families already there, life began to seem more agreeable and in a way less menacing - up to that time, the Autio and Puuperä families had seen no other human beings but Indians.

The Indians, of whom there were many, had actually proved to be good and friendly neighbors who lived in their nearby wigwams through the winters. Early each spring, however, they would move away to a lakeshore, where fishing was good and the forests were rich with fruits and berries. As the white population gradually increased, the Indians began to go farther and farther to the north, and soon they failed to come back even for the winters.

By the end of 1881, according to the Uusi Kotimaa, there were already 64 Finnish farmers in New York Mills, a significant figure when compared with the 1884 incorporation petition which claimed 300 inhabitants for New York Mills, and which surely was exaggerated, since the 1890 census revealed but 260, the 1900 census 353, and 474 a decade later. The reputation of New York Mills was spread among Finns by word of mouth, letters written by individuals, and finally, even the printed page. To a miner, living through one financial crisis after another, the advertisement which appeared in a Finnish yearbook for 18907 must have sounded enticing: "I have the privilege of announcing to my fellow citizens that I have acquired thousands of acres of land, both farms ready for tilling and uncleared acreage. Since I am not a farmer but a businessman, I would like to dispose of these lands in order to devote my full time to my business. I am therefore prepared to sell these lands at very low prices and on favorable terms. Those honorable fellow-citizens who desire a quiet and peaceful home to which to retire should turn to me. New York Mills is the biggest Finnish farming region in America. There are hundreds of Finnish homes here, where happy lives are being led. You will be surrounded by peaceful, accommodating, friendly and kind Finnish neighbors - in a word, you will be living as if you were at home in Finland."

Many took the decisive step and moved to New York Mills to become farmers. The local correspondent of the Päivälehti was justified in writing that "here in the New York Mills area there are many such Finns who first worked in the mines but have then moved here, have bought land for themselves, have cleared it for farming, and have begun to earn their living from the soil and are happy even at such times when all mining operations

7. Amerikan Suomalaisen Kansanvalistus-Seuran Kalenteri, 1890. New York Mills, 1889

146