area made free for mining led to rapid expansion, for it was here that the Spruce Mine was opened. Eveleth, which became a city in 1902, soon had just as splendid buildings along its main street as stood in Virginia or Hibbing, and the city continued to grow: 7,036 persons in 1910, up to 7,484 in 1930, but then with only 5,872 left in 1950, for as mining operations were reduced, people began to move away.

Eveleth's First Finns : The 1944 Juhannusjulkaisu mentions Isak Frisk, Jack Hill, Peter Johnson, Matti Kompsi, John Lapinoja, Frank Mattson, Abel Rauma and Jacob Saari as the first Finns in Eveleth. The list comes from Ilmonen's history, and in it he claims that the first Finns arrived here in 1892, while the Juhannusjulkaisu gives the date as 1894. Ilmonen's statement would seem to be supported by a series of articles in the Päivälehti in 1915 as well as by official Eveleth records : for example, in the June 1893 petition for Eveleth to be granted authority to organize, there appear the names of Jack Hill, from Isokyrö, and Peter Johnson, who came from Tornio. Also, the name of the second justice appointed in the village in 1894 - John Salvo - sounds vaguely Finnish. Swedish-Finnish names also soon appeared in Eveleth, among them Andrew and Jacob Johnson and Otto Kruse, followed by John Brodin and Matt Erickson.

The Eveleth to which these Finns came was anything but that `lovely paradise of parks' which the city later has been called. As Liisa Ranta-aho recalled ruefully, it was a place more like a pigsty than the rose garden to which she had imagined she was coming. Along the main street all the buildings were stores. Beginning at one end, there was first a watchmaker's shop, with a small sign poorly lettered, Kello Seppä. Then came a drygoods store, labelled Krosseri Stoori Kalan Maksa Öljyä ja makkaraa myytävänä - Grocery Store, Cod Liver Oil and Sausages for Sale. Next in line was a bowling alley, with a tobacconist in front. Then came the cooperative store, with the post office, the shoemaker and the bank. There were shop signs : School Books and Horse Collars, Cigars and Hemp Rope, Rooms for Rent - Suomija puhutaan - Finnish spoken. Another read, Vaate Kauppa

Miehille, Naisille ja Lapsille Ynnä Kenkien sopivaisuus Taataan

- Clothing for Men, Women and Children as well as Shoes guaranteed to fit. The center of it all, however, was the saloon, which was in the handsomest building on the street. Painted on its windows and doors were the words Saluuna, Restaurantti huoneita matkustavaisille ja muille, saloon, restaurant, rooms for travellers and others. The saloon was furnished with a long bar,

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