Voyage to America

Voyage to America

Rik Coolsaet

Rik Coolsaet

Voyage to America

April 2024

First published April 2013

Third revised edition April 2024

Cover illustrations

ManifestoftheSSLapland,sailingfromAntwerptoNewYork,9May1914,withEmielCoolsaet aspassenger;logooftheDutch-languagenewspaper Gazette van Detroit (1914-2018); handwrittengenealogyoftheCoolsaetfamilybyMauriceVandenberghe(1958);logoofthe Belgian-AmericanCenturyClubn°1(1913);streetsignofCoolsaetLnonGrosseIle;Alice CoolsaetandCharleyHolvoetwithfamily(ca.1920)inDeltaCounty,Colorado;posterRedStar Line(ca.1923);headlineintheNovember1923issueof World’s Work

Preface

Attheturnofthetwentiethcentury,thousandsofBelgianslefttheirnativecountryand crossedtheAtlantic.TheAmericanDreamwastheirbeacon.1906and1907werethe peakyearsofthiswaveofBelgianmigration.Severalindividualsaswellasfamilieswith Coolsaetastheircommonsurnametookpartinthisjourney Theywerefewinnumber,butthey hadsomethingsincommon:ahumblebackground,thesameplaceofbirth,and,ofcourse,their lastname.

What’sinaname?

Asisoftenthecasewithfamilynames,theoriginofthename Coolsaet disappearsintothemistof time.Certaintyisrelative.Accordingtoetymologists,however,theword‘Coolsaet’istheMiddleDutchprecursortothemodern-dayDutchword‘koolzaad’.ItderivesfromtheOldHighGerman word kolsaat anditslatermodifications kôlsât and kôlsâme andreferstorapeseed,abright yellowflower,usedtoproduceoil(henceitissometimescalled‘fieldmustard’).TheFrenchword colza derivesfromitsDutchequivalent.Middle-Dutchwasthecollectivenameforaseriesof relateddialectsspokenbetween1150and1500inanareastretchingfromDunkirkinthewest overMaastrichtintheeasttoGroningeninthenorth.

Aroundthe13th century,whentheuseofsurnamesbecamestandardpracticeinFlemishcities, thenamewasprobablyintroducedtorefertoatraderingrainsandseeds,inparticularof coleseed(theseedofthecommonrapeorcole),butalsomorespecificallytoaproduceror supplierofrapeseed Varyingspellingsofthenamehavealwaysco-existed: Coelsaet, Coolzaet, Koolzaed, Colsaet, Colzaerts, Kohlsaat, Coolsaët.Evenwithinthesamefamilybranch,spelling oftenvaried,dependingontimeandcircumstances.Foraslongasilliteracywaswidespread, patronymswereindeedconfinedtotheactsbasedupontheirpronunciation.

Theoldestmentionofanactualindividualcarryingthisnamedatesto1285.Adocumentofthe CityofBrugesmentionsa“Coelsaed’s farmstead” innearbyDudzele,possiblybelongingtoa personcalledBoudin(Baldwin)Coelsaet Insubsequentcenturies,thenamebeginstocirculate, inparticularinthehistoricCountyofFlanders,spanningfromDunkerque(inpresent-day France)overCourtraitoBruges.

ThisisalsowhereallAmericansnamedCoolsaetcomefrom.Availablehistoricalevidenceindeed confirmsthattherootsofallofthemreachbacktotheplainsofFlanders,thenorthwesternpart ofwhatisnowBelgium.

Voyage to America tellstheirstory.Whatpushedthemtogooverseas,toafar-awaycountryof whichtheyknewnexttonothing?Whathappenedtothemoncetheysetfootashore?Some quicklyturnedback,othershesitatedforsometimebetweentheoldandthenewcountry,still otherssettledpermanently Thenumbersofindividualsinvolvedislimited,comparedtomore widelydisseminatedsurnames.Buttheirlifestoriesarenolessfascinatingforthatbecausethey teachusaboutthepains,pitfallsandsuccessesofpeoplemigratingtonewhorizonssincetime immemorial.

Justoveradecadeago,thefirsteditionof Voyage to America waspublishedfollowingavisitto thesoleremainingCoolsaetfamilyintheUnitedStates.Overthedecade,muchmoregenealogy

recordsandnewinformationhavebecomeavailable Digitizationhasadvancedatarapidpace. Thecurrenteditionhasmadegratefuluseofallthisevidence.Itcorrectssomefactualerrorsin thepreviousedition,addssignificantlytothefamilybackgroundsinthehomevillagesofthe Coolsaetemigrantsandcompletestheinformationontheirintegrationintheirnewcountry

Voyage to America isthefirststepinwhatultimatelywillbecomethe Chronicles of the Coolsaet families –thelifestoriesofacollectionoffamiliesthatsharethesamefamilyname.Itsgoalisto tracethejourneyofthesefamilies,sweptalongbytheflowoftime,tofeelthepulseoftheir journeyandtoprojecttheirpersonalvoyageintothewiderbackgroundoftheeventsoftheir time.HistorythroughtheeyesoftheCoolsaettribe,sotospeak.

Andaverylast,personal,noteonthekinshipoftheauthorwiththeAmericanCoolsaetfamilies. WhenmyfatherlearnedoftheexistenceofaCoolsaetfamilyintheUnitedStatesthroughan articleintheJanuary1989issueof Pipeline and Gas Journal,wespontaneouslyassumedwewere relatedtoourAmericancousins.Thatassumption,however,provedincorrect.TheAmerican CoolsaetfamiliestracetheirlineagebacktoanareathatisnowWestFlandersinBelgium,while myfamilyhasitsrootsinEastFlanders,asfarasthearchivestellus.Wesharethesame(rare) surname,butnotourancestors–atleastnotsincethe17th century.

RikCoolsaet

April 2024

Sailing to America

LongbeforetherewasacountrycalledBelgium,peopleoriginatingfromthispartofthe worldlandedontheshoresofNorthAmerica.Sometookpartinthefirstorganized attemptsatcolonizingNorthAmerica.OtherswereCatholicmissionaries.Stillotherswere individualslookingforanewhomeandafuture,hopingtoleavebehindapoverty-strickenlifein theoldcountry

Intheearly1600s,agroupof30families,mostlyWalloons,wereundoubtedlyamongthevery firstfromwhatwouldlaterbecomeBelgiumtoreachNorthAmerica.1 Escapingpovertywasnot theirmainpreoccupation,however.Settingupanautonomouscolonywas.TheWalloon participantswereProtestantswhohadfledfromreligiouspersecutionintheSpanish Netherlands(whichincludedpresent-dayBelgium)andhadmovedtosafetyintheNetherlands inthelate1500s.TheretheyformedaWalloonProtestantcommunityoftheirownthatstill existsintoday’sNetherlands.

Representinganinterestingmixofprofessions–fromcarpentersandfarmerstocoppersmiths andevenasurgeon–theyofferedtheir servicestothenewlycreatedWestIndia Company,aDutchcharteredcompany,which wasconsideringplanstoorganize expeditionstoestablishpermanent settlementsontheeastcoastofNorth AmericaandtheManhattanpeninsula.In 1614,independenttradershadnamedthe region‘NieuwNederlandt’or,initsLatin translation,‘NovumBelgium’or‘Nova Belgica’.Theyhadestablishedalucrativefur tradewithHolland,thatthenewcompany wantedtotakeover.Thedevelopmentof agriculturewastheCompany’sothermain goal.

InMay1624,thefirstexpeditionwiththe thirty,mostlyWalloon,familiesonboardset footashoreonManhattan.Theyclaimedthe landinthenameoftheNetherlands,or,more correctly,oftheWestIndiaCompany.Some weredispatchedtoAlbany,thecenterofthe furtradeandaprimeagriculturalspot.Afew remainedonManhattanIslandtoestablish thefoundationsofthenewcolony.Theywere soonjoinedbyasecondgroupofsettlers, alsomostlyWalloons.Andrapidlyothers followed.Theseearlysettlerscanrightlybe consideredthefoundingfathersofNewYork.

The origins of New York: Nieuw Nederlandt or Nova Belgica (map by Adriaen van der Donck, 1656)

Accordingtomanyaccounts(but notsupportedbyhistorical evidence),twoyearslater,a ‘Belgian’boughtManhattanIsland. PierreMinuitwasbythengovernor of‘NieuwNederlandt’.Hisparents wereWalloonProtestantsfrom Tournai.Spanishpersecutionhad driventhemoutthere,however, afterwhichtheyhadfoundrefuge inWesel(Germany) Itisalleged thatin1626heextractedtheisland fromitsindigenouspeoplefor60 guildersoftrinkets:someglass beads,brassornaments,andstrips ofcoloredcloth.

Intheearly1800s,enterprisingindividualsandfamiliestoostartedtoventuretoAmerica.2 Walloonfamiliessetup Nouvelle-Liège,thefirst,albeitsmall,BelgiancommunityinMissouri. ThisBelgianpresencewasshort-lived,asafter1833alltracesofitsexistencehaddisappeared. OtherattemptsatBelgiansettlementswerealsomade.Theyweremostlytheworkoffarmers, includingfromBelgium’ssouthernmostprovinceofLuxemburg.Often,theysettledinMichigan andOhio.Conditionsinthenewcountrywereharsh.3

Astheirjourneywasoftenanindividualdecision,onlyverysmallandscatteredBelgian communitiesresulted Onlyrarelydidtheseearlysettlementsleaveatracetothisday,suchas BelgiuminOzaukeeCounty,Wisconsin.

In1830,Belgiumgaineditsindependence.FormostBelgians,dailyliferemainedhard.Bythe mid-1840s,BelgianauthoritiesstartedtoencouragethecreationofoverseasBelgiancoloniesto alleviatethepressuresofpovertyandmiseryintheFlemishcountryside.Buttobecandid, amongthosewholeftfewreallyvolunteered.Theauthoritiespaidfortheircrossingtogetridof undesirables,suchasbeggars,vagabonds,andex-convicts.TheAmericanauthoritiesdidnot appreciatethequalityoftheBelgiannewcomers.Notsurprisingly,allattemptsatsubsidized overseassettlementsfailedmiserably,leadingtheBelgiangovernmenttoabandonin1856its activeinvolvementintheemigrationofcountrymen.

Allinall,then,theBelgianpresenceintheUnitedStateswasnotoverwhelming.In1850,the Americancensusrecordedonlyslightlymorethan1300personsfromBelgianorigininthe UnitedStates.Overseasmigrationpalesincomparisontothemuchmoresignificantnumberof BelgiansgoingtoneighboringFrance.AccordingtoFrenchrecordsfortheyear1851,nofewer than128.000Belgianslivedthereatthetime.4

So,thesayingthatBelgianssticktotheirsteeple,isnotcorrect.Migrationshavebeenpartand parcelofBelgium’shistorytoo.Butitiscertainlyaccuratetosaythat,inmanycases,Belgians movedwithinastone'sthrowoftheirfamiliarsurroundings.Fewventuredoverthehorizon.

Bythemid-1800s,emigrationrapidlybecameapoignantrealityforanincreasingnumberof Belgianhouseholds.Between1850and1856,Belgiansstartedtotravelinslightlygreater numbers.Thecollapseoftheonceimportantlinenindustry,badharvestsandepidemics

The so-called purchase of Manhattan by Peter Minuit in 1626 (drawing from 1892)

resultinginblatantpovertyandfamineinWestandEastFlandersandinHainaut,pushedtheir inhabitantsoutoftheirhomesteads,lookingforanescapefrommisery.Mostmovedtothe industrialsouthofthecountry,tothecapitalBrussels,ortoneighboringFrance Insomecities andvillagesofnorthernFrance,theysoonevenoutnumberedthenativeFrench.Thisfueled nativistreactionsandriotsagainstthenewcomers.FlemishemigrantsinFrance(andin Wallonia)enjoyedadreadfulreputation.ClichésaboundedaboutFlemingsaspronetoviolence, crime,anddrunkenness.

AmuchsmallernumberofBelgianssetcourseforNorthAmerica.WisconsinintheU.S.became intheseyearsamagnetforWalloon-speakingBelgiansfromBrabantandHesbaye.5 Several thousandsettledaroundGreenBay,transformingitintothelargestBelgiancolonyoftheUnited States.In1885,theBelgianconsulinGreenBayestimatedtheoverallnumberofBelgiansin Wisconsinatsome20.000(womenandchildrenincluded).Mostofthemwerefarmersanddid fine,owninghorsesandcattle.Somemerchantsevenmademodestfortunes.6

Someofthesettlementswereaccompanied,eveninspired,byCatholicmissionaries,whohad startedtotraveltotheNorthAmericainincreasingnumbers.Asearlyasthe17th century,afew pioneeringmissionariesfromthe‘Belgian’provincesoftheSpanishNetherlandshadalready beenonasolitarymissioninNorthAmerica.SomewenttoChristianizeNativeAmericans,while othersremainedwiththeEuropeansettlers.Atfirst,theyoftenfacedthehostilityfromlocal Protestantauthorities.7 Butsoon,theirnumbersincreased.Amongthemissionariesandpriests, therewereFlemingsaswellasWalloons.In1828,anAssociationforthePropagationoftheFaith wasevenestablishedinsupportoftheBelgianmissionariesintheUnitedStates.Somedecades later,anAmericanCollegewassetupinLeuven(Belgium)forseminarianspreparingfora priesthoodintheUnitedStates.Butinthesecondhalfofthecentury,thenumbersofBelgian missionariesandpriestsstartedtodecline.8

Globallythough,theBelgianmigrationtoAmericaremainedmodest,comparedtotheIrish,the Italian,theGerman–andeventotinyLuxemburg.

Onlyinthelastdecadesofthe19th century,athirdandlargerBelgianmigrationmovementtothe U.S.started,nowmostlymadeupofFlemish-speakingBelgiansfromthenorthofthecountry.A generalagriculturalcrisisbecauseoftheimportofcheapAmericangrain,combinedwith extremelylowwagesintheFlemishflaxindustry,andalackofprospectswerethemainengine ofthismigratoryboom.

Americabecameatemptingdestinationtosome.Jobopportunities werelegion,accessiontolandownershiprelativelyeasy, transportationcostsrapidlydecreasedandanewtransatlantic passengerlinefromAntwerp,theRedStarLine,startedoperating in1873,reinforcingtheroleofAntwerpasaportofdeparture

From1889onwards,BelgianmigrationtotheU.S.steadily increased.NocertaintyexistsontheexactnumbersofBelgians migratingtotheU.S.inthisperiod.Intheearlyyearsofthe20th century,itreacheditspeak,withsome3000Belgiansarrivingeach year(reachingalmost5000in1907).Overallnumbersbetween 133.000and200.000BelgianmigrantstotheUnitedStatesare oftensuggested.Butthesenumberscoverthefirsttimerswho decidedtopermanentlymovetotheU.S.,aswellasso-calledreturn migrants,whotravelledbackandforthbetweenAmericaand Belgium.The1900USFederalCensusrecorded29.848Americaninhabitantswhowerebornin Belgium.Twentyyearslaterthenumberhadclimbedto62.687.Bothnumbersprobably underestimatetheactualnumberofBelgian-bornAmericans.

MostBelgianstraveledtoAmericaviaAntwerp,butsomepreferredRotterdamorLeHavre SomechoosetotravelviaCanadatoavoidtheharassingandincreasinglyrestrictivecontrolsat EllisIsland.TheGrandTrunkRailwaythenbroughtthemtotheirdestiny,eitherinCanadaitself orintheUnitedStates.

Theregionoforiginheavilyinfluencedtheirdestination,primarilybecauseoftheirprofessional background,butalsooutofadesiretojoinparentsandfriends,thusestablishinglocalBelgian communities.Sometimes,theynamedtheirnewhomeaftertheirregionoforigin(Ghentin MinnesotaandKentucky,BrusselsinWisconsinandIllinois,AntwerpinNewYorkandOhio, HobokeninNewJersey,andsoon).Belgianswithanindustrialbackground(miners,weavers, andglassworkers)oftenoriginatedfromWalloniaandwenttotheindustrialareasoftheEast, suchasofPennsylvania,butalsotoIndianaanditsglassindustry.Atthattime,thisstate experiencedanindustrialboom,thatrequiredasteadilyincreasinglaborforce.Theavailability ofjobsactedasamagnetforindustrialworkersfromabroad.

MostmigrantsfromWestandEastFlandershadafarmingbackgroundandoftensettledin Michigan(Detroitinparticular)andIllinois(Moline),orKansasforfarmersfromHainaut.To themtheUnitedStatesindeedoffereduniqueopportunities:fertilelandwasabundant,and ownershipwaseasilywithinreach,especiallywhentheybecameU.S.citizens.Thisattractive perspectivecontrastedfavorablywiththeheavyrentsandtaxestheyhadtopayinBelgiumfor exploitinglandtheydidn’town.

Oncethepioneershadsettledin,theirfamiliesjoinedthem.9 In1895,theBelgianconsulin DetroitdescribedhowBelgianfarmersplannedtheiroverseas“colony”.Intheirvillageoforigin, severalfamiliesjointlydecidedtosendoneofthemtoMichigan,toscoutforgoodagricultural land,toenquireaboutproceduresandmaterials.Armedwithhisinformationtheythencame overingrouptoexploittheland.AccordingtotheBelgianconsul,farmersandcraftsmenhadthe bestchancestosucceed.TherewasnorealneedforthemtospeakfluentlyEnglish.Bycontrast, thehighlyeducatedindividual,theconsulwarned,wouldfaceenormousdifficultiessettlingin Detroit,oftenendinginmisery.10

Theconsulalsowarnednewcomerstoactdiscreetly.Andindeed,contrarytotheirratherillfamedreputationinFrance,BelgianmigrantstotheU.S.donotseemtohavesufferedthesame rebuff.Quitethecontrary,itseems.In1906,aconsideratejournalistofthe Detroit News Tribune describedtheBelgiansofDetroitas“picturesque people” :

“With their characteristic unobtrusiveness the Belgian immigrants are slipping into the city almost unobserved.

[…] While the German, Italian, Polish and half a dozen other nationalities are almost constantly talked about, and while the parts they play in civic and social life are frequently discussed, one seldom hears a word spoken about the Belgians. They are almost never found in the police court.”11

WhatdistinguishestheBelgiancolonyinDetroit,accordingtothesamejournalist,wastheir observabledesiretoadheretotheirancestors’customs:

“

[ ] most Belgians are filled with an inherent love for old country customs, and […] many still live as they did in the little towns or on the tiny farms of the fatherland. […] Their games date back for hundreds of years; scores of them wear wooden shoes, the form of which were designed centuries ago, and many still cling to the clothes in vogue only in the picturesque little towns of the fatherland.”

Detroit News Tribune, 5 August 1906

MostoftheBelgiansinDetroitseemedtoliveincomfortableconditions,exceptfortherecent newcomers.Accordingtoourjournalist,Belgianmigrantshadaclearadvantageoverother nationalities,theirlanguageskills:

“Scores of them not only speak Belgian [heprobablymeantaFlemishdialect], but French and German, and it is not uncommon to hear a rough-visaged, curiously clad man who labors upon Detroit streets converse in three languages.”

OurjournalistundoubtedlyoverestimatedthelanguageskillsoftheBelgiannewcomers,butina clearreferencetothetensionscreatedbythemassmigrationofthattime,heconcludeshis articlewitharemarkbythecity’schiefimmigrationinspector:

“If all the immigrants who came to this country were Belgians, such phrases as ‘the danger of immigration’, ‘immigrant crime’ and ‘immigrant taint’ would be practically unknown in the United States.”

ButBelgians’reputationwasnotalwaysbeyondcriticism.Thisoccurredononlyafewoccasions, though.InNovember1923,the News Messenger –thelocalnewspaperofLyonCounty,Minnesota –hadreproducedaportrayalofthepeopleofGhentinMinnesotabyGinoSperanza,publishedin World’s Work,apro-businessmonthlyfromNewYork:

“Not are the de-nationalizing forces of alienation operative only in the large cities […] The little town of Ghent, Minn., is predominantly Belgian. Such alien inhabitants are, as a local teacher reports, almost absolutely illiterate, they speak no language but their own, and bear children who grow up wholly ignorant of English.”12

World's Work, November 1923

Themonthlywasknownforitsanti-Catholicandanti-migrationbias,whichexplainsthevileness ofitscharacterizationoftheBelgianimmigrantcommunityinGhent,whichwasstaunchly Catholic.LocalnewspaperstookthedefenseofGhent:“Ghent may have a population of citizens of foreign birth, but the facts show that they have the right American spirit,”oneofthemwrote.And contrarytowhat World’s Work pretended,theoldmothertonguewasrapidlydisappearing,in particularamongyoungpeople.13

Onanotheroccasion,inJune1940,atthebeginningofWorldWarII,acolumninaChicago newspapersuggestedthatBelgiansmightnotbe“100 per cent Americans and quite possibly a subversive element”inAmericansociety.The Chicago Tribune receivedseveralreaders’letters denouncingtheinsinuation.Inalaterarticle,thenewspapercorrecteditsstance.Itnowcounted theBelgiansamongthe“Patriots from the Low Countries”.Notingthattheirmaindiversionwas pigeontraining,thepaperinformeditsreadersthattheAmericanBelgianshad“furnished many carrier pigeons for the army”.14

The Coolsaet emigrants

Beforetheearly20th century,nopersonwiththenameCoolsaeteverwenttotheUnited States.Itisnotuntil1920thattheU.S.censusliststhenameCoolsaet.Yet,thisdoesnot quiteturnouttoreflectreality,aswillbeseeninthelifestoriesoftheCoolsaetsthatleft BelgiuminsearchforabetterlifeinAmerica.Theywerefew–nomorethanadozen Theyalso camefromjustafewvillagesbetweenYpresandCourtrai.Andtheirfamilybackgroundswere verysimilartothoseoftheirBelgianfellow-emigrantsatthetime.

Dadizele. Availablehistoricalevidencepointsto Hector Coolsaet astheveryfirstCoolsaettoset footonAmericansoil Hewasborninalargefarmers’familyinDadizele,thathadmovedto nearbyMenen(‘Menin’inFrench)attheborderwithFrance.WhenheleftBelgiumfortheU.S.in 1902,hewas25.InMenen’spopulationregisters,themunicipalityclerkrecorded:“leaving for Marinette, Wisconsin”.Marinette’spopulationwasthenpeaking,duetoalumberboomandother thrivingindustrialplantsthattookadvantageofMarinette’slocationattheconfluenceofseveral waterways.AfterleavingAntwerp,Hectorseemstohavechangedhismind Thereisno indicationthatheeverwenttoMarinette.Instead,accordingtowhathehimselfstated,hewent toMarshall,thecountyseatofLyonCounty,Minnesota.Mostprobably,helivedinGhent,atiny villageoflessthan200souls,7milesnorthwestofMarshall Afterall,thatwasthedestination hisyoungerbrother Remi mentionedwhenjoininghisbrothertwoyearlater.Remiwasbarely 15atthetime.

Gullegem. Inthesummerof1905, Polydoor Coolsaet,borninGullegem,5milesfromMenen, embarkedinAntwerpasathird-classpassengeronboardoftheSSZeelandoftheRedStarLine, destinationNewYork.Hetoowas25andinpossessionof15$ Hedeclaredtojoinhiscousin

AlbertBilliet,whohadcometotheU.S.in1901andwasnowworkingasagardenerinKansas City,Missouri.Bythen,some500Belgianswerelivinginthecity.Polydoorwasaccompaniedby ThéodoreLaisnez,43,afarmerfromGullegem,whoalsoreferredtoArthurBillietastheperson hewasgoingtojoin.ButPolydooralsoseemstohavechangedhisplans,ashesoonturnsupin Superior,Wisconsin

Bissegem.InAugust1907, Cyriel Coolsaet,borninBissegemin1873,butbythenlivingin nearbyWevelgem,leftforQuebeconboardoftheMountRoyaloftheCanadianPacificLine.Used asatrooptransporterduringtheBoerWarinSouthAfrica,theshipwasnowusedtoferry1500 third-classpassengersbetweenAntwerpandQuebec.Thevessel’smanifeststampshimas “tourist”.Moline,Illinois,however,washisrealdestination Hiselderbrother Camiel wasstaying thereatthetime.Molinewasthenanimportantindustrialcitywithaconstantdemandfornew labor.Itattractedlargenumbersofforeignworkers,includingBelgians.

Cyriel’sniece Alice Coolsaet,25,arrivedinNewYorkinSeptember1911,asathird-class passengeronboardoftheSSLapland,with20$inherpurse.AlicetoowasborninBissegem. Shehadmarriedto Odile Holvoet,afterwhichthecouplehadmovedtonearbyLauwe Theyhad onesonwhenOdiledecidedtotraveltoCanada.HestayedforsometimeinWallaceburg, Ontario ButitlooksasifhesoonreturnedtoBelgium.Twomoresonswereborntothecouple InMay1910,OdileagainreturnedtoNorthAmerica.Detroit,Michigan,wasnowhisdestination. Hestatedthathewasjoiningacousinthere.Atthattime,morethan2600Belgiansor descendantsfromBelgianimmigrantswerelivinginMichigan.Itwassecondonlytothestateof Wisconsin,whichhad4400.Butasintherestofthecountry,theirnumberswererisingrapidlyin thefirstdecadesofthe20thcentury.

Atsomepointintime,OdileadoptedamoreAmerican-soundingname: Charley Alicejoinedhim morethanayearlater.Bythen,hewaslivinginOmaha,Nebraska.Forlackofmoney,thecouple hadtoleavetheirchildrenforsomemoreyearswithrelativesinBelgium.In1919,theyoungest ofthem, Odilon (Maurice),whohadaweakheartandwasfrailallhislife,died.Withtheir savings(andaloan),AliceandCharleywerefinallyabletosendfortheremainingboys.In November1919, Joseph and Gilbert embarkedontheSSFranceinLeHavre,destinationNY.

Emiel Coolsaet,23,anativeofBissegemtoo,leftAntwerponboardoftheSSLaplandon9May 1914–threemonthsbeforetheGermanarmyinvadedBelgium.Thecaptureoftheportof AntwerpbytheGermanarmyinterruptedtheactivitiesoftheRedStarLine(itssailingsonly resumedin1919).Theship’spassengerlistmentions“farm laborer”asEmiel’soccupation.He indicatedthathewasjoininghis“brother”(infacthishalf-brother,asweshallseelater) Alfons Haezebrouck inDetroit Hewasaccompanied,incidentally,by René,Alfons’youngerbrother, whooccasionallyvisitedhiminDetroit.

Kruishoutem.Afinal,mysterious,individualshouldbementioned.Accordingtoafamilystory,a CoolsaetoriginatingfromabreweryfamilyinKruishoutem,EastFlanders,migratedtotheU.S. duringtheProhibitioninthe1920s.Heallegedlypursuedbreweryactivitiesdespitethebanon suchactivity.Butnoneofthechildrenof Marcel Coolsaet (1900-1966)–whoindeedoperateda breweryinKruishoutemuntil1963(withlocallyrenownedtableandcherrybeers)–wasableto confirmthisstory.

So,leavingasidethisenigmaticCoolsaetfromKruishoutem,early20th centurymigrationtothe UnitedStatesinvolvedfourfamilieswithCoolsaetastheircommonsurname.Butinfact,only twofamilieswereinvolved.ExceptforHectorandRemi,allotherCoolsaetemigrantswere,albeit verydistant,relativesofeachother.TheyallbelongedtothesamelargeWest-FlemishCoolsaet branch,ofwhichJacobCoolsaet(est.1660-1691)andJoannaVandewinkele(1658-1743)were thecommonancestors Theymighthavebeenunawareofeachother'sdeparture.Butsincethey allcamefromadjacentvillagesinsouthwestFlanders,closetoKortrijk(Courtrai),bywordof mouththedepartureofsomemayhaveinfluencedtheotherstoconsiderasimilarmove.Wejust don’tknow,andweprobablyneverwill.

Their ancestors’ life in the Old Country

TheregiontheCoolsaetemigrantscamefrom,isnowadayscommonlyknownasthe‘Texas ofFlanders’foritsentrepreneurialspirit.Butitwasonceanareaofdeprivation.Lifewas hardfortheancestors.Sincethe17th century,theyhadwitnessedanever-endingstringof wars,whichtookaheavytollontheinhabitants:looting,destruction,requisitions,militarytaxes, foreignoccupation,compulsoryconscription Mostworkedtheland,sometimesincombination withweavingandspinningofflaxtosupplementtheirincomeandprovideworkduringwinter. But,aseverywhere,workingthelandwasaconstantstruggleagainsttheforcesand uncertaintiesofnature.

TheBelgianindependenceof1830broughtnoimmediaterelief.Povertywaseverywhere, despitethelongworkinghours.Inthemid-1800s,adeepcrisisintheflaxindustrycombined withfailedpotatocropsbecauseoftheirinfectionbyblight,ledtoabjectmisery,enduring deprivation,famine,anddiseases.

Inthesecondhalfofthe 19thcentury,somefarming familiesleftthesmall-scale flaxworkathomebehind andstartedtoconcentrate insteadonthe transformationofflaxinto flaxfibers.15 Thiswasstill anactivitycloserto agricultureandfarming thantomodernindustry, butitnevertheless representedasteptowards themechanizationand industrializationofflax work TheLeie(Lys)valleyinsouthwestFlanders–hometomanyoftheCoolsaet-families–was transformedintoagiantflaxprocessingarea.BritishtraderscalledtheLeiethe‘GoldenRiver’, referringtothecolorandthequalityoftheflax.Theriverensuredboththeconstantsupplyof freshwaterneededforthepreparationofflaxfibersandthedischargeofsewage.

Thevillagesalongtheriverweretransformedbytheever-increasingnumberofflaxfactories. Somefactoriesweresmallfamilybusinesses.Butgraduallyeverlargerflaxfactoriessprangup, requiringagrowingnumberofworkerstosupporttheirincreasingproductionoffibers.Atthe endofthecentury,almosthalfofthepopulationinthisregionwasworkingintheflaxindustry.

Thisevolutiondidnotputanendtoabuse.Thesharpincreaseofthepopulationputheavy pressureonwages,thatevenstartedtodecreasewhilethecostoflivingsharplyincreased.Flax workersinthelargefactoriesweretheworstoff.Jobsecuritywasnon-existent.Working conditionsforwomenandchildrenweredreadful.Makingendsmeetremainedachallengefor manyfamilies–whilethefactoryownersbecameblatantlyricherandricher.Bytheendofthe century,socialunrestwasontherise.In1875,thefirstlaborunionofflaxworkerswasformed.

Soaking flax in the ‘Golden River' (photo credit: Beeldbank Kortrijk)

Emigrationofferedawayoutofalifewithbleakprospects,anddirelivingconditions.Thetextile factoriesinRoubaixandTourcoing,innorthernFrance,wereoftenthechosendestination. SeasonalfarminginFrancewasanotherobviousoption.TheUnitedStateswasanoptiontoo,but toamuchlesserextent

Family life in Dadizele

HectorandRemiwerebornintoalargefarmers’family Theirgrandfather Charles Coolsaet had lefthishomevillageofLedegemfornearbyDadizele,probablyshortlyafterhismarriageto Adelaide Grymonpon in1834.Thegenerationsbeforethemhadalllivedofftheland.Thework washardandunpredictable,atthemercyofweatherconditions.Noneofthemownedthefields theycultivated.WhenCharlesandAdelaidemovedtoDadizele,itwasobviousthatfarming wouldcontinuetobetheirlife.Farmingandsmall-scaleflaxworkwerethemaineconomic activitiesinDadizeleatthetime.CharlesandAdelaideoptedfortheirancestors’wayoflife.They livedonafarmsteadwiththreeotherfamilies.

Charles,however,nurturedpoliticalambitions.Threetimes,in1854,1860andagainin1866,he figuredontheelectorallistsforthemunicipalityofDadizeleandevenmadeittothetown council.Theirlifeimproved.In1872,thefamilyowneditsownhomesteadatthe Bakkerhoekstraatn°71,inDadizele.Thevillagethenhadabout1600inhabitants.

CharlesandAdelaidehadthreesonsandthreedaughters.Theyallkepttotheland,mostofthem intheirnativeDadizele.Oneoftheirsons, Constant,however,leftforGeluwe,some4milesto thesouthofDadizele.HewastobecomethefatherofHectorandRemi.

InAugust1872,Constantmarried Marie Louise Vandorpe fromGeluwe.Theystartedfarmingat theVandorpefamilyfarmintheCleeneStraete (nowadaysKleinestraat),ontheborderofGeluwe andMenen,inaneighborhoodcalledSlingerhoek (formallyWijkD,52inGeluwe).Thisfarmhadbeen exploitedbytheVandorpefamilysince1747.But probablytheVandorpefamilyneverownedit themselves(sinceatleastbetween1815and1830, thefarmwasownedbyaPersynfromTournai). Theyraisedcattleandyearlings.Alsolivingintheir familyhomewasMarieLouise’smotheranduncle; PaulLouage,ayoungcowboy;andStephanie Dewitte,ayoungnanny–whohadtowatchafter thecouple’sninechildren.Butunfortunately,most didnotlivelong:alltheirdaughtersandfourof theirsonsdiedbeforetheageof4.Onlytwosons survived. Hector wasbornjustbeforeChristmas 1876.Morethanadecadelater,inJuly1889, Remi wastheirlastchild.

Athome,Frenchwascommonlyspoken.Francewasindeedonlyacoupleofmilesawayfrom wheretheylived.InOctober1900,afterthedeathofhiswifeMarieLouise,Constantsoldalltheir Situation of the farm exploited by Constant Coolsaet (drawing by Maurice Vandenberghe, 1958)

belongings,animals,andfarmmaterielandwithhistwosurvivingsons,HectorandRemi,he movedtoMenen,rightontheborderwithFrance.Theretheylivedonahomesteadinthe Bruggepoort53,attheoutskirtsofthecity.ItisfromherethatHectorandRemileftforAmerica.

Constant’syoungerbrother Louis,uncleofHectorandRemi,hadremainedinDadizele.He married Octavie Vandorpe,MarieLouise’syoungersister.Atthetimeofhismarriage,he workedonafarm,perhapsonhisfather’sfarmintheBakkerhoekstraat.Butsoonafter,heleft theland.Hebecameaninnkeeper,firstat‘HetParadijs’indeLedegemstraatandlaterat‘De Velodrome’intheBeselarestraat(nowadaysn°2).Here,LouisandOctavielivedabovethecafé, withtheirfamilyoften.

Unfortunately,onceagainsomeoftheirchildrentoodiedyoung.Noneoftheboyskepttothe land.Movingupthesocialladdergraduallybegantobecomereal. August Oscar,Louis’firstborn,becamepainterandclogmaker.Hisyoungerbrother Leon –HectorandRemi’scousin, bornin1886–becameatrustedplumberandmechanic,inheritingtheirfather’shouseinthe BeselarijstraatinDadizele.There,Leon’swife Madeleine ranahigh-qualityearthenwareand cutleryshop.

Bothlovedmusic.Theyhadapianoathome,wheretheneighbors’childrenexercisedtheirpiano skills.Leonhimselfwasaconfirmedmusician.Heplayedbugleinthelocalband‘MetVlijten Eendracht’(‘WithDiligenceandHarmony’).ButforHectorandRemi’scousin,familylifewas tragic.Fiveofhissevenchildrenwerestillborn.WhenLeon’sdaughterMarie-Louisediedatage 15andhiswifeMadeleinelessthantwoyearslater,Leoncouldn’tcopewiththesorrowoverthe deathofhisbeloved.SoonafterChristmasday1945,heputanendtohisownlife.Their survivingdaughter, Christiane,wastakencareofbyoneofheraunts.Shepassedawayin2009 inAalst,EastFlanders,76yearsold.

The Dadizele 'Met Vlijt en Eendracht' band. Leon Coolsaet, cousin of Hector and Remi, is the second from the right in the top row.

Wenowreturntotheearly1900s,atthetimeConstant’ssonsHectorandRemilefttheir homesteadforAmerica.Menen,whereConstantandhissonswereliving,waswitnessingthena newemigrationflow–notsomuchtotheU.S.,buttoFrance.Enduringhardshipinthe countrysidecombinedwithcheaprailwaytransportallowedfarmlaborerstoremainlivingin FlanderswhileworkinginthethrivingtextileindustryinnorthernFrance.Menenhadbecomea transitpointforthisseasonalmigrationtoFrance.Itspopulationrapidlyincreasedandgaverise toanewdistrict,wherethecross-bordercommutersandtheirfamiliessettleddown.

Afew,however,wentoverseastotheUnitedStates.MigrationtotheU.S.wassomewhatless popularinWestFlandersthaninEastFlanders.In1902–theyearHectorleftforAmerica–some600West-Flemingsdidthesame,outofatotalofalmost3000Belgiansthatyear.16 The majorityofthemwherefarmers–justlikeHector.

Family life in Gullegem

Polydoor wasborninatypicalfamilyofWestFlanders 17 Hisfatherwasaweaverwhohad becomeaflaxdresser.Hisgrandfatherwasajourneymanandafterwardsaweaver.Hisancestors hadconstantlymovedbackandforthbetweenBissegemandGullegem,lessthan2milesapart. Gullegemhadbeenparticularlyhardhitduringthemultiplecrisesofthemid-1800s.Poverty, diseasesandstarvationwererampant.

Asmanyinthatarea,Polydoorwasaflaxworkerandhissisterslacemakers Whenhewas11,his familyleftGullegemandmovedtoBissegem.Althoughthelattervillagewasonlyafewmiles fromhishomevillageofGullegem,itspositiononthebanksoftheLeieriveranditsflourishing flaxfiberindustry,madeitamagnetforthesurroundingvillages.Forflaxworkers’families, BissegemofferedbetterprospectsthanGullegem.OnlybythetimeofPolydoor’sfamily relocationtoBissegemin1892,didGullegembegintocatchup.

Vivid description of the dramatic sanitary situation in Gullegem in 1848 (Organe des Flandres, 13 February 1848)

DidPolydoor’sdeparturetoAmericainspireothers?InApril1910,hisbrother-in-law Jeroom Vandewalle,whowasmarriedtoPolydoor’ssister Marie,inturnleftforDetroit.Likemanyof hisfellowtravelersonthevessel,hegaveashisoccupation“farm laborer”.UnlikePolydoor, however,Jeroomdidnotstay.AtthestartoftheFirstWorldWar,hewasbackinBissegem,where heresumedhisflaxworkjob.

Family life in Bissegem

Cyriel and Camiel werethelasttwosonsbornto Ignatius Coolsaet and Ida Samyn.ThefamilyhadbeenlivinginBissegem foratleastfivegenerations.Likeeverywhereelseintheregion,life hasbeenharshfortheirancestors.18 Ignatiuswitnessedtherapid mutationofhisvillageduetothemechanizationand industrializationofflaxwork Bissegemwasindeedoneofthe leadingcentersoftheflaxfiberproduction.Thefirstflaxfactoryin Bissegem,bytheway,wasestablishedby Henri Coolsaet,a distantrelativeofIgnatius(sodistantthattheyprobablywerenot awareoftheexactnatureoftheirfamilyrelationship).

AsmanyothersinthatpartofWestFlanders,Ignatiusworkedasa flaxdresser–ashisfatherhaddone.MotherLeoniewas lacemaker Theyhadalargeoffspringoften–butfourofthemdied beforetheageoftwo.Ignatius’sonsCamielandCyriel,bornin 1869and1873respectively,hadfollowedintheirfather’sand grandfather’sfootstepsandhadbecomeflaxworkerstoo.

Hisdaughter Leonie,theeldestsisterofCyrielandCamiel,hadadaughterofanunknownfather – Alice,borninhergrandfathers’houseinthesummerof1886.Leonieindeedsharedthe parentalhousewithherparentsIgnatiusandIda.IttookLeoniemorethantwentyyearsto acknowledgeherdaughter.Aliceneverlearnedtowritenorreadandworkedasamaid,asso manygirlsofherage.InlateApril1905,shemarried Odile Holvoet,afarmer,likeherbornofan unknownfather.Ayearlater,AliceandOdile,togetherwiththeirfirstsonandAlice’smother Leonie,leftBissegemforLauwe,3,5milestotheeast.Fromhere,OdilewenttoNorthAmerica, morethanayearlatertobefollowedbyhiswife.Alice’smotherLeoniepassedawayinLauwe, WestFlanders,atage62.

Emiel Theophiel CoolsaetwasthelastCoolsaettoleaveforAmericapriortotheFirstWorld War.ThoughalsooriginatingfromBissegem,hisfamilyneverthelesshadnodirecttiesto Ignatius’familyinthesamevillage.Bothfamilieswereonlyverydistantrelativesofeachother ButthelivestoryofEmiel’sfamilytoowasintimatelylinkedtotheflaxwork.Bothhisfatherand hisgrandfatherhadbeenflaxworkersinBissegem.

Hisfather Louis diedin1904,60yearsold.Louishadbeenmarriedtwice,firstto Sylvia Cardon, withwhomhehadsixchildren,andthento Florence Depoot,abarrieroperator,withwhomhe alsohadsixchildren,amongthemEmiel.Florence,forherpart,wasmarriedtwicebefore marryingLouis.Herfirsthusbandwas Eduard Haezebrouck,withwhomshehadtwosons,

Henri Coolsaet, Bissegem's first flax manufacturer (1866-1945)

Alfons, and René AlfonsHaezebrouckwasnoneotherthanEmiel’shalf-brother,hereferredto astherelativehewasgoingtojoininDetroit.

WhenEduardpassedaway,Florencehadremarriedto Henri Vercoutere and,afterHenri’s deathin1888,toLouisCoolsaet.Louiswasthusherthirdhusband.Theyraisedsixchildren. Emiel,bornin1898,wastheirsecondson.Bothsonsworkedintheflaxindustry.Thedaughters eitherworkedasalacemakerorasamaid.Tenyearsafterhisfather’sdeath,Emielleftfor America,23yearsold.Hishalf-brotherAlfons,whohadbeenlivingintermittentlyinDetroit since1904,welcomedhimtohisplaceat620½MonroeAvenue.ItisnotclearwhetherAlfons everintendedtosettlepermanentlyinAmerica,butsoonafterEmiel’sarrival,heseemstohave returnedtoBelgiumforgood.

Monroe Avenue, Detroit, at the time of Emiel's arrival (photo credit: Library of Congress & Shorpy)

Settling in a new home country

AlltheCoolsaetimmigrantscamefromamodest,evenpoor,family.Bymigratingoverseas, theycertainlyhopedtoimprovetheirlotandescapethehardshipsoflifeintheir homeland.TheglowingdescriptionsoflifeinAmericafromearliermigrantsandthe propagandaofrecruitingagentsplayedanimportantpartintheirmotivationtotrytheirluck overseas.Butdidtheirdreamscometrue?

Uponleaving,mostprobablyconsideredtheirdeparturetobefinal.Some,however,returnedto Belgium,probablydisappointed.Whatabouttheremainingones,whodecidedtopersistand settleintheirnewhomecountry?Howlongdidittakethemandtheiroffspringtobecome mainstreamAmericans?Migrationhistoryindicatesasaruleofthumbthatitusuallytakesthree generationsformigrantfamiliestoblendintotheirnewenvironmentandtobeacceptedbyitas full-fledgedcitizensandnolongerasimmigrants.Thegrandchildrenoftheoriginalimmigrants arethussaidtoclosetheintegrationcycle.HowlongdidittakefortheCoolsaetfamiliestofeel completelyAmerican?

The Dadizele branch – The life stories of the Coolsaet brothers

The wanderyears. AfterhisarrivalintheU.S.,HectormostlikelysettledinGhent,LyonCounty, inthesouthwesterncornerofMinnesota.His15-year-oldbrotherRemijoinshimthereinJune 1904.Originally,theplacewascalled‘Grandview’.Intheearly1880s,theBishopofStPaul, Minnesota,calledforCatholicstoestablishaCatholicsettlementinthefertileplainsaround Grandview.French-Canadianswerethefirsttoheedthecall,soontobefollowedbyFlemishand DutchCatholicfamilies Theyquicklytookrootandpurchasedmoreandmoreacresofland.To attractevenmoreFlemishsettlers,‘Grandview’waschangedinto‘Ghent’.Rivalryerupted betweentheFrench-CanadianandtheFlemishcommunities.Intheend,theBelgiansprevailed. By1914,Belgianspossessedalmosthalfthelandofthecounty.WhenHectorandRemisettlesin thevillage,itwasstillatinyfarmingvillageof193inhabitants,almostallBelgianandDutch.19

Ghent, MN, in 1909 (photo credit: Lyon County Museum)

ThebrothersdidnotstaylonginGhent,atleastRemididnot InAugust1905,hemovesto Hanna,AlbertainCanada.WhyHanna?Wedon’thaveaclue.Atthattime,itisasparsely populatedareawithnomorethanafewscatteredhomesteads.Thetownitselfwillonlycome intoexistencein1912asdivisionalpointontheGreatNorthernRailway.(Itgotitsnamefrom D.B.Hannawhowaspresidentoftherailwayatthetime.)Beforethearrivaloftherailway,the onlymethodsoftravelwerebyoxorhorseteamoronhorseback.20 Thepioneersweremostly Americans,Canadians,andGermans–noBelgians(exceptforoneindividualwithIrishroots, whobecamemanagerofthelocalbank–butthatwassometimeafterRemi’sarrivalintown).

ItisaveryfertilefarmingterritoryandRemiworksasa “self-employed farmer”,probably meaningaseasonalfarmer.DidHectoraccompanyhisbrother?Afterall,itwouldbestrangefor himtolethisyoungbrothermakethattripallbyhimself.Heprobablyaccompaniedhisbrother toCanada,butoncetheretheyeachgotheirseparateways Thereisnothingtosuggestthat HectorlivedinHanna.ItisrumoredthathewentforatimegolddigginginCanadaand/orin Fairbanks,Alaska.OrdidhealsogotoAlberta,butinsteadoffarmingchoosecoalmining?Atthe turnofthecenturyminersfromWalloniabeganarrivingatthecoalminesinsouthwestAlberta toworkforWestCanadianCollieries,foundedin1903byagroupofFrenchandBelgian entrepreneurs.21 Hector’sobituaryintheDutch-languagenewspaper Gazette van Detroit will onlysuggestthathehadindeedbeeninCanadaandAlaskabeforereturningtotheU.S.in1910

WeareinthedarkaboutHector’sprecisewhereaboutsbetween1905and1910.Hehimselfhas statedthathehadbeenstayinginMarshall,Minnesotaallthoseyears–whichisunlikely.Butitis indeedinMarshallthatwefindhimagainin1911.On1June1911,henotonlybecomesan AmericancitizenbeforetheDistrictCourtofLyonCountyatMarshall,MN.Heisalsoawardedhis firstcontractforlayingpipesandwatermainsinthecity.Thisistheactivityheisgoingtopursue fromnowon.ButheobviouslyalsopossesseshisownfarmnearMilroy,MN,sometwentymiles totheeastofMarshall.

AnewspaperreportsuggeststhatRemivisitedhimatleastonceinMarshall,in1913 Remi probablydidnotalwaysliveinHanna,sincethe1911CensusofCanadaidentifiesMedicineHat insoutheastAlbertaashisplaceofhabitation.Init,heisnolongerdescribedas“self-employed” butas“laborer” .Anyway,Hannawasdefinitelytheplacewherehelivedthelongestduringhis stayinCanada.

Joining forces. InJuly1914,RemileavesCanadaand joinshisbrotherinMarshall.Buttheyarelivingapart andpursuingseparatecareersascontractors,albeitin thesamebusiness:sewersystemsandwatermains. Andtheyarelivingclosetooneanother.Hectorworks asaself-employedpileditchcontractorinLucan, Redwood,MN(whilelivinginMarshall)andRemiasa self-employedlaborer,workinginKintire,Redwood,MN (whilelivinginBelview,MN).In1918Remimovesto Marshall,perhapstolivewithhisbrother.

Inthelate1910s,theyhookedupandsetupajointcompany,CoolsaetBrothers&Drees,that startsbiddingforpubliccontractsintileworkandwatermains.Theysoonchangethecompany nameto:‘CoolsaetBrosCo–SewerandWaterworksContractors’,basedinMarshall.Bytheend

Hanna Herald, 7 August 1913

ofthedecade,thecompanyseatistransferredtoDearbornattheoutskirtsofDetroit.The companyaddressis:7608WilliamsonAvenue,Dearborn,Michigan.

Bythen,Remiismarriedto Amanda Molla inDetroit.Amandawasbornin1877inEastman, Minnesota.HergrandparentsoriginatedfromGermany.Amandawaspreviouslymarriedto JosephPavek,who,however,diedin1918,barelyayearaftertheirmarriage.InMarch1920,she gavebirthtoadaughter, Marvel,fromanunknownfather.RemiadoptedMarvelwhenhe marriedAmandain1923.Threeboysareborntothecouple: Allan in1926,and Remi Leo Jr. ten yearslater. Hector,calledafterRemi’sbrother,sadlydiedatbirth,in1931.InAugustofthatyear, RemitoohadbecomeanAmericancitizenbeforetheDistrictCourtofDetroit. Thecompany’smovetoDearbornclosestheMarshallchapterofHector andRemi’slife.HectorandRemi’sfamilywenttolivein7629Morrow CircleWinDearborn.Remi’smother-in-lawalsolivedwiththem,as wellasamaid,LillieDomnie.

Theirbusinessisrunningwell Theysecuremanycontracts The brothersalsoenterinyetanothercompany,MillerMetalProductsCorp,withHectorasVicePresidentandRemiassec-treas.Remi,forhispart,buysatenpercentsharein‘ThePeoples StateBankofTrenton’,becomingoneofitsVice-Presidents.HewillserveontheBoardof DirectorsofitsRockwoodbranchuntilatleast1960,whenthebankmergeswithanotherbank

Divided brothers. Butthensuddenlytheirpartnershipbreaksdown.In1936,Remistartshis owncompany:R.L.CoolsaetCo(GeneralContractors),basedat7600Middlesex,Dearborn.He andAmandabothactasPresident.Hectorisnotinvolved.Hecontinuessewerageactivitiesby himself.HealsomovesoutofMorrowCircleandshiftshisaddresstoWilliamsonAve,the companyaddress,whileRemiandhisfamilycontinuetoliveatMorrowCircle.

Amanda Coolsaet, née Molle

Hector Coolsaet in 1921

Remi Coolsaet

Whydidthebrotherspartways?Wedon’treallyknow.Didtheydisagreeabouthowtoruntheir company?Wasittheintroductionin1932ofAmandainCoolsaetBrothersasvice-president, withwhichHectordidnotagree,asisrumoredinDadizele,thefamily’svillageoforigin?Were therefinancialreasonsatplay?Anyway,fromthispointon,theyeachgotheirseparateways,as theyhaddonebeforeinCanada.

DuringtheSecondWorldWar,RemiandAmandaleaveMorrowCirclefor5656WJeffersonin Trenton,sometwentymilestothesouthofDearborn.In1955,theydefinitivelysettledownin GrosseIle,atownshipsituatedonseveralislandsintheDetroitRiver,oppositeTrenton.Oncea remoteresidentialandfarmingcommunity,GrosseIle(fromtheFrench‘grosseîle’orbigisland) hadbecomeapopularvacationspot.Inthemid-1950s,whenRemiandAmandaarriveonthe island,GrosseIleisexperiencingasignificantresidentialdevelopmentandsubsequenthousing boom Theyalreadypossessfarmlandonthewestsideoftheisland.Whentheydecidetobuild threesingle-familyhomesonthesegrounds,Remibecomesthenamesakefortheprivateroad thatisgoingtobecometheirhomeaddress:CoolsaetLn.Thisisoneofonlytwoplacesinthe worldwhereacityhas‘Coolsaet’amongitsstreetnames–theotherbeingBissegem,thevillage oforiginofsomeoftheotherCoolsaetsemigrants.RemiandAmandamovedinat23247, CoolsaetLn,GrosseIleandtheireldestsonAllanat23191.

Remipursuesasuccessfulbusinesscareer.AfterthecreationofR.L.CoolsaetConstructionCo.of Romulusin1936,hesubsequentlylaunchesseveralsubsidiaries:R.L.Coolsaet&Sons ContractorsInc.ofTrentonandtheWoodhavenEquipment&RentalCo.ofTrenton.His companiessecureahostoflocalgovernmentalcontractsforgasandoilpipelinesinMichigan, whichformthebackboneofthecompany’ssuccess.Remialsostartsathirdsubsidiaryin Canada,R.L.CoolsaetofCanadaLtd.inWindsor(oppositeDetroit)

Remi,hissonAllanrecalledin2013,wasproudofhisBelgianorigins.Heevenarrangedforthe BelgianReverendMarcelJossontoliveatthefamilyhome,fromwherehesupported genealogicalresearchintotheBelgiancommunityinDetroit,includingresearchontheCoolsaet familiesinBelgium.Thisresultedintwohandwrittenalbumswithadetailedreconstructionof theCoolsaetancestryreachingbacktotheearly1700s.

Bissegem

Grosse Ile

Hectortoocontinuestocultivatetheconnectionwithhishomeland.Heoftentravelsbackand forthtoBelgium,atleastuntilthemid-1960s.Onevoyage,in1921,isrelatedtothenecessityto arrangefortheestateoftheirdeceasedfatherConstant

Hisseweractivitiesareonasmallerscalethanhisbrother’s.Heonlyhasoneortwoassociates. HeremainsbasedatWilliamsonStreetuntil1961,whenhesellshisremainingequipment.

Hectorremainedsingleandmaybeevensomewhatforlorn.HepassesawayinJanuary1969at theBalmoralNursingHomeinTrentonatage92.HeliesburiedatOurLadyofHopeCemetery, BrownstownTwp.,Michigan.

Sixyearsafterhisbrother,Remipassesaway.Heis86.Heliesburied attheHolySepulchreCemeteryinSouthfield,MI.

Alreadyduringhislifetime,Remi’ssons AllanandRemiJr.becameassociated withthecompanycreatedbytheir father.Afterhisdeath,theytookover thecompanies.Buttheydidn’tshare theirfather’sattachmenttoBelgium.

AllanwastoooccupieddevelopingR.L. CoolsaetCoandhadtoolargeafamily toraise–ninechildren–tocultivatehis Belgianroots.In1948,hemarried Edween Haven,whosefamilyhad migratedfromWesternEnglandto Americainthemid-1600s.Allanwasto remainatthehelmofthecompany untilage70.Hecontinuedtodevelop thecompanyintoasolidplayerinthe pipelineconstructionsector.Allan passedawayin2015.Edweentwo yearslater.HisbrotherRemiJrmarried Patty Miller fromWyandotte, Michigan.Theyhadnochildren.Remi andPattypassedawayin2006and 2013respectively.

The Gullegem branch – The disappearance of Polydoor, aka Paul

UponarrivingintheUnitedStatesin1905,Polydoorshortenshisfirstnametomakeitsound moreAmerican: Paul.ItisnotknownifheeverwenttoKansasCity,Missouri,ashehadstated whenheembarked.Anyhow,hesettlesinSuperior,DouglasCounty,atthewesternendofLake SuperiorinnorthwesternWisconsin.Strangelyenough,Superior’scitydirectoryincludesthe

Detroit Free Press, 30 September 1975

Gazette van Detroit, 7 February 1969

name‘Coolseed,Paul’alreadyinits1902issue,attheaddresshewouldlatermoveinto.Sincehis namedoesnotappearin1900,1901andin1903,wecanonlyassumethatin1902hestayed brieflyinSuperior,perhapsonreconnaissance.

ThestateofWisconsinwashometothelargestBelgiancommunityinNorthAmerica.Most establishedBelgiancommunitiesinWisconsinlayscatteredaroundGreenBay,some300miles tothesoutheastofSuperior.Butattheturnofthetwentiethcentury,thelattercitytoowitnessed asignificantinfluxofimmigrants,drawntotheboomingshipyardsandthedocksofSuperior,the largestoftheGreatLakes.ManycamefromtheUnitedKingdomandScandinavia.Buthundreds ofBelgianstoochoseSuperior,andparticularlytheAllouezneighborhoodofthecity,inthe shadowoftheGreatNorthernoredocks,wheremanyofthemfoundemploymentasunskilled laborers.22

Paulisoneofthem.

Lifemustnothavebeeneasyforhim ForPaul,Americawasprobablynotadreamcometrue.He oftenchangesjobsandaddressesandneverownedhisownhouse.In1910,heliveswithother Belgiansinthe10th Ward,Superior.MaryHendricks,26yearsold,istheheadofthehousehold. Shewasawidowedmotherofaseven-yearson,whohadcometotheU.S.inthesameyearas Paul.InthesamehousealsolivesCusenierGerschelder,42yearsold,whohadmigratedtothe U.S.twodecadesearlier.CusenierandPaulbothworkaslaborersattheCedarDocksinSuperior. Twoyearslater,Paulmovesout,butcontinuestoliveinAllouez.

Wedon'tknowifhefrequentedtheBelgianClub,butprobablyhedid,asitwaslocatedinthe sameneighborhoodwherehelived.Thismen-onlyclubwascreatedin1912,sevenyearsafter Paul’sarrival.Itsmainobjectivewastomaintainancestraltraditionsandtiestothehomeland, includingthroughitslibraryofDutch-languagebooks.ButtheClubalsointendedtohelp Superior’sBelgianstosettleintheirnewhomeland,byassistingthemtofindemploymentand bygettingthemreadytopasstheircitizenshipexams.Tothisend,itorganizedafive-month trainingcourse.Twoeveningsaweek,theparticipantsstudiedEnglish,Americanhistory,and thedutiesofanAmericancitizen.InOctober1917,PaulobtainsU.S.citizenship (TheBelgian ClubisstillactivetodayasasocialvenueofAmericanswithBelgianrootsinSuperior.)

AtthetimehebecomesanAmericancitizen,Paulhadworkedforfiveyearsasabartender. Beforethat,likemanyBelgians,heworkedinthedocks.In1918,hereturnstheretoworkforthe PittsburghCoalCo,includingasacraneoperator.

InSuperior’scitydirectories,hisnameundergoesdifferentspellings:Colsted,Coolsote,Coolzaet andCoolzaert.Butin1928,hisnameisnolongerincludedinthedirectory Fromthispointon, welosehistrail.Heprobablywasstillsingleandcertainlydidnotreturntohishomevillagein Belgium.NotracesofhisperegrinationswerefoundintheSuperiorrecordsnorinanyother Americanarchive.Paulvanishedinthefogofhistory.

The Bissegem branches (1) – The farming life of Cyriel, aka John, and the Holvoets

CyrieljoinshiselderbrotherCamielinMoline,Illinois.Thecityhadgrownsubstantiallyinrecent decades,originallybecauseofitslumbermills(hencetheword‘Moline’,derivedfromtheFrench moulin,mill)andtheadjoiningMississippiriverthatmadetransportationandwaterpower cheapandeasy,butevenmoresobyitsagriculturalmachinery(launchedbyJohnDeere).

FactorieslinedtheMississippi.Fordecades,thecityhaddrawngreatnumbersofforeigners, includingmanyfromBelgium.Ithadexperiencedsomesocialconflictsasaresult,duetothe arrivalofsuchlargewavesofnewcomers.Butthesustaineddemandforlaborandtheeverincreasingjobopportunitiespreventedsocialtensionstolinger.TheBelgiancommunityin MolinerankedamongthebiggestoftheUnitedStates.ManyBelgiansworkedinMoline’syoung automotiveindustry.

Cyriel’sbrotherCamielmighthavebeenoneofthem–or,atleast,forashortwhile.Camielhad startedasaflaxworker.In1898,hemarried Euphrasie Vannieuwenhuyze.Theywentonto haveninechildrenbetween1899and1912.In1905,heabandonedflaxworkandbecameinn keeper.Giventhedatesofbirthofhischildren,itispossiblethatCamielwaspresentinMoline whenCyrielarrivedinSeptember1907,butwehavenoinformationabouthispresencethere otherthanhisbrother’swords Theonlythingthatweknowforcertain,isthathedidnotstayin theUnitedStates.AfterhisreturntoBelgium,twomorechildrenwereborn.

Cyriel,forhispart,remainedinAmerica.Atsomepointintime,hetoochangeshisgivenname–John.InMoline,heworksasalaborer,perhapsintheever-expandingJohnDeerefactories.Inthe springof1908,helivesforseveralmonthsinBerlin(nowKitchener),Ontario(Canada),then returnstoMoline.PerhapshedoeswhatmanyotherBelgiansinMolinedo:factoryworkduring winter,farmworkinsummer.

Butin1915,heleavesMolineandheadswesttoDeltaCounty,Colorado.InColorado,somesmall Belgiancommunitiesalreadyexist,allconcentratedaroundDenver.Thestatehadnever attractedalotofBelgians.Ina1908leafletforaspiringsettlerstheBelgiangovernment emphasizedthatthestateneverthelessoffersgoodjobprospectsatthesmelter(duringwinter) andinthebeetrootfieldsduringsummer.23 Accordingtotheleaflet,individualswithfarming experienceinparticularweremostlikelytosucceed.ThatisprobablywhatJohnintendedtodo, liketherestofthesmallBelgiancommunitythere,whoworkedthelandorinthefruitorchards inDelta,FruitaandHotchkiss.

Butprobablyevenmoreimportant:hisnieceAliceandherfamilyhadprecededhimthere

AlicehadfinallyarrivedinNewYorkinAugust1911,morethanayearafterherhusband Charley.Hadhewillfullydelayedthearrivalofhiswifeandchildren,asfamilyrumorsallege?At Alice’srequest,JohnseemstohavepressuredCharleytoletAlicecomeover.Bythen,Charleyis livinginOmaha,Nebraska.WhyhewenttoOmahaisnotknown.OnlyveryfewBelgianswere livingthere.Alicestartstoworkasadomestic,savingeverypennysheearns.Charleyworksina meat-packingplant,ahardanddirtyjob,butitpayswell.Theyhopethatonedaytheirdream–acquiringaparceloflandoftheirown–willcometrue.

InOmaha,theirfourthchild,Lena,isborn.TheirfirstthreechildrenarestillinBelgium When AlicecametoAmerica,shehadhadtoleavethemwithrelativesforlackofmoney.Withtheir savings(andaloan),AliceandCharleyarefinallyabletosendfortheboys.InNovember1919, Joseph (Joe) and Gilbert (Bert) embarkontheSSFranceinLeHavre,destinationNewYork.

Bythen,however,theyhaveleftOmaha.In1913,theyhadmovedtoColorado,livingsuccessively inPaonia,Orchard,finallysettlingintheNorthForkValleynearHotchkiss.Nearbyliveother farmingfamiliesfromBelgium,theSteelandtsandtheVanseverens.Fourmorechildrenareborn toAliceandCharley,makingitatypicallarge‘Belgian’family.

Wedon’tknowwhatexactlyAlice’suncleJohndidafterhisarrivalinDeltaCountyin1915. Farmingprobably.In1918,hemanagestopurchasea160acresfarmunitofhisownintheRead andPeachValleynearDelta,theseatofDeltaCounty,Colorado.Notfarfromhimlivesanother Belgianfarmingfamily,theDewildes,whohadacquiredaparceloflandayearearlier.

FarmingwasgoingtobeCharley’slifetoo Forawhile,heworksatJohn’sfarm.By1930,Charley andAlicecanfinallybuytheirownfarmontheSouthPaoniaRoad,nearHotchkiss.Aliceworks hardtokeepupthehouse,butshetooworkstheland.TheHolvoetfamilyhistorybookoffersa vividsummaryoftheirlife:“They went from a couple starting out in a dugout under the most primitive conditions to working rented farms living in a small shack to owning their own place. […] Alice went from no place to go to being the mistress of a four-bedroom house.”Purchasingtheir ownhousedidn’tcomewithoutsacrifices,thefamilyhistorybookmakesclear:“It took all the money they had saved to make a down payment on the farm and until the first crops and garden came in, Charley had put the family on food rations.”

Alice around 1968, in her kitchen in Hotchkiss (photo credit: Dr. Jennifer Holvoet) Charley and Alice

Alice Coolsaet and Charley Holvoet with children (back: Gilbert Maurice, Joseph Henry holding Maurice Albert; middle left to right: Stella, Alice, Charley, Lena; front: Mary Alice, Martha)

Alice–whosefamilynamewassometimesspelledas‘Coolsalt’or‘Coulsaut’andwhomeveryone called‘Liska’–neverreallymasteredthenewlanguage.Dutch–or,rather,theiroldWestFlemish dialect–remainedthelanguageAliceandCharleyspokewiththeirtwooldestsons–tothe bewildermentoftheirgrandchildrenwhocouldn’tunderstandthe“old language”.Inparticular becauseoftheSecondWorldWar,thegrandchildrenwereindeedkeptignorantoftheold language,ostensiblysothatotherswouldn’ttakethemforGermans.

AliceandCharleycultivatedtheirBelgianheritage.TheyavidlyreadtheFlemishnewspaper printedinMichigan,the Gazette van Detroit.Odileis amemberoftheBelgian-AmericanSociety. ReminiscentofBelgiumtooistheireagernesstobrewhomemadebeer–despitetheprohibition laws.

Wedon’tknowwhetherJohnsharedtheHolvoet’sattachmentto theoldcountry.Helivesaloneandnevermarried.Butduringmost oftheirlives,JohnandtheHolvoetscontinuetoliveneareach other.TotheHolvoetfamily,hewasknownas‘UncleJohn’andwas consideredpartofthefamily.In1940, however,hemovestoDelta.Hepasses awaytwoyearslater.Neighborsliving closefoundhisbodyathishomeon EastSecondStreetinDelta,Colorado. HisremainsareburiedattheRiverside CemeteryinHotchkiss.

Afewmonthslater,Charleydiesofcancer,age58.Athispassing,the Hotchkiss Herald publishes thisobituary:

“A community, saddened by the death of one of its fine citizens, paid tribute to him Wednesday morning, when services for O. C. Holvoet were held at the Catholic church of this city. Charley Holvoet, for years one of the members of the district school board, was the type of man any community could be proud to call one of its own. His plans were those which would be for the betterment of his people and with that thought in his mind he would go out of his way to bring them about. Testimony to his many friends could be seen Wednesday morning when cars lined the street in front of the church and banks of beautiful flowers gave mute evidence of the esteem in which Charley was held. Truly Hotchkiss and community has lost a valuable citizen in the untimely death of Charley Holvoet.”

Alicelivesuntilage86.ShepassesawayinJanuary1973.LikeCharleyandJohn,sherestsatthe RiversideCemeteryinHotchkiss.

AfinalrecollectionofAlice,fromthefamilyhistorybook:

“All through her life, she carried the scars of her early life of poverty. She felt she was rich, though, according to the standards of today, she was still poor.”

Cyriel 'Uncle John' Coolsaet (photo credit: Dr. Jennifer Holvoet)

The Bissegem branches (2) – Emiel’s modest life at the periphery of the ‘Riviera of the Midwest’

UponarrivingonAmericansoil,Emielliveswithhishishalf-brotherAlfonsHaezebrouckat MonroeAve,Detroit.Employmentdoesn’tcomeeasyforEmiel.InMay1917,hisdraft registrationcardfortheU.S.Armystatedthatheisunemployed.Ayearlaterheisenlistedin CampCuster,atrainingfacilitynearBattleCreek,Michigan.Hewillnevergotowar,however,and isdischargedinJanuary1919.Heisneverthelessentitledtoveteran’sstatus.Healsotakes advantageofhistimeintheArmytoacquireU.S.citizenship.ThatoccurrsinSeptember1918 beforetheCircuitCortofCalhounatBattleCreek,justfouryearsafterhisarrivalintheUnited States.ThatisremarkablyfasterthananyoftheotherCoolsaetimmigrants.

InJune1920,Emiel’selderbrother Edward comestovisithiminDetroit,togetherwiththeir mom Florence andtheiryoungersister Elsie.UponenteringtheU.S.,Edwarddeclareshis intentionnottoreturntoBelgium.Thethreeliveat539DragoonStreet,Detroit.Theyhave apparentlydecidedtomakealifeinAmerica.Edwardstartstoworkasamason,Elsieasaclerk andtheirmotherasatimekeeper.Butsoontheyseemtohavechangedtheirmind,maybedueto Florence’shealth.Theyreturnhome,whereFlorencediesayearlater,in1921.ElsieandEdward neverreturnedtotheUnitedStates.BothpassawayinBissegem,respectivelyin1943andin 1952.Neitherofthemevermarried.

Emielfindshimselfalonenow.Hisfamilyhasreturnedwithnoplanstocome.Hishalf-brother Alfonsisalsounlikelytoreturn.EmielstilllivesatMonroeAve,wherehishalf-brotherAlfons previouslylived,andworksasalaborer.

Buthewillnotstayaloneforlong.InAugust1922,hemarries Blanche Haezebrouck Herethe storybecomesabittricky.Thefamilytreeonthenextpagehopefullymakesitalittleclearer. Blanche’smotherwas Celine Depoot SheisthesisterofFlorence,whowasmarriedtoLouis Coolsaet,Emiel’sfather.

Inherteens,CelinehadgonetoMaubeugeinnorthernFranceinsearchofwork.Inthesecond halfofthe19th century,theboomingindustryinnorthernFranceattractedmanyBelgian workers,menaswellaswomen.Theirlivingconditionsweremostlydreadfulandcrampedand workingconditionsinsalubrious.Butlaborwasinconstantdemand,offeringaperspectivefor manywhowereoutofworkinnearbyBelgium.Celinewasoneofthem.In1883,shegavebirth toadaughter,Blanche,borntoanunknownfather.ShethenleftFranceandreturnedwith Blanchetohernativevillage.There,afewyearslater,shemarried Henri Haezebrouck.Henri thenadoptedBlanche,whowasconsequentlynamedHaezebrouck.CelineandHenri subsequentlyhadsevenmorechildren.Oneofthemdiedinchildhood.Henripassedawayin 1913.

Blanchenolongerlivedwithherparentsatthattime.In1905,shehadmarriedJosephA.Polley, atruckdriverfromMonsinWallonia,andlivedinBrusselseversince.Blanchewasfluentinboth FrenchandFlemish.WhentheirsonCamielwasborn,theydecidedtoemigratetotheUnited States.Josephleftfirst,inApril1911.BlanchefollowedinJanuary1912,accompaniedbytheir4year-oldson.Theywenttoliveat69DuboisStreet,Detroit.

InEurope,theFirstWorldWarbrokeout.Celine,whohadlostherhusbandHenriayearearlier, fledtoFrancewithherchildren.In1915,shedecidedtogooverseas.HerdaughterBlanchepaid forthejourney.InlateDecember,theyembarkedinBordeaux,destinationDetroit.TheUnited Statesbecametheirnewhome.Celinenevermarriedagain.Herchildrenmarriedandspread acrossMichiganandneighboringstates.CelinepassedawayinOctober1932inGrossePointe Park,Detroit.

Blanche'smarriagewithJosephPolley,ontheotherhand,didnotlast.InApril1921,shefiledfor divorce,citingdesertionforcause.DivorcewasconfirmedinJune1922.

Twomonthslater,BlancheandEmielCoolsaetsigntheirmarriagelicenseinBuffalo,NewYork. WithBlanche,hersonCamielandhermotherCelineDepoot,Emielnowmovesto1416 LakepointeSt,GrossePointePark,WayneCounty,MI.Thisneighborhoodwasthewesternmost partofwhatwasonceanoldFrenchandBelgianfishingandfarmingcolonyeastofDetroit.But thesefarmswererapidlybeingreplacedbysummerestatesforthecounty’saffluent.When Belgianimmigrants,oftenbricklayersandcarpenters,startedtoarriveinsignificantnumbers theyturnedthisneighborhoodintoamodestBelgiancolony.Asaresult,wealthyDetroiters, seekingtoseparatethemselvesfromthenewcomers,movednorthwardstoGrossePointeFarms, ShoresandWoods,transforming theseintoareclusiveRivieraofthe Midwestwithluxuriouslandscaped estates.24 ThesmallBelgian neighborhood–threeparallelstreets, lessthantwomilestotheeastof anotherBelgiancommunity,around thelegendaryCadieuxCafé–became knownasCabbagePatch,asa referencetothevegetablethe Belgiansgrewintheiryards

Formanydecades,thisremainedavibrantBelgiancommunity,thatkeptalivetheoldcountry traditionsofpigeonracesandarchery.Moreover,duringtheProhibitionofthe1920s–when Emielmovesin–GrossePointeservesasafavoritelandingplaceforrumrunners,whoillegally importedliquorfromneighboringWindsor,Canada,overtheinternationalwatersofLakeSt. Clair.25 EmielcertainlytreasureshisBelgianheritage.Hewasanenthusiasticpigeonrace participant.Intheearly1930s,hebecomesamemberofthe‘PigeonFlyers’,thenicknameofthe Roose-VankerPostn°286,theBelgian-Americanveterans’organization,affiliatedtothe AmericanLegion.HealsojoinstheBelgianAmericanCenturyClub–originallyalsoaclubof100 members,onlymen,whopledgtohelpeachotherincaseofdeathorotherneedycircumstance. Later,however,thebarrierlimitingitsmembershipto100members,willbelifted.Andhevotes Republican,notuncommonamongtheBelgianAmericansinDetroitinthe1930s,aswecan deducefromthe1932campaignposteronthenextpage (TheBelgians’enthusiasmfor Republicancandidatesdidn’tpayoff.HerbertHoover(R)losttoFranklinRoosevelt(D)and RobertA.Clancy,RepublicancandidateforCongress,losttoaDemocrat.)

Cadieux Café in Detroit

Emielspendsmanyyearsinasuccessionofhumblejobs:excavatorcontractorin1925,cement worker,assembler,againexcavator,andmechanicinthe1930s.In1942,hestillworksas mechanicattheHudsonNavalPlantinDetroit.Inthe1950s,heisconsecutivelycementworker andfactoryworker.Duringthisperiod,hisnamehasbeenspelledindifferentways:Coolzedt, CoolzeetandCoolzaet.ItisapparentlyaftertheSecondWorldWarthatheadoptsthislast

Gazette van Detroit, 4 November 1932

spelling(witha‘z’).HisfatherLouisforthatmatteralsouseda‘z’whensigningofficialpapers, evenifthedocumentsthemselvesusedan‘s’.ThiswasnotuncommoninBelgiumatthattime.

Blanchepassesawayin1948,afterwhichEmielmovesto5714HerefordAve,stillinthesame neighborhood,butontheothersideofCadieuxCafé.Alittlelater,heremarries Clara Koch (born Kühl).ClarawasborninHamburg,Germany,butin1924shehadjoinedherthen-husbandErich KochinDetroit.Theyhadason,NormanO.Koch,borninDetroitin1929.

NeitherwithBlanchenorwithClaradoesEmielhavechildrenwhocouldhavepassedonthe Coolsaetname.HediesinJune1980,Claraayearlater.EmielandClaraareburiedtogetheratMt. OlivetCemetery,Detroit.Theirjointgravecarriesnoheadstone,probablybecausetheydidn’t havethemeanstopayforone.

Headstone Blanche Coolzaet, née Haezebrouck (Mt. Olivet Cemetery)

The Coolsaet migration to America – Looking back

InAmerica,theCoolsaetimmigrantsdidn’tdiscoverstreetspavedwithgold–theultimate AmericanDreamofsomanymigrantsatthetime.Allhadtoworkhard.Mostlivedan acceptable,modestlife,andsomelivedthroughalifelongsuccessionofmenialjobs Somelie buriedalmostanonymously,withoutaheadstone.Onedisappearedaltogetherwithoutleavinga trace.Remi,however,leftalastingmarkthroughthecompanyhefoundedand,evenmoreso, throughthefamilyhebuiltwithAmanda.

OnlyAliceandRemiraisedchildren.AlicebecamepartofthelargeHolvoetdiasporainthe UnitedStates.Andso,onlyRemi’schildrencarriedontheCoolsaetfamilyname.Theywere(and stillare)concentratedaroundGrosseIle,butwithfamilymembersliving(orhavinglivedin) Chicago,Kentucky,Florida,Missouri,NewYork,Colorado,andCanada.

Amongthefirstgeneration,RemiandHector,John,AliceandherhusbandCharley,andEmiel remainedinclosecontactwiththeirhomeland Paulprobablydidaswell,butwearenotsureof that.TheyoftenattendedtheactivitiesoftheBelgianclubsandreadtheDutch-language newspapersthatwerepublishedindifferentstates–the Gazette van Moline inIllinoisandthe Gazette van Detroit inMichigan.

Butastheyearswentby,bondswiththeoldcountrywaned.InthecaseoftheCoolsaet immigration,thesecondgenerationalreadyhadshedmostofitsBelgianroots.AliceandCharley continuedtospeaktheirWest-FlemishdialectwithhertwoBelgian-bornsons–alanguagetheir grandchildrenknewnothingof.ForRemi’soffspring,becomingmainstreamAmericansdidn’t takethreegenerations.IthadalreadystartedwithRemi’ssons,butasthegenerationssucceeded eachother,memoriesoftheoldcountryineluctablyfaded,tothepointofbecomingblurredasto thespecificcountrytheirgreat-grandfatherhadcomefrom.

Distribution of the Coolsaet name in the U.S.A. in 2019 (based on the genealogy portal Forbears)

WhathappenedtothefamiliestheyhadleftbehindinBelgium?

In1921,theprominentcontemporaryFlemishwriter Stijn Streuvels describedhowa whirlwindhadsweptoverthecountry,transformingtheFlemishcountrysideinwaysunseen before.Dailylifeimproveddramaticallyandgonewerethelargecrowdsofjourneymenwhoall daylongfromearlyinthemorninguntillateintheeveningworkedonthefarmsoftheirwell-off owners.26

ThefamiliesoftheCoolsaetemigrantswerenotamongthepoorestfamiliesintheFlanders.The poorestofthepoordidnothavethemeanstopayforthevoyage.Forthem,onlyneighboring FranceorWalloniaofferedawayoutofalifewithfewprospects.Thatisindeedwhatmostofthe Coolsaet-familiesexperiencedtoo.

TheCoolsaetemigrationtotheUnitedStatesinvolvedtwolargegroupingsoffamilies.Paul,John andAlice,andEmielwerepartofasamelargeWest-FlemishCoolsaetbranch,ofwhichJacob Coolsaet(est.1660-1691)andJoannaVandewinkele(1658-1743)werethecommonancestors HectorandRemibelongedtoanotherCoolsaetbranchinthesamearea,withLeonardCoolsaet andJudocaCoolsaet(marriedin1631)ascommonancestors.Bothbrancheswerenotrelatedto oneanother,atleastnosincethemid-1600s.

ThosewholeftfortheUnitedStateswereundoubtedlytheexceptioninbothbranches Fromthe firstbranchoriginatedthreelargegroupsoffamilieswhowenttoFranceandbecameFrench citizens Mostofthefamilies,however,stayedinBelgium.Thesecondbranchclungevenmoreto theirfamiliarsurroundings.OnlyRemiandHectorwentoverseas,whileadistantnephewof themwenttothesouthofFrance,therestremaininginWest-Flanders.

SoonaftertheCoolsaetsmigratedtotheUnitedStates,thefortunesoftheirfamiliesbackinthe oldcountrygraduallybegantoimprove.Alice’scontemporariesinBelgiumstillworked predominantlyintheflaxindustry,butlivingconditionswereimprovingfast.Witnesstheriseof theaforementionedHenrifromfaxsellertoownerofaflaxmanufacture–hisfatherhavingbeen amodestflaxworker.

Noteveryone’slotimprovedsodramatically.Butinageneration,pay,workingconditions,and prospectsneverthelessimprovedforjustabouteveryone AfterWorldWarI,universalsuffrage wasgrantedtoallmen.Infantmortalitydroppeddramaticallythankstoadvancesinmedicine andhygiene.Post-warreconstructionprovidedmanyopportunitiesforunskilledlabour, reducingtheneedtogolookingforworkabroad.

Addedtothatwasthefactthatwagesintheflaxindustryrosesharply,moreeventhaninthe UnitedStates,whileworkinghoursdecreasedandworkingconditionsimproved.27 Allthiswas theresultofsustainedunionaction,whichprovidedtheflaxworkerswithasenseofshared destinythathadpreviouslybeenlacking.

Thefollowinggenerationthenbegantoquitflaxworkaltogether.Professionsdiversified.Many becamesmall-scaleentrepreneurs(withnotablenumbersofbutchers)oremployees Movingup thesocialladderwasnolongeranunattainabledream.

AllthesedevelopmentshelptoexplainwhyBelgianmigrationtotheUnitedStates(andtoFrance forthatmatter)largelystoppedafterWorldWarI.Buttheanti-immigrationfrenzythatgripped Americainthe1920splayeditsroletoo.Economicanxiety,thebeliefamongmanyAmericans thatimmigrantsweretakingtheirjobsanddrivingdownwages,andfearofEuropeanimmigrant

“mongrelization”ofAmericansociety,ledtostringentanti-immigrationlaws.In1924,national quotaswereintroduced,limitingthenumberofnewimmigrantstothecountry.ForBelgians, thisquotawassetat512individualsperyear.

AfinalwordabouttheCoolsaetemigrants’closefamilies.Notsurprisingly,theyfitthegeneral patternoftheirgeneration.

TheoffspringofJohn’sbrothersmostlyremainedinWest-Flanders,wheresomecontinuedinthe flaxindustry,whileothersbecamemechanics.

Paullostasisterandabrotheratayoungage.HisremainingsistersstayedclosetoGullegem, oftenasalacemaker.OneofthemmarriedJeromeVandewalle,whotriedhisluckinAmerica,but thenquicklyreturned,firstresuminghisflaxworkjob,butlaterbecominganinnkeeperandan employee.

Emieltoolosttwosistersataveryyoungage.Histhreeothersistersremainedintheareaas lacemakersorhousemaid.Hisbrotherkepttoflaxwork.Henevermarried,sonooneinEmiel’s closefamilycarriedonthefamilyname.Hishalf-brotherscontinuedtoworkintheflaxindustry, asdidmostoftheirchildren.Butamongthegrandchildren,diversificationofoccupationsrapidly setin.

TheCoolsaetbranchHectorandRemioriginatedfromalsofailedtocontinuethefamilynamein Belgium.Louis,Constant’syoungerbrotherandthustheuncleofHectorandRemi,hadalarge offspring.Manyhoweverdiedininfancy.ThiswasalsothetragicfateofLouis’sons,AugustOscar andLeon,cousinsofHectorandRemi AugustOscar,clogmakerandpainter,hadalarge offspring,butallfoursonsdiedyoung.Exceptforone,alldaughtersmarried.Whentheypassed away,thefamilynamewasdiscontinued.AlmostallofLeon’schildrenwerestillborn.Hislast survivingdaughter,Christiane(marriedtoEtienneDeBruyn),belongingtothesamegeneration asAllanandRemiJr.,wasthelastfamilymemberofthisbranchtobeartheCoolsaetsurname. ShepassedawayinAalst(EastFlanders)in2009,atage76.

Acknowledgements

Genealogicalresearchisfraughtwithuncertaintiesandunknowns.Informationisoften scarce,sometimescircumstantial,andseldomcomplete.Thisalsogoesforthelifestories inthis Voyage to America Timeandattentivereaderswillundoubtedlyhelpcorrect errorsthatmayhavecreptintothetextandfurtherconnectthedots. So, for those reading this VoyagetoAmerica, consider this as a kind invitation to share your reactions and reminiscences.

Gratitudeisowedtomanypeoplewithoutwhomthisvoyagecouldnothavebeenwritten

ForthelifestoriesofHectorandRemi,IthankfirstandforemosttheCoolsaetfamilyonGrosse Ile.In2013,ChrisandKathyCoolsaetmostkindlywelcomedusintothehistoryoftheirfamily–andonaboattourontheDetroitRiverwithCanadainsight.Chris’parentsAllanandEdween sharedwithussomememoriesoftheirfatherRemi,whichwegladlyincorporatedinthisstory. ChrisalsogaveusaccesstotheextensiveresearchbyMauriceVandenberghe,agenealogistfrom Rekkem(nearMenen),ontheancestorsofHectorandRemiinDadizeleanditssurroundings. VandenberghehasdonethisresearchattherequestofRev.MarcelJosson,whoformanyyears livedwiththeCoolsaetfamilyatGrosseIle.In1958,Vandenbergheproducedtwodetailed handwrittenvolumesontheCoolsaetfamilyhistory,whicharestillinthepossessionofthe CoolsaetfamilyonGrosseIle.

InDadizeleitself,mygratitudegoesto‘Dadingisila’foritsenthusiasticsupport.Withoutthehelp ofthiswonderfulanddynamicgroupofvolunteers,whoformanyyearshavebeenstudyingthe localhistoryoftheirvillageanditsinhabitants,itwouldhavebeenimpossibletoreconstructto suchdetailtheDadizelescene.IwouldliketothankinparticularDaisyDecoene,NoëlDevos, XavierMonteyne,andAlmaSamyn.

InGullegem,thehomevillageofPolydoor,akaPaul,IcouldrelyonthehelpfulsupportofDr.Jaak Debusseréofthelocalhistorysociety‘DeMeiboom’.Hedidhisutmosttofindoutlocallywhat hadhappenedtoPaul,whodisappearedintheUnitedStates–invain,unfortunately In2023,the societypublishedalavishlyillustratedhistoryofthevillage. In 2013, DominiqueVerhaegheofthe cityarchivesofWevelgemhelpedtoclarifytheGullegemscene.PeterVanAmmeloftheKortrijk (Courtrai)cityarchiveshasbeenofgreathelpindiggingintothearchivesofKortrijkandits vicinity–atatimetheirdigitizationwasstillinitsinfancy.Toallmysincerestthanks.

RegardingJohnandAlice’slifestoriesinColorado,ItrulyappreciatedDr.JenniferHolvoet’s spontaneouswillingnesstosharefamilyrecollectionsandtoprovidemewithphotographsand excerptsfromtheHolvoetfamilyhistorybook,editedin1998.Theseundeniablymadethestory allthemorepersonal

Wordsofgratitudeandthanks,finally,totheGenealogicalSocietyofFlemishAmericansin Roseville,MI,whereIhadthepleasureofmeetinglateMargaretRoets.ShepassedawayinMay 2022,attheageof101.CherylHecklahasbeenextremelyhelpfulwithinformationcontainedin thedatabasesoftheGSFAandinthepagesofthe Gazette van Detroit –beforeitsdigitization. DavidBaekelandt,whohadtakenituponhimselftocontinuethepublicationofthe Gazette,drew myattentiontothestoryoftheBelgianjanitorsinChicago.Healsoprovidedmewithseveral pressarticlesonthereputationofBelgianAmericansatthebeginningofWorldWarII.Despite

hisandmanyothers'efforts,the Gazette unfortunatelyceasedpublishingandoperationon December31,2018.

Notes

1 AntoineDeSmet,LesBelgesont-ilsprispartàlafondationdeNewYork? Bulletin de la Classe des lettres et des sciences morales et politiques. AcadémieroyaledeBelgique,1953,39,pp.35-74.

2 AntoineDeSmet,L’émigrationbelgeauxÉtats-UnispendantleXIXesièclejusqu’àlaGuerreCivile. Annales du 32ième Congrès de la Fédération Archéologique et Historique de Belgique (27-31 July 1947) KoninklijkeOudheidkundigeKringvanAntwerpen,1950,pp.188-208.Iwouldalsoliketorecommend ‘TheBelgianAmerican’,agreatvirtualresourcecenterforBelgianAmericanimmigranthistoryand genealogy,launchedbyKristineSmetson7January2019(https://thebelgianamerican.com/).

3 AugusteVanderStratenPonthoz, Recherches sur la situation des émigrants aux Etats-Unis de l’Amérique du Nord.Brussels,Meline,1846,p.106.

4 JeanStengers, Emigration et immigration en Belgique au XIXe et au XXe siècles. Brussels,AcadémieRoyale desSciencesd’Outre-Mer,1978,pp.25and45.

5 DanielDellisse, Les Belges de Wisconsin.Brussels,LeCri,2011.

6 OverallsurveybytheBelgianconsulinGreenBay,21February1885.ArchivesMinistryofForeign Affairs(Belgium),2953/I.

7 JosephGriffin, The contribution of Belgium to the Catholic Church in America (1523-1857).Washington, TheCatholicUniversityofAmerica,1932.

8 EdouarddeMoreau,LesmissionnairesbelgesauxEtats-Unis. Nouvelle Revue Théologique,1932,59,5, pp.411-439;AntoineDeSmet, Voyageurs belges aux Etats-Unis du XVIIe siècle à 1900 Bibliothèqueroyale deBelgique,1959.

9 GinetteKurgan,E.Spelkens, Two studies on emigration through Antwerp to the New World.Brussels, CenterforAmericanStudies,1976,pp.9-49.

10 ReportbytheBelgianConsulinDetroit,Michigan,December1895.ArchivesMinistryofForeignAffairs (Belgium),2953/I.

11 TheBelgiansinDetroit. The Detroit News Tribune,5August1906.

12 GinoSperanza,TheImmigrationPeril.“Americanization”afailure. World’s Work,November1923,p.61.

13 The Daily Post and Record (Rochester),7November1923; Gazette van Moline,8November1923.

14 Chicago Tribune,13June1940and6July1942.(IthankDavidBaekelandtforbringingthesenewspaper clippingstomyattention.)

15 ThesearethemainsourcesusedtoreconstructthehistoryoftheflaxindustryinsouthwestFlanders: BertDewilde, 20 Eeuwen vlas in Vlaanderen Tielt,Lannoo,1983;BrechtDemasure, Sociaal-economische streekstudie Midden- en Zuid-West-Vlaanderen (1840-1970).Leuven,CentrumAgrarischeGeschiedenis, 2011;DriesClaeys, De industrialisatie van de vlasnijverheid in Zuid-West-Vlaanderen (1890-1955). De vlasfabrieken in de gemeenten Bissegem, Gullegem en Wevelgem als casus Master’sthesis,GhentUnversity, DepartmentofHistory,2012-2013.

16 Report by Eug. Venesoen to the governor of Antwerp,April25,1903.ArchivesMinistryofForeignAffairs (Belgium),2953/II.

17 ThelocalhistorysocietyofGullegemhaspublishedadelightfulvolumeonthehistoryoftheirvillage: HetverhaalvanGullegem, ‘t Meiboompje,2023.

18 FrancisDeleuhaswrittenahistoryofBissegem,onwhichwehaveoftenrelied: Bissegem vroeger. Kortrijk,Groeninghedrukkerij,1986.

19 ForthedescriptionofGhent,Ireliedon:C.F.Case, History and Description of Lyon County, Minnesota, 1884(https://sites.rootsweb.com/~mnlyon2/history/ghent.html);ArthurP.Rose, An Illustrated History of Lyon County, Minnesota.Marshall,NorthernHistoryPublishingCo,1912,pp.211-218;Robert Houthaeve, Flandria Americana Vol. 2. Ghent, Minnesota. Een studie van Vlaamse emigranten naar het Amerikaanse Continent Torhout,FlandriaNostra,1985;JosephA.Amato, Servants of the land. The trinity of Belgian economic folkways in Southwestern Minnesota.Marshall,CrossingPress,1991.

20 https://hanna.ca/our-heritage

21 CorneliusJaenen,TheBelgianPresenceinCanada.LeenD’Haenens, Images of Canadianness. Visions on Canada’s Politics, Culture, and Economics.Ottawa,UniversityofOttawaPress,1998.

22 ForSuperioranditsBelgianClub,Iwasinspiredby:JudithLeibaert,TheBelgianClubofSuperior. Zenith City Press,s.d.(https://zenithcity.com/archive/superior-and-south-shore/the-belgian-club-of-superior/); JohnBuytaert,TheBelgianClubofSuperior. Belgian Laces,21:80,September1999 (https://sites.rootsweb.com/~inbr/VolAndNumber/BelgianLaces80Binder.pdf).

23 Landverhuizing. Staten Colorado en Wyoming en grondgebied Nieuw-Mexico BelgianMinistryofForeign Affairs,1908.

24 LauraMartone, Michigan.Berkeley,Moon,2011,p.58.

25 Grosse Pointe 1880-1930.Chicago,Arcadia,2001.

26 StijnStreuvels, Herinneringen uit het verleden.Tielt,Lannoo,1924,pp.265-272.

27 François-XavierVanHoutte, L’évolution de l’industrie textile en Belgique et dans le monde de 1800 à 1939 Louvain,Nauwelaerts,1949.

©RikCoolsaet,2024 D/2024/RikCoolsaet,Publisher