MS 04. Le Cocq Family. Papers, 1850s-1980s. 1.251 linear ft.

In 1847 Francois Le Cocq (1805-1888), his wife, and five children immigrated with Rev. Hendrik Peter Scholte to Pella, Iowa. Le Cocq was leader on the ship, Pieter Floris. Frank Le Cocq Jr. (1858-1930), born in Pella, was a pioneer to Orange City, Iowa, in 1872. He was a store owner, banker, real estate investor, and county recorder. By 1882, Frank Jr. helped establish a new Dutch colony in Douglas County, South Dakota, and was elected as County Commissioner for Douglas County (1882-1889) and to the South Dakota House of Representatives (1889). His son, Ralph LeCocq (1887-1984), was born in Harrison, South Dakota and moved to Lynden, Washington, where he was a lawyer and resident for 70 years. Papers track these three generations of the LeCocq family through their emigration from The Netherlands and migration westward through Dutch-American settlements in Iowa, South Dakota, and Washington. The collection includes original handwritten correspondence (in Dutch) from Francois; mortgage notes, letters (in Dutch) between brothers in South Dakota; and personal correspondence of Ralph. The collection also comprises photos, newspaper clippings, speeches, sermon notes, books, and ledgers