pendent for a period after 1901, and finally rejoined the Synod in 1922. Since that date membership has varied between 150-190, with approximately 50 more members from the town of Tower. The pastors of the church in Ely have regularly served this church also.

In addition, there was established in 1901 an independent church in Soudan, calling itself the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. It joined the National Church in 1910. Its first pastors were Jaakko Hirvi, then D. Ruotsalainen, G. A. Aho, and E. A. Heino. This congregation, which in 1923 had 75 members and 40 in 1948, has also had its own church building.

Finally, among the Finns of Soudan there were also many who leaned toward the teachings of Laestadius. Their religious activity apparently preceded the congregations mentioned above, but no records of it have remained available.

To turn to another aspect of Finnish activity, the temperance hall also served as the meeting place for the local chapter of the Kaleva Order. It may appear strange that in a mining community like Soudan there should have been both a chapter of the Kaleva Knights and the Kaleva Ladies, but both were in fact founded here in 1908. Among the first members in the Knights were Frans Alen, Kustaa Ander

son, Antti Hiiri, Frank Korpi, John Kortesmaa, Gustaa Lapinoja, Charles Miettunen, Heikki Lämpsä, Heikki Oja, Evert Peltola, Eli Rautio and August Saarela. There were more members subsequently, but 40 years later the local activity was on the verge of collapse and membership was transferred to the Virginia chapter.

Among the Ladies, the first sponsoring members were Sanna Saarela and Hilma and Sofia Saari. Apparently there were 13 members in all when the chapter was founded, and in the course of its existence it had 62 members in all, but in 1953 only 16 were left. Although the Ladies first held their meetings at the temperance hall, as did the men, then in homes of the members to save money, they maintained, together with the Knights, a summer camp on the shores of Vermilion Lake in the period preceding World War II. Even after that date the Kaleva members

Kaleva Island and Camp at Soudan.

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