
THE LITTLE WHITE STORE
HISTORY OF THE LITTLE WHITE STORE
The Little White Store stands as a reminder of main street Orange City in the late 1880s. The Dutch Heritage Boosters own and maintain the building, presently using it as a place to make poffertjes (a Dutch pastry) that are used to raise funds for their projects.
The white frame building was built in the 1870s and moved to its present location on Central Avenue sometime in 1880. Henry Hospers, founder of Orange City, sold the land to Dirk van den Bos in 1873. In 1877, van den Bos sold the property to G.H. Haverkamp, whose wife opened a millinery and dress store in the present building. In the store, she sold hats, feathers, bonnets and flowers, and also cut and fit dresses.
In 1882, the Haverkamps sold the store to Jennie Markus for $850. Markus continued to run it as a millinery store until 1920. She also lived in the apartment upstairs.
In 1920, James TeGrotenhuis purchased the building to use as an electrical shop, where he designed the Silent Sioux oil heater. Mike Posthumus purchased the building in 1927 and rented it to Dick Andringa who used it as a barbershop. He and his family lived on the premises. Andringa assumed ownership of the building in 1939 and later sold it to Oscar De Vries in 1945. De Vries used it as an electrical shop and stored appliances upstairs. In 1953, De Vries sold the building to Geert and Grada Hollinga who ran it as a barber shop until their son Lambert, who was also a barber, took over. In addition to cutting hair, Lambert sold hunting and fishing equipment and licenses there until his retirement in the early 1980s.
The barber pole previously stood at another barber shop in Orange City and was moved to its present location by Geert Hollinga.



Mid-Century

Who was born in The Netherlands in 1917

Who emigrated to Orange City in 1920 and was a barber

Sold fishing supplies

Presenting the Rifle Raffle Winner

In the Tulip Festival colorguard
