Borculo, Michigan
Church Related Pictures
Early Borculo Businesses
Borculo Public School
Borculo Public School Reunion April 29, 2107
Borculo Christian School Pictures
Early Homes
The Roads
Memories by Berend Blauwkamp, 1933
Memories of Gerrit Bos
Boersema Family History
Leonard VandenBosch Memoirs
Leonard VandenBosch's Reflections on Impressions
Borculo Dandelion Festival 2009
Blendon & Olive Plot Maps
1954 Borculo Phone Directory
Remembering many of the businesses that have played a part in the history of Borculo. Pictures I would still like to have are: Bussis Implement, The little shop across Port Sheldon from Koops Grocery, the Borculo Restaurant, a better picture of the Borculo Garage
The Vollink Bros. Store was a grocery store but also carried dry goods. It stood on the northeast corner of Port Sheldon and 96th Ave.
Sadie Vollink VandenBosch's memories of her dad's store. (Click on the link)
This delivery truck of the Vollink Bros. was well stocked with groceries, candy, and cigarettes, and would visit many of the outlying farms. At each place the deliveryman would set up shop and sell goods.
Another view of Vollink's Store with the Borculo Garage in the background.
The Reliable Poultry Farm and Hatchery stood directly across from the Borculo Church. The property was owned by Peter Walters in the 1940's and 1950's.
The blacksmith shop stood directly across from the Vollink Bros. Store, and just south of the Reliable Poultry Farm, although when this picture was taken, the poultry farm doesn't appear to be there yet. The sign on the building can be read on the larger picture. "P. DeGroot Blacksmithing"
This is a later shot of the blacksmith shop. It has expanded, and appears to have changed owners. The sign now says "Moore Plows"
Old Saw Mill, located where the Crestview Golf Course now is.
These trucks were driven by Peter VandenBosch and his son George. They would pick up milk in creamery cans from the farmers and deliver the milk to the Mead Johnson Creamery. Shown in the picture too are left to right: Len, Jeanette, and John VandenBosch, Gertrude VandenHeuvel (Morren), and Jay VandenBosch
This may be the oldest picture of Koop's Grocery Store. Contributed by Dr. Donald J. Jansen.
I was happy to receive this picture 8/19/2006 from Mr. Loren J. Lemmen. This picture of Koop's Store was taken around 1922. The boy sitting with his arms folded is Simon Koop. The lady sitting in the rocker holding a child is his mother.
Inside Koop's Store
This is Rick Koop in the meat department of Koop's Grocery in 1959
Warren & Gerry Koop sitting on car behind Koop's Store. Gerrit Bussis' house in background.
Koop's Grocery delivered groceries to the farms in this rig. The driver here is T. Pruis.
Milk from the local farmers was brought here for processing. I have not established a date for this photo, but the location was in front of what is now, 2002, Ottawa Roof Truss. Behind this building was what I remember to be a good size pond from which ice was cut in the Winter and stored in sawdust for use in the Summer.
This is a picture of the original building of the Borculo Creamery, built in 1899. It was given to Bob Essenburg by Gerald Geurink of Allendale. Gerald's grandfather, Gradus Geurink, is in the lineup, bringing a 10-gallon milk can from his farm located across the street from the creamery, using his wheelbarrow. Gerald's great-grandfather Douke Boes is also standing nearby. The buttermaker at the creamery at this time was Henry J. Meppelink.
​Contributed by Bob Essenburg
At some point the Mead Johnson Station
burned, and here you see only the chimney
standing.
This is the rebuilding of Mead Johnson Station.
These two pictures appear to be of the same event, filling in the pond which was behind the Mead Johnson Creamery/Borculo Feed Mill. The pond was still there in the 1940s, when I lived across the street, but I don't remember this happening. I was too young I suppose. In the background is the Albert Bosch farm, so the photographer is looking North. The car looks like a 1937 Chevrolet.
A closer shot of the rebuilding.
Picking up feed at the Borculo Feed Mill with a 1935 Ford and farm trailer.
This is the Heinz Pickle receiving station which stood on Port Sheldon St. immediately west of Koop's Grocery (which you see in the background)
Another view of Koop's Grocery and the Heinz Pickle Receiving Station looking West down Port Sheldon Dr. The house of Gerrit Bussis is on the right.
I wasn't going to use this picture, but it is the only one I have that shows the little building on the right which was at various times a snack shop and an appliance store. It actually had a pin ball machine in it at one time! Koop's Grocery is in the background. To help date the picture, the car standing at the gas pump at the Borculo Garage on the left looks like a 1951 Chevy.
This is the Borculo Lumber Co which stood behind the Borculo Feed Mill. The photographer was facing West Southwest to take the picture. The feed mill is in the background. The feed mill and the lumber company were started by and owned by Henry Weaver.
Hershel Weaver's Aquarium with Gene Bos on the left.
"Unknown" boy in front of a building which was vacant when I was a boy, then became a auto body shop, and then the Borculo Restaurant. I'm guessing the date of the picture is around 1945) The first "Harvest Auction" I recall was held in this building and my dad bought a puppy for brother Harv and me. On October 6, 2014, I met with Bob Essenburg who grew up in the Klanderman house 1/4 mile South of the Borculo intersection. He remembered that the Batama sisters, who lived across the road from Bob, had befriended a stray dog which was obviously pregnant. After the pups were born they asked Bob's dad what they should do with these pups because they couldn't afford to feed them anymore. He suggested that they be brought to the upcoming Borculo Church auction. That is how we ended up with our puppy, Chummy.
This is the inside of the Borculo Restaurant which was in the building in the picture above this. The occasion appears to be a Weaver family celebration. The Weavers lived across the street from our family. The family members I know are Austin and across to table is his wife Loie, the son next to Henrietta I did not know but his name was Paul, Henry is next to Henrietta, next to Henry is daughter Carol's husband ___ Ymker, then Carol, daughter-in-law Shirley, son Herschel, daughter Delores, and across from Delores is her husband Ron Nienhuis. The grandchildren I did not know. The date of the picture is unknown, but through the window I see what appears to be a 1962 Chevrolet Impala.
This is the remodeled Borculo Garage on the SE corner of Port Sheldon and 96th St. The picture is dated April 30, 2001.
Milk Hauling Business
The History of Borculo's two General Stores by Robert Essenburg and Don VandenBosch
Dairying and the Borculo Cooperative Creamery by Bob Essenburg
Early Farming in Borculo by Robert Essenburg
Borculo and H.J. Heinz by Robert Essenburg
Borculo Telephone Company compiled by Don VandenBosch with contributions from Gerb Kuyers, Peter Van Den Berge and Robert Essenburg
Ethanol-Centric gas station slated for brownfield at Borculo intersection
The History of the Borculo Garage by Bob Essenburg
The History of the Implement Business in Borculo
The First Grocery Store in Borculo by Robert Essenburg
Memories of Vollink's Store in Borculo by Sadie Vollink VandenBosch
Paul DeGroot and the hatchery business by Robert Essenburg
Geert Moeke and the History of Sawmills in Borculo MI by Robert Essenburg
The History of the Harness Shop in Borculo, MI by Robert Essenburg
The History of Threshing in Borculo, MI by Robert Essenburg