26 January 1897 - Grand Haven Daily Tribune, p. 1

Aaron John Nyland, Sr.

Aaron John Nyland, Sr. recently re-elected president of the Grand Haven Leather Co. of this city and whose picture we present to our readers at the head of this column, is one of the leading and respected citizens of Grand Haven. Born October 9^th, 1828, in the village of Eibergen, province Gelderland, the Netherlands, where his father was a well-to-do carpenter, Mr. Nyland received but little education in the schools but early learned the trade and followed in his father’s vacation. At the age of eighteen, fully imbued with the spirit of the times, he embarked for America and after over three months sailing, landed at Baltimore, Md. From there he went to Buffalo, where his oldest brother was employed in a tannery and where he also found employment. There Mr. Nyland at the wages of eight dollars per month and board began his first work at the trade he has since spent a life time at.

At Buffalo on June 22, 1851, he was joined in wedlock to Dena Schounsar with whom he is still enjoying the partnership of a happy life at his handsome home on Fulton avenue. After fully learning his trade Mr. Nyland came to Michigan and has been the foreman of tanneries at Hunton, Breedsville and the old Albee tannery in this city, for the latter in 1863. In 1865 he embarked in the business at Grand Rapids for himself, but in less than a year lost his all by fire. Since then he has been foreman of the Zohrlant Leather Co., Milwaukee; and the Cappon & Bertsch tannery of Holland, two of the largest tanneries in the Northwest. February 1^st, 1887, he bought the interest of F. Metz in the present Grand Haven Leather Co. which has since been greatly re-modeled and enlarged. Mr. and Mrs. Nyland have had nine children born to them of which seven are still living and five of them residents of this city. He has always been a staunch Republican in politics making his first vote for John C. Fremont, and his four sons are of the same political faith. Is a protestant in religious worship and a member of the First Dutch Reformed church.