ItascaWeb.com Guide to Suomi, Minnesota

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Suomi, Minnesota

Location:

Population: Unincorporated

History:

Suomi means Finland, and it was a Finnish land agent, Mr. Havela from Duluth, who interested people to settle in this area around Little Bowstring Lake beginning in 1916. Because the people who settled here were almost all Finnish and the area reminded them of Finland, they called the community Suomi.

The townships that make up Suomi were originally surveyed around 1870. The first homestead dates back to 1873, with most early homesteaders being more interested in the timber than in settling the land. However, seven homestead claims were proven from 1875 to 1913, including Jeremiah Miller, George Russell, Richard Boan, Robert J. Clark, Saul Estes, Charles Murphy and Orlando Walker.

In 1898 the Itasca Railroad, later called the Minneapolis & Rainy River railroad or "Gut & Liver", was built as far as Bowstring Hill and extended to Smith Lake. After the timber was cut in this area, the railroad was pulled up in 1904 and rerouted north to Jessie Junction, later called Alder.

The first of the Finnish arrivals in 1916 were Otto Salo, Edwin Juntunen, Edward Heikkinen, Oscar Maki and Richard Wierimaa.

The Suomi Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized on July 13, 1918. The current church building was completed in 1940.

Suomi had its own post office from 1921 until 1938, when mail was delivered from Deer River. The Suomi area received telephone service in 1929 and electric power in 1946.

Recreation:


Suomi Hills Ski Trail	49554 State Hwy 38 Marcell, MN 56657	(218) 832-3161
35.0 km trackset. Mostly expert level trails. Located from Grand Rapids 15 mi N on MN Hwy 38 at Forest Rd 3464; or 19 mi N of Grand Rapids on MN Hwy 38 at Forest Rd 2376. Trail runs through rolling hills and lakes, with maple, basswood, and aspen forest. Short stretches of trail suitable for beginning or intermediate skiers, but majority of trail is for expert skiers. Maps along trail.

Map:

Schools:

Grave Lake School closed in 1949, since then, students have been bussed into Deer River.

Churches:

Suomi Evangelical Lutheran Church

Businesses:

Other Web Links:

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