Wilheim Willink
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Wilhelm Willink (sometimes Wilheim Willink) was one of the investors in the Holland Land Company. There were reportedly thirteen investors in this syndicate, who hoped to profit by buying a large tract of land in Western New York and northern Pennsylvania and reselling it to settlers and businessmen.
The other investors eventually included: Pieter van Eeghen, C. van Eeghen, Ritger Jan Schimmelpennick, Pieter Stadnitski, Nicholas Van Straphorst, Jan Van Straphorst, Roclif Van Straphorst, Hendrick Vollenhoven, Cornelius Vollenhoven, Hendrick Saye, Wilhelm Willink (the younger), Jan Willink, and Jan Willink (the younger).
Willink's name was given to the Town of Willink when it was created from Batavia, New York in 1804 and placed in Niagara County when it was formed in 1808 from Genesee County. The Town of Willink, along with the Town of Clarence were taken to form Erie County in 1821. The Town of Willink was then dispersed by the formation of newer towns in Erie County (such as Concord, Eden, and Aurora). Some of the investor names appear on the Big Tree Treaty of 1804 in which the Iroquois sold off their rights to most of the land in the Holland Purchase.
The names of the investors were formerly attached to locations in western New York, but have since been replaced. Buffalo, New York itself was briefly called New Amsterdam. Stadnitski Avenue in Buffalo is now Church Street. Schimmelpennick Avenue is now Niagara Street. Willink and Van Staphorst also had their names used for Buffalo streets, but only Willink's remains. Their names appear on most deeds for land in this part of New York as the original owners.
The syndicate hired agents to perform the work of selling and improving their land. Their principal agent was Theophilus Cazenove, later succeeded by Paolo Busti. Others agents were Joseph Ellicott, Benjamin Ellicott, William Peacock, and Gerrit Boon.
Ultimately, the syndicate earned only modest profit from the investment, but the funds greatly assisted the development of the United States.