In 1874, Willem Albert Scholten bought the  Smeulveen to exploit the peat. In 1890, Scholten offered the skipper Jan Adde Hazewinkel a flag as the first person to transport the peat.
Scholten acquired the Smeulveen in 1874 for peat extraction purposes. Two years later, he honored skipper Jan Adde Hazewinkel by presenting him with a flag, marking the beginning of peat transportation.