“To taste the white bread.”

The first Finnish Church in Minneapolis  was erected by Apostolic Lutherans. Members standing in front of the new church in 1902. In this picture might be Mr. Peter Saarenpaa, too.

The story of Finnish immigrant in Minneapolis. This interview was made by Alfred Backman in February, 1939.
 

Peter Saarenpaa’s interview

At the age of 19 Peter Saarenpaa, 242 Humboldt Avenue N., came to Minneapolis August 11, 1871 (should be 1878), from Tornionjoki, Province of Oulu, Finland. Peter say that, when he stepped off the train at the old Milwaukee depot 61 years ago, the Mississippi River seemed to him to be the grandest sight he had ever beheld, particulary that part where the huge sheet of water leaped over the rocks at St. Anthony Falls.

The Minneapolis Journal, August 15, 1902

Peter’s father had preceded the family by for years, arriving in Minnesota in 1873. For two years he worked in the Pine City lumber camps, saving passage money for his family. Working in Finland he could never have hoped to accumulate the sum necessary to bring them to this country. Wages for agricultural common laborers like Peter’s father amounted to only 170 marks a year, approximately $ 34 in American money. Worse still, wages for women amounted to only half what was paid to men. Asked why he wished to come to America, Mr. Saarenpaa answered: “To taste the white bread.”

(Minneapolis) Star Tribune, January 15, !904

Anderson Store in Minneapolis Finntown

Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church at Humboldt Avenue North in the 1920s

The former Apostolic Lutheran Church some years ago,
now a private building.

Salted fish, “piimää” (soured milk), and the hard, heavy, black bread, combined in famine times with pounded straw, provided the Finnish agricultural workers, or crofters, the Saarenpaa family lived in a state approximating serfdom, working out the rent for their small tract of land by laboring a specified number of days on the estate of the landlord. Naturally, when Peter’s father returned to this native land with stories of white bread every, and lumber camp food that far surpassed the best diet that the poor Finnish worker had ever dreamed of, and of wages that in one year amounted to more than the Finnish worker could earn in a dozen or more years, an exodus of agricultural workers took place.

Upon arriving in Minneapolis in 1878, both father and son found employment with the Milwaukee Railroad as car cleaners, receiving $40 per month for a ten-hour day and a seven-day week. Mr. Saarenpaa remarked that it had not been for the confining hours he would have been able to supplement the family diet considerably by hunting game in the timberland surrounding the city. Incidentally, hunting licenses were required of any persons wishing to game in adjoining forests. The father worked for the Milwaukee Railroad until his death in 1904. Peter eventually learned to be a carpenter, and has sice worked at that trade, making it his regular occupation. In connection with his railroad work Mr. Saarenpaa spoke of having lived at a Finnish boarding house, called Wicksteads and Hermansons, at Washington Avenue and Second Street N. paying fifty cents per day for room, board and washing.

Like his father Peter devoutly followed the teachings of the Apostolic Lutheran Church and took an active part in it organization in North Minneapolis. Prior to 1895 meetings were held in a store building at Fourth Avenue and Main Street N.E. In 1895 Isaac Putas (Pudas) and Gustav Bergstadt, trustees, incorporated the Apostolic Lutheran Church at the Hennepin County Court House. It was the first Finnish Church in Minneapolis. In 1902 a church was erected at 237 Humboldt Avenue N., where services have been held regularly for 36 years. It was the first Finnish organization in this city- Mr Estenson (Torsten Estensen?), a Norwegian-Finn, who arrived in Minneapolis in 1880, performed all religious functions for the Finns in their own tongue during the years 1887 – 1888. Occasional services were held from time-to-time by Reverend Antti Wittikko-Huhta, who came to Minneapolis from Hancock, Michigan, whre he preached as an ordained minister of the Apostolic Lutheran Church as early as 1869.

The Saarenpaa family were, for 54 years, subscribers to America’s first weekly newspaper (actually, it was fifth, but the first one in Minnesota), the Uusi Kotimaa (New Homeland), established in Minneapolis by I.W Lahde in 1880 at 521 Third Street N. The paper was moved to New York Mills in 1884, where it continued publication until 1934, being purchased in that year by the Finnish Federation and moved to Superior, Wisconsin.

Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church of the city of Lead (1932 - 1939)

I wrote earlier an article about a demolished Finnish Church in Lead, South Dakota. This congregation, Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church of the city of Lead,  ceased operations in 1971. I dug up the copies of church records (minutes) I have a few days ago and compiled some information more. Congregations money transactions were never great. Almost all things were treated with voluntary work. To congregations priest, a layman preaher, was paid 15 dollars a month. So, he must have his full time work somewhere else, in this case in the Homestake Mining Company. Mining company supported each local congregation with a sum of $ 200 in a year. The condition was that the church had hired a pastor. Homestake Mining Company's donations accounted for up to 40 per cent of the annual costs of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in the 1930's, as you see below. 

------

Reverend Matt Rivinoja served Apostolic
Lutherans in Lead till his death in 1932.
Lead Daily Call, June 18, 1932

The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 10, 1932
The annual revenues in 1931 $ 502,59 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $
200)
- membership dues $ 299,80
The annual expenditure in 1931 $ 489,34
account balance $ 78,55
---
The Election of members for the Executive Board:
Eino Matti 31 votes
Isaac Fors 24 votes
Thomas Pelto 21 votes
John Rantanen 19 votes
Jacob Kurtti 15 votes
Auditors:
Benjamin Hastie and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
Jacob Manninen and Peter Juntti
------
Board meeting February 4, 1932
Isaac Fors was chosen for chairman, Eino Matti for secretary and treasurer.
------
The annual meeting to select a priest for the congregation was held May 5, 1932:
Rev. Matt Rivinoja was unanimously appointed to continue.
----
Reverend Matt Rivinoja died June 15, 1932. he was paid $ 15 a month, altogether $ 75.
-----
Meeting to select a priest for the congregation after Matt Rivinoja’s death.
Peter Juntti proposed (and was seconded) Charles Aarni’s election for rest of the year.

Thomas Pelto was a longtime board member
of Apostolic Lutheran church. Deadwood
Pioneer Times, June 23, 1935.

1933
The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 8, 1933
The annual revenues in 1932 $ 477,14 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $
200)
- membership dues $ 275,25
The annual expenditure in 1932 $ 479,73
account balance $ 75,96
----
Chairman Isaac Fors proposed that those members who have not been able to pay their fees because of existing hard times, would get forgiveness and would be able to vote. His proposal was accepted.
The Election of members for the Executive Board:
Eino Matti 27 votes
Isaac Fors 24 votes
Thomas Pelto 22 votes
John Rantanen 16 votes
Jacob Kurtti 22 votes
Auditors:
Benjamin Hastie and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
Jacob Manninen and Peter Juntti.
----
Board meeting February 24, 1933
Isaac Fors was chosen for chairman, Eino Matti for secretary and treasurer.
----
Semi-annual meeting July 9, 1933
Chairman Isaac Fors announced to the congregation, that there’s a possibility to get a new pastor. Reverend Matt Aijala from Moose Lake, Minnesota, is willing to come, if the congregation accepts and he will get work in Homestake Mine.
John Henry Frimodig and Charles Aarni seconded Fors’ proposal. Aarni recommended that chairman Fors and secretary Matti would go to discuss with the Homestake Mining Company’s manager Bruce C. Yates. Minutes don’t tell, if they really did so.
Treasurer Eino Matti sent 25 dollars to Matt Aijala on July 20^th, he came with family on 29^th and the first services were held at the church on 30^th July. Matt Aijala began his work in Homestake Mine, August 2, 1933. Matt Aijala was satisfied with his priest’s salary, 15 dollars a month
-----
Board meeting in October, 1933.
The church was decided to lease to the Methodists, the rent would be $ 15 a month.

1934
The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 7, 1934
The annual revenues in 1933 $ 559,53 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $
200)
- membership dues $ 237,20
The annual expenditure in 1933 $ 308,55
account balance $ 326,94
----
The Election of members for the Executive Board:
Eino Matti 27 votes
Isaac Fors 22 votes
Thomas Pelto 23 votes
Matt Aijala 17 votes
Jacob Kurtti 22 votes
Auditors:
Benjamin Hastie and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
Peter Juntti and Mary Waara
------
Semi-annual meeting June 17, 1934:
Matt Aijala will continue as congregation’s pastor

John Henry Frimodig was a longtime
member of the Apostolic Lutheran
church. Deadwood Pioneer Times,
March 13, 1940.

1935
The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 6, 1935
The annual revenues in 1934 $ 591, 14 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $
200)
- membership dues $ 255,50
The annual expenditure in 1934 $ 605, 64
account balance $ 312,44
----
The Election of members for the Executive Board:
Eino Matti 27 votes
Isaac Fors 27 votes
Thomas Pelto 16 votes
Matt Aijala 32 votes
Jacob Kurtti 24 votes
Auditors:
John Rantanen and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
Peter Juntti, Isaac Fors and Mary Waara
------
Semi-annual meeting July 21, 1935:
Matt Aijala will continue as congregation’s pastor.
Board member Thomas Pelto had died.  Charles Aarni was elected as his successor. There are rumors that congregation’s church building must be moved to another location. Isaac Fors and Eino Matti visited Homestake Mining Company’s office. Mr Kellar told there, that building can stay on its current lot until next spring, then it must be moved.

1936
 The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 19, 1936
The annual revenues in 1935 $ 550,25 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $
200)
- membership dues $ 240
The annual expenditure in 1935 $ 297, 62
account balance $ 565,09
----
The Election of members for the Executive Board:
Eino Matti 19 votes
Isaac Fors 23 votes
Charles Aarni 20 votes
Matt Aijala 21 votes
Jacob Kurtti 11 votes
Auditors:
John Rantanen and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
Peter Juntti, Isaac Fors and Mary Waara.
Matt Aijala promised to continue as congregation’s pastor.
After Jacob Kurtti died, John Harju was elected as his successor on 22^nd March, 1936.
Eino Matti and Isaac Fors visited Homestake Mining Company on 16^th April 1936. Mr Yates promised that Church building can stand on its lot one year more. Or as long as he will give information about removal, as building is in a quite good condition.

1937
The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 17, 1937
The annual revenues in 1936 $ 453,86 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $
200)
- membership dues $ 210
The annual expenditure in 1936 $ 413, 71
account balance $ 605,22
----
The Election of members for the Executive Board:
Eino Matti 16 votes
Isaac Fors 17 votes
Charles Aarni 17 votes
Matt Aijala 17 votes
John Harju 11 votes
Auditors:
John Rantanen and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
Peter Juntti, Charles Aarni
Matt Aijala promised to continue as congregation’s pastor.

-----
Board meeting on 20^th June, 1937.
To Rev. Matt Aijala was given a loan, 73 dollars, for the purchase of a cow.

1938
The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 9, 1938
The annual revenues in 1937 $ 465,50 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $
200)
- membership dues $ 225,50
The annual expenditure in 1937 $ 560, 25
account balance $ 510,47
----
The Election of members for the Executive Board:
Eino Matti 24 votes
Isaac Fors 23 votes

Charles Aarni 20 votes
Matt Aijala 20 votes
Henry Halonen 15 votes
Auditors:
Henry Halonen and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
John Harju, Charles Aarni
Matt Aijala promised to continue as congregation’s pastor.

1939

The annual meeting of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in City of Lead, on January 15, 1939
The annual revenues in 1938 $ 662,85 (including Homestake Mining Company donation $ 200)
- membership dues $ 262,82
The annual expenditure in 1938 $ 300,24
account balance $ 873,08
----
The Election of members for the Executive Board (26 voters) :
Eino Matti 20 votes
Isaac Fors 25 votes
Charles Aarni 16 votes
Matt Aijala 20 votes
John Rantanen 15 votes
Auditors:
Henry Johnson and Charles Aarni
Heating of congregation's Church:
Eino Matti
The collectors of membership fees:
John Harju, Charles Aarni
Matt Aijala promised to continue as congregation’s pastor.