building owned by Olli Pajari was purchased. The first business manager was T. Flinkman, and he was followed by John P. Raattama, who served for many years. Then began the decline, which led to the liquidation of the enterprise in 1910 (or 1911) and the selling of the building back to Mr. Pajari.

To continue joint activity, however, a cooperative proper was established in 1910 - the New York Mills Cooperative Company. It set up business in what was formerly the Hugo Almquist building. Its first board of directors included three men born in Finland, two Finns born in Minnesota, and two others. On 23 June 1915, the cooperative placed the following large advertisement in the Päivälehti:

"The New York Mills Cooperative Company is the only store in New York Mills from which to buy goods at their true value, since we distribute all possible profits back to our purchasers, and no individual can profit at the expense of the rest. Our business overhead is no higher than that of private firms. That being so, whatever is purchased from our cooperative store represents an advantage to the purchaser. And the more the cooperative is supported so much the greater is the buyer's advantage and financial gain. Joining the cooperative as a member and customer will help make our prices lower - slowly, to be sure, but surely. Note that we sell everything that anybody could need to feed and clothe himself, and all kinds of tools and implements for daily work. In a word, we carry everything that can be had in a modern-day store. The same quality, the same weight and measure for everyone; no one gets special consideration. We also purchase farm products at the day's highest quotations. We are at your service, and you at ours."

In 1931, fire destroyed the entire business premises, and the cooperative was declared bankrupt at about the same time.

The present cooperative, the Cooperative Services, Incorporated, did not have a single board member in 1952 who had been born in the `old country', but it did include four members of Finnish descent.

The New York Mills cooperative dairy was established and incorporated in 1901. The first board of directors consisted of Johan P. Arni, Henry Blomberg, S. J. Haarala, Israel Hagel, Matti Jaakkola, Abe Johnson, Matti Lohi, Matti Niemelä, Jacob Ojala, Jacob Pelto and E. A. Rousu. The dairy was first located south of the railroad, at the edge of town, but later a big new dairy was built on the other side of the tracks, on the eastern edge of

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