78/2385 [Amsterdam and surroundings]. (Bijl, Houthandel van der). Archive, consisting of several thousand financial and administrative manuscript and letterpress (filled out by hand) records, for the greater part dated between ±1860-1955, mainly rolled and tied up in parcels, various sizes.

= The oldest woodsaw windmill in the world De Otter was built in 1631 in commission of the Houtzaagmolen Compagnie and was originally part of group of 12 woodsaw mills on the Kostverloren vaart in Amsterdam. Windmill De Otter was bought by Gerrit van der Bijl in 1817. He later also bought the mills De Valk, De Kool en Het Luipaard (all 3 demolished at the end of the 19th century). The company that Gerrit van der Bijl started, was situated on the Kostverlorenvaart and the Gillis van Ledenberchstraat in Amsterdam. The firm continued as a family business until 1980 when it merged with the Houthandel Ambagtsheer & Van der Meulen, situated on the Gevelweg (houthaven) in Amsterdam. These companies were in turn acquired by the wholesale wood and building material company Jongeneel from Utrecht in 2007.

Very interesting large archive from economical point of view as well as from the perspective of local history in relation to 19th and 20th century Amsterdam entrepeneurship, business history and Dutch windmill industry. It consists mostly of the financial administration, i.a. (international) bills (with attractive letterheads), reminders, I.O.U.'s, financial claims, insurance policies etc. Also some personal bills of the family Van der Bijl. Including ledgers with the administration of the woodsaw activities: "Zaagloon Boek van de Molen de Kool" (1860-1903), "Zaagloon Boek van de Molen de Valk" (1860-1896) and "Zaagloon Boek van de Molen de Otter" (1860-1885). The windmill and the surrounding buildings were re-acquired in 2019 by the G.T. van der Bijl company.