Finns of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Images of America

by The Finnish American Heritage Center, Kay Seppälä (Foreword)

Explore the lasting influence of the Finnish people in the Upper Peninsula.
At the time, Hancock consisted of nothing more than a small cluster of humble buildings, but it was here, on the outskirts of mid-19th-century civilization, that Finnish settlement in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP) took root. Much to the surprise of these new Americans, Midsummer was not a religious holiday marked by feasts in celebration of the season's prolonged sunlight. Rather, the newcomers were immediately hastened into the bowels of the earth to extract copper in pursuit of the American Dream. In short order, hardworking Finnish immigrants became reputable miners, lumberjacks, farmers, maids, and commercial fishermen. A century and a half later, the UP boasts the largest Finnish population outside of the motherland and sustains the determined spirit the Finns call sisu - an influence that remains palpable in all 15 UP counties.

128 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2018

Reviews

[Chris Aylott]

As described in the title, these are photos and historical notes about the Finns who settled in Michigan's UP in the late 19th century. It's fun to read from the perspective of 21st century immigrant to Finland, because the buildings, culture and names echo a lot of what I see around here. I'm also impressed by how firmly the 19th-century Finnish-Americans held on to their culture, and that they seemed to be flaming leftists to boot.

[Abby Kacena]

Come for the saunas and copper mining, stay for the Potato Queen.

[Tony]

Great Pictorial history of the Finn in the UP. Enjoyed reading about the places my Family grew up in.

[Christopher Gould]

A purchase from the Finnish American Heritage Center to supplement my reading about labor history in Copper Country.