Any Minnesotans of Finnish descent? (Minneapolis, Chisholm: construction, live, prices)

[Majurius]

Originally Posted by demtion35

Just intresting how they are posing thats all, I'm sure it is real, there are indeed tons of early photos from that era in Duluth at the Depot, showing the imigrants coming here.

Alcohol has always been very important to Finnish people So they are showing off here... They can afford proper alcohol and tobacco. Indeed Duluth was a major hub for Finnish.

[Majurius]

Originally Posted by old fed

sadly i don't know how or why my ancestors ended up in the US. my paternal grandmother's parents settled in sebeka (grandmother was US born) and my grandmother somehow ended up in minneapolis. my paternal grandfather was born in finland and arrived in the upper peninsula with his mother when he was 5 or 6. his father either had died in finland or on the journey over, it was never clear. how he ended up in minneapolis i don't know either. heck, my last name isn't even my grandfather's original last name as his mother remarried in the US and my grandfather adopted the step-father's surname.

both of them corresponded regularly with relations in finland until their deaths. again, sadly, i have no more information than this. when i was young, none of this seemed important or interesting. oh, the follies of youth. and oddly, they both seemed to have been "americanized" to the point of not embracing their heritage much except when around family. it wasn't so much of a shunning of their heritage as much as having become american. i have no memory of any Finnish traditions/recipes (except coffee ) being discussed or practiced. odd.

Thank you for your story in any case! Finland is such a small country. It is always interesting to hear such a stories

[Majurius]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

Majurius, you're aware of the little town of Finland in Northern Minnesota, right? My relatives had a cabin there.

My grandmother is Finnish, as her parents came from Finland between 1906 and 1908. She was born in 1910.

She had a book once that I am still trying to track down. It gives the history of her family (Mantarri - I don't think I'm spelling that correctly) from about 1660 to about 1930 or so. Her name is listed in it and also her son, my father.

I honestly don't know how my great-grandparents came to the US. I do know there was a problem in that both parents died and the oldest daughter tried to take care of the family. Because of her age, the children were all separated and adopted out and it wasn't until my grandmother was an older woman that she found her brothers and sisters again. Because of that, she ended up in the Twin Cities. My mother, whose parents had migrated from Germany to Southern Minnesota, had gone north to work in the Cities and met my dad there. And I am now in Washington, having spent 25 years in California. I always wondered if that was the heritage of having emigrating great-grand parents on all four sides, always moving west to look for something better.

I do know that once when we were up to Finland (the town), we had the chance to go to an old Finnish sauna. We poured water over the hot rocks and then ran outside and jumped into the Baptism river. Now that's a tradition I'd as soon do without.

I'm aware of that place, but I don't know if it has anything to do with Finland anymore

Your granmother came when this emigration thing was at it's high. Some generations after, people would rant about their "american cousins"

You are correct, "Matarri" isn't correct Finnish spelling. I'm sorry but I don't know what it could be

Finns truly always looked for something better and they were hard workers. Many of them ended up to the mines and timber work, they were known as good workmen. Also I remeber seeing this picture of a Finnish American hut in grade school where they had this hugr window, in Europe normal people couldn't afford glass, so they wanted to show their Finnish relatives how well they do. That picture above has been taken is similar fashion, they are bragging how they can afford alcohol and tobacco...

Haha that sounds so Finnish! I would love to visit Finland, Minnesota one day

Thank you for sharing your thoughs and experiences

[Majurius]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

That picture looks like a bunch of preteens at the ye olde photo booth circa 2010, not 1910. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's no 1910 photo.

You are wrong. Just do a google image search if you don't believe me Finnish teens have always been the same

Here is a link to Finland's main newspaper featuring that picture:
http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/a1305900090621

[Majurius]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

lots of Finnesotans making a living playing hockey in St Paul...

Finnesotans: Finns Make Impact In Minnesota - Minnesota Wild | Features

Actually NHL knows many Finns, but that's not news... You are from California and you know ice hockey? If so, you must know Teemu Selänne and Saku Koivu

[Majurius]

Originally Posted by demtion35

http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistor...04p317-328.pdf

This is actually very interesting article! How did you find this?

[Ariete]

The two cities outside Europe with the biggest population of Finnish descent are actually Toronto and Thunder Bay, Ontario. I think Eugene, Oregon is 3rd.

Some of my ancestors went too to America in the late 19th century, but unfortunately we have lost all contact with them. I think they went to Illinois though, and not Minnesota.

Oh, and Pamela Anderson is of Finnish descent.

[Ariete]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

(Mantarri - I don't think I'm spelling that correctly) from about 1660 to about 1930 or so. Her name is listed in it and also her son, my father.

It might be Matari. That's a name and a suburb near Helsinki.

[tjasse]

I grew up in northern Minnesota and two of my friends had Finnish ancestors. Itasca County, the county between my home town (Bemidji) and the Iron Range had a Finnish community in Balsam township. Everyone there at one time was a Finn, but it is a very small population, like 800 people. There are other tiny towns in MN that used to have concentrations of Finns, but I believe youpers have the highest percentage of Finnish ancestors.

[Ghengis]

new a Finn who's family hailed from Makinen, lots of Finns up there

Makinen, Minnesota - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia