Finns became the most rural of all European immigrant groups. They created “havens in the woods,” cultural islands surrounded by forests where their ancestral language and customs persisted for 100 years. Pelkie, Michigan is one of these havens.
Part 1: From Copper miners to lumberjacks to farmers
Jun 27, 2019
Many Finnish immigrants worked as copper miners but quickly traded that work for homesteading in the woods due to poor working conditions. They cleared the land to make way for farms. A farmer's co-op formed and it was a thriving dairy farming community.
Part 2: Third Generation: Cows, Kids and Barns
Jul 4, 2019
Second and third generation Finns worked on the farms as kids. They had freedom to run and play. There was a strong visiting and sauna culture among neighbors. As they grew up they began to leave the area to find work and education.
Part 3: A Farewell to Dairy Farming
Jul 11, 2019
The descendants of the Finnish immigrants move away to the cities to go to school and find work. Big box stores pushed out the small dairy farm. Finnish culture deteriorated in Pelkie. Mennonites and strangers moved in while a couple Finns remained.
