through the courtesy of the Grand Rapids Democrat we are enabled to present a map of the burned district.
The losers in the fire so far as learned were:
Baptist church, loss, $10,000; Baptist parsonage, loss, $3,000; no insurance on either. M. E. church, loss, $7,000, insurance, $1,000; school house $8,000, insurance $5,000; engine house $2,000, insurance $800; Mrs. A. Mulder & Sons, two stores, $7,000, small insurance; P. Kruisinga, grocery, $2,000, insurance, $700.
Also the following residences: Fred Zaph, Mrs. C. Wilson, Alex Wood, Mrs. Hopkins, J. Poel, shoe shop and house, Mrs. M. Mulder, two houses; Mr. Spears, James Emery, Mary Cook, E. DeVries, L. O. Perham, two houses, Henry Cliff, T. Dykema, Geo. Schwab, James Wilde, E. Reenders, T. Smith, Sam Maine, Thos. Hammond, Mrs. Colson, Robt. Loosmore, A. Otto, E. Molson, Mrs. Woods of Grand Rapids, A. VanderMolen, A. M. Zuidema, B. Starke, F. Haan, F. Bertschy, M. Freed, J. Dykhouse, C. Dykema, Mrs. Crum, Jacob Slager, residence of A. D. Ball of Grand Rapids, known as the Gee house occupied by H. F. Harbeck.
There were also about a dozen more houses burned the owners of which were not learned, making 61 houses in all.
The Wood, Emery, Cliff, Hamond and Ball residences were insured. Mr. Harbeck had $1000 insurance on furniture. L. O. Perham was not insured and many others are left in the same plight, never expecting such a visitation.

Muskegon is in a position to sympathize deeply with Spring Lake in the latter’s visitation by fire, coming as it does on the anniversary of our own big fire is at hand. One of the sublimest scenes in the world is a city or town on fire, red waves of flame sweeping from the ground the result of man’s handiwork, the sublimity heightened by man’s helplessness and the thought of the sorrow and suffering that abide in the track of the king fire. Muskegon can appreciate most keenly Spring Lake’s position today, for in proportion to the size of city and town, the fire is a duplicate of that which swept Muskegon’s many blocks south from Clay avenue in 1891’Muskegon News.
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SPRING LAKE IS BURNED.
One-half of the Pretty Little Village Destroyed.
For the second time within five years our pretty little suburb of Spring Lake has received a visitation most terrible from the fire fiend. A good part of the residence portion of the town is in ashes, including several of the finest houses.
Little did people think that the harmless old river boat Barrett could cause such destruction. She left her dock at Grand Haven for Grand Rapids at 8 o’clock this morning. Sparks flew from her stack set the awful sawdust afire, where in former years the big lumber mills operated. The sawdust burned like tinder and at 9 o’clock a small house was ablaze. At 9:30 the Spring Lake School house was burning and at 10:30 the residence section was in flames.
The business portion of the town was mostly saved as the wind drove the flames further east from that section. Looking east down State St., appeared like a roaring, rushing sea of flames and smoke. Sidewalks, trees and fences were burning fiercely.
Of the larger structures the school house was probably the first to go. It was a large, red, wooden building valued at perhaps $8000 and an insurance of $5000 was carried on it. The engine house situated near it was burned about the same time. An old hand pump was consumed with the engine house. An attempt was made to put it out but the fire was too hot and the attempt was given up.
The Baptist church which is situated just back of State St., was the first church to catch fire. Improvements to the amount of $1500 had just been completed on the church.
The Methodist church was also burned. For a time it was thought that the church would be saved and strenuous efforts were urged, but it went down in the general ruin.
Diagonally across the street from the M. E. church were three houses, one of them being, Mr. Wiley’s and one Mr. Barrett’s. Despite the fact that they were right in the path of the flames they were saved, mainly through the efforts of Grand Haven volunteers who formed a bucket brigade.
Adjoing Mr. Barrett’s home was the large and handsome Gee residence, occupied by H. F. Harbeck. The house together with the barn, burned, entailing a loss of at least $15,000. Cartridges stored in Mr. Harbeck’s home raised a general hubbub by their exploding.
The fine homes of James Emery, L. O. Perham, Mr. Woods, and Fred Brown were destroyed. Also about 40 smaller residences.
Three business houses are burned out; Mulder & Sons, grocery and feed store, J. Poel’s shoe shop and P. Kruisenga’s grocery.
Grand Haven fire department were informed of Spring Lakes’ danger at 9:30 and at 10 o’clock the engine and several reels of hose were loaded on a coal car and were spinning towards Spring Lake at a 50 mile an hour clip. Chief Palmer had his men at work immediately and did good work throughout in checking the flames.
Grand Haven people can well sympathize with her neighboring village, and it is to be hoped, Phoenix like, new residences, schools and churches will rise again above the ruins.
The loss to Spring Lake is terrible and in money can be placed at $175,000. Eighty families are desolate. Many of them lost their furniture and clothing in their homes.
Individually, as well as a whole the loss from such a fire is hard and frightful to contemplate.

Notes From the Big Fire.
The Grand Haven Department made a grand rally to check the flames at a frame house near the D., G. H. & M. track. They were successful the first time, but it caught again and was destroyed.
‘Chaplain’ Clark, a well known retired minister of the village was stricken with apoplexy during the progress of the flames and is reported to be dangerously low.
President Lyman hustled around with the younger generation in lending a helping hand.
Muskegon sent down an engine and hose cart on a special, arriving at 12:30.
Several horses are reported to have been burned.
The fire fighters worked hard to save the M. E. church and it was not until it was all inflames that they desisted.
Grand Haven was well represented among the fire fighters and lookers on.
Several houses are said to have been burned at Nortonville at about the same time Spring Lake was burning.
Luckily, there were few serious accidents, though there were several narrow escapes from falling pails and buckets.
W. H. Loutit and N. Robbins, jr., marshaled a force of fire workers.
A big load of furniture and bedding, standing near State St. caught form a spark and was burned.
Many of the business places had goods in front of their stores and were ready to vacate.
The flames were not checked until 12 0’clock and even after that time there was serious danger because of the high wind.
Dr. Brown’s house did not burn as first reported.
Now the question is, will Spring Lake ever build up again.
Part of the path of today’s fire was over the same ground as the big fire one summer night some four years ago. Today’s fire was by far the largest and a great deal more involved.
Spring Lakers are model citizens and we would like to see many of the burned out families make their future homes here.

Diver Finch is still working today on the tug Wright.

The dock fires are now raging the same as for the past dozen years.

Grand Rapids can now go ahead and improve the Grand River as the governor has signed the bill.
bron: http://www.sandhillcity.com/dbd_5_93.htm

The Evening Tribune,
Grand Haven, Mich. 24 November, 1893
Spring Lake has a sand bagger.
As Jacob Pool, a shoemaker of that town, was going home last night and had neared the village school house, a man knocked him down with a sand bag. Mr. Pool was not so badly stunned but that he managed to call for help and the highway man was frightened away. The officers were not informed at that time or the man could have been tracked and undoubtedly captured. The robber is said to be a Spring Lake man and a desperate character, though he was not positively identified.
bron: http://www.sandhillcity.com/dbd_11_93.htm

2008 Spring Lake Cemetery Records – East Section