Finns of Michigan's Upper Peninsula - (Images of America) by The Finnish American Heritage Center (Paperback)

About the Book

"On Midsummer Eve, 1865, more than 30 Finnish and Sami immigrants disembarked from a Great Lakes ship to a place called Hancock, Michigan. 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."--

Book Synopsis

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, th

Review Quotes

"""The Finns' influence on Upper Michigan's life, history and culture is well documented. Now, it's also well compiled and ready for a place on your bookshelf or coffee table. The Finnish American Heritage Center has recently completed a book in the "Images of America" series through Arcadia Press titled "Finns of Michigan's Upper Peninsula."

Though the book includes contributions from some other agencies, it primarily contains images from the FAHC's extensive photo collection. The book illustrates a spectrum of the experiences of Finns across the Upper Peninsula, a region in which many Finnish Americans have roots.

In fact, the westernmost five counties of Upper Michigan are the only counties in the United States where Finnish is the predominant ancestry, according to the most recent census records.

Regardless of where a person's roots are in the U.P., they're sure to find images in this book that'll surely spark memories of remarkable places, people and events. "" Keweenaw Report"