The Dutch on the River

The Dutch on the River. . Dutch culture is alive and well in Fulton. Fulton's Dutch heritage dates to its earliest days and the arrival of the first Dutch settlers. , The First Arrivals , In 1856, Thomas Smith became the first of many Dutch to settle in Fulton. Initially, Dutch settlers came from Chicago and Michigan, but soon, they were coming directly from the Netherlands. Their close personal connections helped build a community in the New World. , Caption: Most early immigrants came from the northern part of the Netherlands , Building a Life and a Community , Dutch immigrants shaped Fulton by working for the railroads, in factories and sawmills, as merchants, and as farmers. Dutch immigration to the Fulton area reached its peak in the early 1900s. , At the Center of the Community , As in many communities, the church was the center of religious and social life. The Dutch Reformed Church, organized in Fulton in 1866, was also a place to hear and speak Dutch. , Caption: Dutch settlers lived their church theme, “In Unity there is Strength” , Celebrating Dutch Culture , Fulton's famous Dutch windmill, “de Immigrant,” is the only working Dutch windmill in Illinois and one of only two in the United States. The windmill was engineered and built in the Netherlands and shipped to the United States in pieces. Dutch workers then came to Fulton and rebuilt the windmill. , Fulton's annual Dutch Days Festival, begun in 1974, celebrates the Dutch people and culture that shaped Fulton. , Caption: Held the first weekend in May, Fulton's Dutch Days celebrates Dutch culture.