This week we are looking at a map of the island of Goeree-Overflakkee, including two historical maps. The center of the map shows the island as it was in 1842, when the map was created. The island was then called Goedereede en [and] Overflakkee. On the left shows the situation in 1750, when the islands of Goeree and Overflakkee were still seperated at high tide. The right shows the situation around 1300, when the claiming of land had just started.
Today, the combined island is part of the province of Zuid-Holland. Before 1840, it was part of the province of Holland. The island includes the towns (and former municipalities) of Den Bommel, Dirksland, Goedereede, Herkingen, Melissant, Middelharnis, Ooltgensplaat, Ouddorp, Oude Tonge, and Sommelsdijk. The area saw a lot of emigration in the 1800s, and many Americans can trace their ancestry to the island.
The map shows a typical development of land in the estuaries of the Rhine and Scheldt rivers. At low tide, land that fell dry was surrounded by a dike, creating a polder. Mills pumped the water out of the bediked land. Over time, the land grew, as more dikes were built and polders were pumped dry. It took time for the land to desalinate and become arable, but over time, this created rich farmland. This process took place all along the coast of the Netherlands.
Map of Goeree-Overflakkee, collection Streekarchief Goeree-Overflakkee.
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