Saukkojärvi - Otter Lake 2005

2nd Finglish trip August 2005 #3

Askel, Tapiola, Elo, Nisula, Pelkie or initially Kyrö are the names that Finns gave to the places they got their homesteads in late 1800s and early 1900s in Upper Michigan's Copper Country. In 1890 Pekka Tauriainen and Eenokki Pyykkönen heard rumours that in the woods there is a beautiful lake surrounded by good farmland somewhere up the Sturgeon River or Sampijoki in Finnish.

They gathered a group of miners who had a dream to farm their own land. With three other families they found the lake, Otter Lake or Saukkojärvi in Finnish. They named their community Askel. Other families followed and today you can find many roads with Finnish name, Eilola Rd, Moilanen Rd, Parkila Rd, Mantila Rd, Hanka Rd, Autio Rd, Askel Rd and so on.

Next Oulu Wisconsin USA

#Askel #Tapiola #Elo #Pelkie #Kyrö #SturgeonRiver #OtterLake #PekkaTauriainen