Our History

On August 23rd, 1980, August 25th, 1990, August 19th, 2000, and again on June 30, 2010, over 350 plus descendants of John van Nostrand and Anna Maria Marsh gathered together at the ”Lower Place”, Vandorf, to celebrate the anniversary of the family's settlement in 1855 originally on part of the west half of Lot 15 Con 4, “The Upper Place” where the Saw Mill and “The White House” where located and all of Lot 17 Con 4, “The Lower Place” where Nordlands was located.

John and Anna Maria went on to eventually own the entire Lot 15 Con 4, and various other lots through out Concessions 4, 5, & 6 in Whitchurch Township in the County of York. Based on the Land Petition, Cornelius came in June 1799.

We are also celebrating 382 years since the arrival of Jacob Jansen Van Nordstrandt in North America and 221 years since the arrival of Cornelius van Nostrand I in June 1799 in the County of York, Upper Canada, to petition for a land grant with his brother Martin and Martin’s son Losé.

Cornelius I returned in 1800 with his wife Milicent Betts and his daughter Sarah van Nostrand and son in-law James van Nostrand and their children, Catherine 7, Cornelius II 4, and George under 1 years old. They settle on Cornelius I’s land grant located on Lots 6 & 7 in Con 7, and the west half of Lot 7 Con 8, in Markham Township, York County, Upper Canada.