Ohio History Journal

FINNISH NEWSPAPERS IN OHIO

 

By JOHN I. KOLEHMAINEN

 

The possibilities which Ohio offered for Finnish journalistic

enterprise attracted, shortly before the year 1884, the attention of

two ambitious typesetters, Fred Karinen and Alex Wirtamo of

the New York Mills (Minnesota) Uusi Kotimaa. In the spring

of 1884 the pair arrived in Ashtabula Harbor, the largest Finnish

settlement in the State, and shortly afterward they launched, with

the assistance of Charles Stenroos, Sr., and Asser Anson, a pub-

lishing concern.¹ The company, as Stenroos later recalled, was

capitalized at either $800 or $1000 with shares at $25 each.

The small firm immediately began to issue a four page weekly,

the Yhdysvaltain Sanomat, the first Finnish language newspaper

to be published in the State. Under the joint editorship of Kari-

nen and Wirtamo the organ shortly had over a thousand readers.

When the latter resigned to join a rival paper, his editorial chair

was filled by August Edwards who had arrived in the community

in 1885.2 Karinen, on the other hand, continued his connection

with the Yhdysvaltain Sanomat until 1889 when he left for Ish-

peming, Michigan, to found an organ for the Finnish National

Temperance Brotherhood.  Edwards, who had been gradually

buying up the outstanding shares of the concern, became editor,

publisher, and owner. In the fall of the same year the news-

paper was moved to the Harbor from Ashtabula where it had

been printed for several years. With a new press and as a re-

 

1  A good general account of the Finnish press in America is F. Tolonen,

"Muutamia Historia-tietoja Amerikan Suomalaisista Sanomalehdista," Amerikan Suo-

metar, Muistojulkaisu, 1899-1919 (Hancock, Michigan, 1919), 78-92. See also S. Ilmonen,

Amerikan Suomalaisten Sivistyshistoria (Hancock, Michigan, 1930), I, 189-90; and F. J.

Syrala, Historia-aiheita Amerikan Suomalaisesta Tyovaen-lukkeesta. (Fitchburg, Massa-

chusetts, n.d.), 30-2. The history of the early Finnish press in Ohio is treated in

Kalle H. Mannerkorpi, Ashtabula Harborin Betania Seurakunnan 25 Vuotis Julkaisu,

1891-1916 (Hancock, Michigan, 1916), 45-8.

2 August Edwards, "Hajanaisia muistiinpanoja Harborin ensimaisesta hengellisista

ja raittiuspyrinnoista," included in Mannerkorpi, Betania Julkaisu, 130-2.

(123)

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124    OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

suit of his business acumen Edwards raised the circulation of the

Yhdysvaltain Sanomat to about 3500; at the same time it was

made a bi-weekly. For a time the Ashtabula Harbor newspaper

had more readers than any other contemporary Finnish language

organ in America. The paper was in the possession of a Rafael

Reinius for a short period but soon fell back into Edwards'

hands who continued to publish the pioneer sheet until 1893. In

that year he migrated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he united

the Yhdysvaltain Sanomat with the Tyomies, the organ which

Karinen had begun for the temperance brotherhood; the result-

ing journal was known as the Amerikan Uutiset.³

A pioneer preacher, John W. Lahde, had conceived, shortly

after his arrival in Ashtabula Harbor in early 1884, the idea of

using the available printing facilities of the Yhdysvaltain Sanomat

to publish a religious periodical. Within a short time the Valvoja,

the first Finnish language spiritual publication in America, began

to make its appearance as an eight-page monthly.⁴ When its

editor was studying at the Rock Island, Illinois, seminary of the

Augustana Synod in the spring of 1885, the Valvoja was printed

there; upon his return to Ashtabula, it was again issued from the

Yhdysvaltain Sanomat press. Lahde was later assisted in his

editorial duties by the Revs. J. J. Hoikka and J. K. Nikander.

When Lahde departed from the community in the fall of 1885,

the Valvoja continued to appear from the local press although

editors Hoikka and Nikander were far removed from the local

settlement. While the Valvoja appeared until the close of 1888

it was never on secure financial ground; its circulation never ex-

ceeded 300. The last number of the pioneer religious periodical

came out in December, 1888.

Four other publications appeared in Ashtabula before the

1890's. As early as 1885 editors Karinen and Wirtamo of the

Yhdysvaltain Sanomat tried to capture the fancy of the reading

public with a monthly devoted to humor and wit. Unfortunately

 

3 Tolonen, "Historia-tietoja," 84; Edwards, "Hajanaisia muistiinpanoja," 131-2;

Mannerkorpi, Betania Julkaisu, 45-6; Ashtabula Telegraph, September 13, 1889.

4 J. W. Lahde, "Muistelmia Ashtabula Harborin ensimaisilta seurakunta ajoilta,"

included in Mannerkorpi, Betania Julkaisu, 127-9. See also Ilmonen, Sivistyshistoria,

I, 189.

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FINNISH NEWSPAPERS IN OHIO                   125

the Hulivili Poika,⁵ as the periodical was called, failed to live up to

the expectations of its founders and was soon abandoned. It was

nonetheless, the first genuine Finnish humor sheet in America,

far antedating such favorites as the Lapatossu and the Mei-

kalainen.

August Edwards, a leader in the temperance crusade, en-

deavored in the following year to reach the rank and file of the

movement with his Perheen Ystava.⁶ The new monthly was a

publication devoted to the cause of "temperance and culture";

six numbers of the family magazine appeared in 1886 and three

or four in 1887.     But since the Perheen Ystava showed no

signs of receiving adequate support, Edwards regretfully with-

drew it in the second year of its existence. The Perheen Ystava

is claimed to have been the first Finnish periodical in America

enrolled specifically in the fight against "Demon Rum."

In December, 1886, Alex Wirtamo, who had left the Yhdys-

valtain Sanomat, joined hands with Ino (John) Ekman in estab-

lishing the Pohjan Tahti in Ashtabula.⁷  Within a short time

Ekman became sole owner and editor of the bi-weekly. For a

while the Pohjan Tahti seemed to be on the road to success

despite the keen competition of the Yhdysvaltain Sanomat. In

late August, 1887, Ekman purchased a new cylinder press and

boiler; two months later he told a reporter from the Ashtabula

Telegraph that he was about to make the Pohjan Tahti a five

column daily.⁸ But his plans came to naught; while the circula-

tion of his paper reached 2000 in the fall of 1887, a decline set

in shortly.  Sometime in 1888 Ekman abandoned the Pohjan

Tahti, moved to Calumet, Michigan, where he began to publish

the Kansan Lehti in 1889.

Contemporary with these early publications was the weekly

Joutuhetket.9  This organ, featuring prose and poetry rather

than news, appeared only a few  months.   Within the years

5 This monthly is listed in John Hubbard, comp., Ashtabula City Directory for

1885-1886 (Ashtabula, 1885), 313. The Hulivili Poika has eluded the scrutiny of

Tolonen and Mannerkorpi while Ilmonen incorrectly dates it as of 1887.

6 Edwards, "Hajanaisia muistiinpanoja," 131.

7 Painesville Telegraph, December 16, 1886. See also Tolonen, "Historia-tietoja,"

84; Mannerkorpi, Betania Julkaisu, 46-7.

8 Ashtabula Telegraph, August 26, September 30, October 14, 1887.

9 Ilmonen, Sivistyshistoria, I, 189-90.

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126    OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

1884-87, thus, not less than six publications--two newspapers,

three monthly periodicals, and a miscellaneous weekly--had risen

in the Finnish settlement at Ashtabula Harbor.  Of these only

two manifested any signs of longevity; the Valvoja, which ap-

peared for nearly five years, and the Yhdysvaltain Sanomat, which

was in existence for nine years.¹⁰

After August Edwards' removal to Minneapolis in 1893 the

Ohio Finns were without a newspaper of their own for nearly

four years.  In the spring of 1897, however, the pioneer news-

paperman returned to Ashtabula and began to issue a weekly, the

Amerikan Sanomat.¹¹ The circulation of the new paper increased

very rapidly; by 1903 it had almost attained the nine thousand

mark. In that year, moreover, Edwards bought the Calumet,

Michigan, Suometar and united it with the local organ; thence-

forth the newspaper was known as the Amerikan Sanomat ja

Suometar. Edwards, however, had retired from active editorial

work two years earlier; his desk was filled in turn by J. Jaatinen,

Julius Saastamoinen, and Emil Saastamoinen, the latter serving

for over eight years. The circulation of the newspaper continued

to increase; in 1909 it reached a high of 11,120 and in 191O was

11,000. But after the turn of the decade the circulation of the

Ohio journal took a sudden drop; in 1911 it was only 6900 and

two years later, 5000. Near the close of 1913, the mild and easy-

going Amerikan Sanomat ja Suometar was withdrawn from com-

petition with a more aggressive Finnish press; it could no longer

compete with a strong, political language press situated in the

metropolitan centers. Thus perished in 1913 a newspaper whose

influence had extended far beyond the confines of the State.

After the abandonment of the Amerikan Sanomat ja Suo-

metar an interval of eleven years elapsed before the Ohio Finns

established another newspaper.  In July, 1924, the Interstate

Publishing Company was organized at Fairport, largely through

the efforts of A. J. Hinkkanen. The leaders of the concern in-

10 The writer has been unable to find any physical survivals of these early

publications.

11 Mannerkorpi, Betania Julkaisu, 46-7; Tolonen, "Historia-tietoja," 88-9; Ashta-

bula Beacon Record, September 26, 1901; Conneaut Post Herald, April 8, 1904. The

circulation figures are chiefly from Ayer's American Newspaper Annual and Directory

(Philadelphia).

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FINNISH NEWSPAPERS IN OHIO              127

 

cluded, in addition to Hinkkanen, George Wahlstrom and J. G.

Aho. This company, having purchased the rights to the old

Edwards' paper the Amerikan Sanomat, began to publish a weekly

under that name in the late summer of 1924. It appeared in

Fairport and was under the editorship of Hinkkanen. Two

years after its initiation the Amerikan Sanomat had a circula-

tion of only 2500.  In 1930 the newspaper became the property

of the Pastors Gabriel Lipsanen and Frank Pelkonen, who had

formed the Fairport Publishing Company.   After having been

in the clerics' hands for about two years the Amerikan Sanomat

and the printing concern were sold to Henry Karhu in 1932. The

latter acted as editor and publisher until November, 1933, when

he returned the paper to the Rev. Lipsanen. About the same time

the Amerikan Sanomat began to appear twice a week, on Tues-

days and Fridays with four pages per issue; the printing estab-

lishment was also moved from Eagle Street to more commodious

quarters on High Street.  The paper continues to appear under

the guidance of Mrs. Gabriel Lipsanen, a capable newspaper-

woman. But despite her prodigious efforts the circulation of the

Amerikan Sanomat has never been high; in 1932 it was only

1500 and claims 800 readers at the present time. The only sur-

viving Finnish language newspaper in Ohio has been vigorously

independent in politics and somewhat clerical in tone.12

A competitor appeared, to be sure, in late 1928 to harass

the Fairport Amerikan Sanomat for a short time.  A group of

Finns headed by Otto Massinen, Oscar Anderson, and Julius

Laurila began to publish a weekly, the Kansan Lehti, at Cleveland

in December, 1928. The paper soon became the property of the

new Finnish Publishing Company whose largest stockholders

were Kustaa Nevanpera, Jacob Ritola, Matti Saari, and Ely

Koski. The concern persuaded Onni Syrjaniemi of Fitchburg,

Massachusetts, to take over the editorship of the eight-page

weekly; the veteran newspaperman arrived in Cleveland in April,

1929, to assume the editorial duties heretofore performed by

 

12 Information regarding the Fairport Amerikan Sanomat has been given the

writer by the Rev. and Mrs. Lipsanen. See also the Painesville Telegraph, July 24,

1924; November 8, 14, 30, 1935.

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128   OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

Laurila and others. For the following two years the Kansan

Lehti was distributed from the metropolis with fair regularity;

circulation was good, averaging perhaps 2000 copies a week and

often reaching 5000 on special issues. In 1931 the Finnish Pub-

lishing Company was moved to Ashtabula Harbor in an attempt

to stave off financial ruin; the change was made in vain for in

December, 1933, the Kansan Lehti made its last appearance. The

untimely death of the new organ left the Amerikan Sanomat as

the only surviving Finnish newspaper in Ohio.  The Kansan

Lehti joined the company of those publications--Yhdysvaltain

Sanomat, Valvoja, Hulivili Poika, Perheen Ystava, Pohjan Tahti,

Joutuhetket, and Amerikan Sanomat ja Suometar--which had

once spoken a familiar language to the Finns of Ohio but which

could speak no longer.

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