The Dutch in the Calumet Region

The first Dutch immigration to the Calumet Region took place in the second half of the 19th century. The area settled by the Dutch spans roughly from what today is part of Chicago's Southside to the western border of Griffith, Indiana, and includes the communities of Roseland, South Holland, Lansing, Munster, and Highland. Once in the region, the Dutch carved communities out of the wilderness by clearing and draining the land and raising large families; descendants of these immigrants still populate the region. Even before the towns existed and on into the 20th century, the Dutch were a community that transcended the borders they established. Evidence of the early settlers is found all around the Calumet Region. It is in the churches they built, the businesses they started, and the loved ones they buried.