contained so much iron ore that its value was soon estimated at $100,000,000.

After the first discovery of ore had been made at Mt. Iron, the initial probing remained exploratory in nature. In October 1892 the first carload of Mesabi ore was sent out, more or less as a sample, for full operations were not scheduled to begin until the following spring. This carload of ore stood at the Union Station in Duluth for all to marvel at; later a bronze replica of it was made, and in the 1950s it still stood on a massive granite pedestal in front of the Mt. Iron High School. The total ore production in 1892 was a mere 4,245 tons; a year later it was 119 818 tons- by 1956 as much as 48.118.501 tons had been dug out.

Mt. Iron was naturally nothing but wilderness when mining operations began there, but in 1892 the forest was being cleared away from what was to be Main Street of the new community. In August, when the first train arrived, there were already seven buildings of some size in Mt. Iron, all built with materials hauled from the nearest town, 27 miles away. In addition, there were numerous tents and a few log huts. But as soon as the real riches became apparent, a city rose as if by magic : 15 hotels, department stores, buildings everywhere. When the local government was organized in 1892, the place was called Grant, but the name was soon changed to Mt. Iron - for J. A. Nichols in 1890 had called this spot `Mountain of Iron.'

Finns began to arrive at Mt. Iron as soon as it became apparent that work opportunities were on hand. Hans R. Renfors, who did research on the Mt. Iron Finns in 1954 under the sponsorship of the mines, reported that at the end of 1891 at least the following Finns already lived in Mt. Iron : Matti Anderson, Otto Haapasaari, Abraham Harju, Erick Harmala, Matti Hilden, Erick Keisti, John Kinttu, Juho Kreussi, Simeon Kujansuu, August Leppi (Leppä), Matti Mattson, Jacob Märsylä, August Närvälä, Antti Osnanbryk, Matt Palo, Antti Palola, Adolf and Kaarlo Pernu, Matt and Olli Pääkkö, Antti and Stefanias Rahkola, Charles Suo, and John Takala. Not until somewhat later did the first Finns risk bringing their families to the place, and even as late as 1899 there were 6 men there to every woman. The first white child born there was Arthur Kangas, whose father Henry Kangas was considered by J. A. Mattinen to have been the first Finn in Mt. Iron.

The first organized Finnish activity in Mt. Iron was a tempererance society, Rauhan Koti (Home of Peace), founded in

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