Raivaaja 'S 6Öth Anniversary Issue Finland9s Contribution to American
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Raivaaja ’s 6Öth Anniversary Issue Edistysmielisten ihmisten Poliittisen ja taloudellisen edistysmielinen sanomalehti kansanvallan puolesta RAIVAAJA(THE PIONEER) f Tiistaina, helmikuun 2, 1965 - Tuesday, February 2, 1965 ORGAN OF THE FINNISH AMERICAN LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY 61 :nen vuosikerta - Volume LXI • No. 13 — 1965 Finland9s Contribution to American Civilization A granite monument in Ches Although 16 years after its After the death of the main ter, Pennsylvania, and a me founding, the colony of New promoter in Sweden of the De Today, as American citi morial plaque on the opposite Sweden passed under Dutch laware colony, a Finnish noble zens, descendents of Finnish shore of the Delaware River immigrants are university pro rule and 8 years later to the man named Klaus Fleming, and A Lecture at Finn's point, New Jersey, British, the settlers remained the passing of the settlement fessors, educators, lawyers and commemorate the arrival of and were even increased by to the Dutch rule and some years others, have achieved success the first Finnish pioneers on newcomers. They retained their later, to the British, interest b y and high positions in business ip this continent more than 300 identity - linguistic, religious in emigration to America faded and industry. Although most y ears ago. and cultural - but ultimately in Finland and Sweden for a of them no longer speak our- merged with the main stream long time. Occasionally, Fin His Exellency language, they have their roots As Finland was then a part of American nationality. The nish sailors arriving at the in Finland and form a firm of Sweden, the colony founded historical fact remains, how ports of the North, South and link between our two countries. in 1638 was named New Swe ever, that the Finns were one West Coasts, would be found RICHARD R. SEPPÄLÄ This bond, which was estab den. From 1638 to 1654 the of the nationalities that helped searching for their fortunes lished by early se ttle rs from land along both shores of the to settle the original thirteen in the New World during the Finland, has widened and Delaware was the colony's ter- states of the Union, the others following century. Ambassador of Finland to the United States strengthened since Finland be p ritory and a succession of ships being the English, Dutch and came an independent country brought additional settlers of Swedes. Even today, some As a consequence of the Na in 1917. The best known and which at least half were Finns. old names in Pennsylvania and poleonic wars in Europe, Fin Delivered April 16, 1964 most popular American in Fin Many settlements developed Delaware could be traced back land was separated from Swe land from this time on, is Pre along the river. One was on to their Finnish origin. Only den and passed under the rule At Suffolk U niversity, Boston, Mass. sident Herbert Hoover. It was the present site of Philadel a few are found in history books, of Russian C zars in 1808. Then Ambassador mainly thanks to his support phia and was called "Sauna", because history in those days from 1830 to 1840, a consider RICHARD R. SEPPÄLÄ and insistence at the Paris ^ Finnish word meaning Fin- was not so much written as able number of Finns immigra Peace Conference that the Al •PjHsh steam bath or bath house, it was made by the work and ted to Alaska, which also be lied Government recognized our rrom earliest times the Fin longed to Russia at the time. independence; and it was the re toil of these early settlers. Finnish immigration to the It was the aim of most of those nish settlers have always built Some of them, however, are Alaska even had two Finnish ness and industry. There are lief action led by him after the ^ saunas first, using them as governors; Admiral Etholen in United States remained, how who began working in the mines many outstanding engineers of First World War, that saved still remembered like Long ever, rather modest in com and lumber camps to obtain w temporary dwellings until a Finn or John Finn, who was 1840; and Captain Furuhjelm in Finnish descent and Finland Finland from starvation in more spacious house was built. 1859. A considerable amount parison to that of many other homesteads or to buy farms as has given this country several 1918. We are still paying the maybe the first true rebel a- European nationalities. The soon as they had the means to As the Finns were the first gainst the Colonial rule. But of trade developed between outstanding architects of which war debt which came out of this pioneers to settle where Phila Finland and Alaska and numer number of Finns in the United do so. They generally obtained the Saarinens - father and son American action; but, as we he lived too early and suffered States - immigrants and second 40 to 120 acres, often cut-over delphia is now, it is not su r for it. ous Finnish ships transported - are the most famous. Our are the only nation that paid prising that the place was once goods and emigrants around generation (one of the parents land in Michigan, filed for a best living architect, Alvar Aal our war debt from that time, called Sauna. Cape Horn to Alaska. Later, being a Finn) - never exceeded homestead in Minnesota, or to, who last year received the the payments have been made John M orton, the man who 150,000 in any given year ac bought a run-down farm in west cast the deciding vote in favor when Alaska was sold in 1867 Gold Medal of the Institute of available in the form of scho Other Finnish settlements to the United States, many Finns cording to the official American ern New York, Connecticut or American Architects, has been larships for students and young of the Declaration of Indepen statistics. Several unofficial elsewhere. Then they settled T were called Finland and Up dence, was luckier. It seems stayed on and settled, particu both lecturing and teaching in scholars from both countries. land and were at the site of larly around the Sitka. The estimates included all people down to work and often cleared this country. Some Americans have gone to that his great-grandfather war of Finnish origin who still knew the stumpy land, acre after what is now C hester, Pennsyl Martti Marttinen, born in Rau descendants of these early Finland to study but most of vania. A sizeable colony of Finns and those who came la finnish or Swedish o r who acre, making of these virgin the funds have benefited Fin talam pi, Finland in 1606. He otherwise could be counted as or run-down lands flourishing Finns rich in folklore Finns settled in present-day came with his young son, Mart ter, played an important part nish youth wishing to study here. New Jersey around what is in the development of this ter Finns. These estimates vary farms. They were not only Thanks to these and other funds, ti Marttinen, Junior, through between three and four hund handy in tilling the soil, but Finns are an artistic race still known as Finri's Point. Sweden to Delaware in 1641. ritory, which now, a century also, having one of the richest about 100-150 of our young scho The Finns built their log ca- later, has become the 50th state red thousand as maximum on they built their own homes, lars study in American uni Their name, Marttinen, was any given year. This is under shoed their own horses, and traditions in folklore and popu JfSJns and saunas like their later changed many times in of the Unionit The Finns in la r m usic. Since 1880, nearly versities or other institutions Qv^refathers in Finland had Alaska were not only early pio standable if we take into account showed skill in different kinds each year, strengthening the Swedish and British official re the fact that the total population of manual work. In the Sci every Finnish temperance and done for more than a thousand cords to Martenson, Marten, neers, hunters and fur traders, church society has had a choir, cultural relations between our years. The log cabins became fishermen and gold diggers, of Finland was, at the turn of the entific Monthly, May, 1923, pro countries. Martin, and finally Morton. century when immigration was fessor Van Cleef writes that orchestra, or amateur theatre the pride and symbol of pio What Morton, with the other but also administrators, may group. The American Journal neer life as the Finnish sauna ors and officials who advanced at its highest, only about two "the Finn is thrifty and in Soon after the First World "Founding Fathers", accom and a half million, and today, dependent. Both of these qua of Folk-lore wrote in October, baths are today, becoming more plished was foreseen many law and order in this (at the 1934: "The Finns in Minnesota War, permanent trade relations and more popular in this coun time) faraway land. when immigration has slowed lities are the consequence of between Finland and the United years earlier by another well- down,, four and a half m illion. have maintained much of the try . his life upon the farm in his folk-lore of their homeland States were established which known Finn, the naturalist, native country where isolation Peter Kalm. He was son of a Large number of finns and have greatly enriched the were interrupted only by the last We learn from a history begin arriving During these past decades, and the struggle against the war.