5th Finglish trip July 2007 #19
We went to Bruce Crossing to meet musicians Yrjö and Albert Haapala, but they were not at home. A car drove in to the yard of a house across the road. We went to ask about the brothers. And that is how we met Eileen (Aili) and Kenneth Huhta. It turned out that Eileen is the Haapala brothers' sister.
Eileen's father came to Michigan from Hailuoto Finland and her mother came from Rantsila Finland, she worked as pastor Nikander's maid. J.K. Nikander was the founder of the Suomi College in Hancock, Michigan. Eileen's parents wanted to be farmers and they came to Bruce Crossing.
Eileen's brothers Albert and Yrjö live in the old family farm.
The community was originally named Bruce's Crossing when its post office opened in 1888. The name came from the first postmaster, Donald M. Bruce, who owned a store at the crossing of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway and the old Military Road. It was shortened to Bruce Crossing in 1891.
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