8th Finglish trip June 2009 #33 Ruben Ruhkala's father Matt Ruhkala was born in Kalajoki Finland. Matt Ruhkala arrived in Rocklin in 1889 and immediately found work in the thriving granite quarries. Beginning as a quarryman, he worked his way up until he understood every phase of the granite business. He was especially noted for being a first class stone cutter, having learned that trade thoroughly at Rocklin and San Francisco. Matt Ruhkala married Eva Ericson at Berkeley. Ru

8th Finglish trip June 2009 #32 John Mantyla, who arrived around 1880, was the first Finn in Rocklin. He encouraged other Finns to join him after he opened a small granite quarry which became prosperous. Eventually the quarry business in Rocklin, which may have been the most important granite center on the West Coast, was dominated by Finns. The first Finnish bar was opened in 1889, the opening of that bar was followed by the birth of the Valo Nuorempi Temperance Society. In