Finnish Newspapers in America, part two: Sven Tuuva

The life of Amerikan Suomalainen Lehti was quite short. Next effort started year and a half later. This paper  - Sven Tuuva -was first published in Houghton and moved later to Hancock.

Sven Tuuva (or Swen Tuuwa) began publishing on Jan. 4, 1878 by Matti Fredd. Matti or Matts Fredd was born in Vaasa (Ilmonen writes in Amerikan Suomalaisten sivistyshistoria on page 22 that he was born in Kokkola). His native language was actually Swedish, so he studied at the local Swedish elementary school.  Later he learned to be a professional painter. As a journeyman painter he traveled to Turku, St Petersburg in Russia and Sweden. According to Ilmonen he moved to Kuivaniemi, which belongs to a Finnish speaking area. There he learned speak and write some Finnish. Holmio (p. 368) writes it happened in Oulu. He received his master's papers in Raahe

Matts Fredd moved to America in 1871 and started his own painting and decorating business in Hancock in 1876. Finnish immigrants flooded to Copper Country mines in big numbers at that time. When the need for a Finnish newspaper was increasing, Matts Fredd decided to meet the demand.

The first paper came out on January 4, 1878. It was a small three-column paper with motto: Sinulle Suomalainen puhun sanan harvaan vainen / To you, Finn, I say just a few words. On October 1878 it was moved to Hancock and in the beginning of next year Fredd changed its title to Sankarin Maine. Some opposition developed to Fredd's paper. It was caused by his outspoken way of writing. Fredd called his opposition with the word "league".