Title
MS 04. Le Cocq Family. Papers, 1850s-1980s. 1.251 linear ft.
Document Type
Abstract
Date Added to Repository
2016
Abstract
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.
Photograph of Francois Le Cocq, undated, circa 1860.
Photo of Frank and Ralph LeCocq.jpg (1304 kB)
Photograph of Frank and Ralph LeCocq and their dog Old Ben, undated, circa 1897. Caption on back reads, "When we started to hunt prairie chickens at Harrison, S.D."