The Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij Company was founded 1871 as
Plate, Reuchlin & Company in Rotterdam and became known as the Holland America Line. The ship which transported the Groenhof family to America was built in 1881 and purchased from the White Star Line. It was renamed the Spaarndam and was 4,529 tons. This ship was scrapped in 1901.
Minne Groenhof (age 40) arrived in New York on April 12, 1890 with his wife Maria (age 37) and their 6 children: Gerben (age 10), Berend (age 8), Aafke (age 6), Lucas (age 4), Wepkje (age 2) and Klassje (age 6 months). Minne was listed as a farmer from the Netherlands with 6 pieces of baggage. The family probably left from Rotterdam and would have spent about ten days aboard the ship.
Although the reason for the family's immigration is not known, it could have been because of the cheap fare available at the time or that they had family already living in the United States.
Maria had at least one brother living in Michigan. The family would have received news and might have felt it was a good time to move. Minne's parents had also passed away, which might have made the move easier to make at that time.
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