My great-grandfather worked in UP Michigan for a while… Between the wars, I believe. I think it’s important to remember that this was, for all intents and purposes, a 3rd world country until fairly recently:-)

I’m 1/4th a Finnish immigrant to the States. My ancestors come from the area mentioned and Kainuu (Oulu Province). And the reasons there seem to be the same as well, small farms and many children. From my great-grandfathers side we even know some of the relatives living here in Finland.

I’ve always been interested in the reasons for immigration and the lives of the immigrants. That’s one of the reasons I’ve loved visiting Butte, MT because I’ve been able to meet descendants of the Finnish immigrants and talk to them. Their Finnish is more than a bit interesting (‘k?¤ytiin hunttaamassa viikonloppuna’). There are also lots of great resources on the web which allow you to track immigrants on their way to the States. I was able to find the ships (and pictures of them) that my great-grandfather used on his voyage from Hanko to New York.

finnish people are the best people in the world

Hey, I saw this site and think it may help me with a project. I am doing a report on why Michigan and/or the United States seems to draw Finnish Immigrants. Any one willing to share their stories? Email me; kzoosoftball@yahoo.com