Sihto, plus Heikki and John Sihtola. The sentiments of these founders (as related by William E. Mäki in 1939 in the Kalevainen) seemed to be that "many different analyses had been made of the Finnish-Americans. As varied as these statements were, one fact was cons ant in all of them: that we had not won the social position which should have been ours. The tradition of Kaleva heroes would not lift us out of the mire unless we ourselves worked to strengthen our own cultural position. We had to create our own formulas and our own magic mill."

Less than a year after the founding of the Ely group, it purchased its own clubhouse, and in 1929 it procured more property, land on the shores of Burntside Lake, where summer quarters complete with sauna were built.

Parallel with the Kaleva Order there also developed the ladies' auxiliary: Minnie Hannula and Selma Puutio conducted the ritual calling into being the Ladies Chapter in May 1905 with eight founding members. From the beginning, a relaxed, homelike feeling prevailed in this group. The activities have included production of plays, the arranging of exhibitions of Finnish arts and crafts at the City Hall, the purchase of books in English about Finland for the Public Library, the carrying on of aid and assistance for Finland in its trying times, and the holding of many a program and social for the Finnish-Americans, such as sponsorship of Mothers' Day programs annually. For a time, beginning in 1933, the Ladies also sponsored a youth group for both boys and girls, but this was terminated in 1945, when many of the boys were in the armed services and the girls off to jobs. The Ladies have had a maximum membership of 67, and in 1954 it was still 58, a relatively high figure. Ely Ladies holding positions of rank in the Order outside the -local chapter have included Anna Leino, Maria Särkipato, Sofia Savolainen, Senja Mäki, Matilda Kauppi and Helmi Lintula.

A meeting of delegates of the Kaleva Order was held in Ely in 1916, and in 1948 it was host to the 50th anniversary of the Order, with members from all over the United States gathering in Ely. On the general committee in charge of this celebration were H. Lintula, S. Mäki and H. Tabell among the Ladies, and A. Mattola, F. Mäenpää, H. Ranta and A. Saari among the men.

The Labor Movement in Ely: The character of Ely as a mining area naturally led to the Finns promptly organizing a local workers' society. Actually the activity got its start in Ely even before the Hibbing meeting previously cited, for in 1902 A. F. Tanner, whose

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