Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1942, Blaðsíða 33

FINNISH EMIGRATION
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Most of the Finns who emigrated to this colony came from
Vármland in Sweden and from certain parts of Finland, prin-
cipally the neighbourhood of Vaasa (Vasa). Their numbers have
been estimated at about 500. In any case they formed more than
one half of the colony’s population, perhaps three-quarters. They
were of course assimilated — even to their names — into the rest
of the population, but their importance in American cultural
history is illustrated by the fact that it has been estimated that
one Yankee out of every 18 is descended from the inhabitants of
New Sweden.
The second contribution of the Finns — together with the
Russians — was made in connection with the Alaskan under-
taking. This was begun by Russia at the end of the i8th century;
but it was not till Finland had come under Russia in 1809 that
the Finns had an opportunity of taking part in it. Lieutenant —
later Admiral — A. A. Etholen, who had qualified at Finland’s
Naval Academy, served as Captain on the ships of the Russian
Fur Company trading with Alaska, and was appointed Governor
of that province in 1839. He took up residence there in 1840
bringing with him a Finnish pastor, Uno Cygnaeus, who after-
wards became famous as the founder of our elementary school
system. The fact of his going there indicates that there must have
been Finns in that country already at that time, and subsequently
they moved over in greater numbers.
A branch of this company, called the Russo-Finnish Whale
Trading Co., was established at Turku (Ábo) in 1849 for the
purpose of trading in Alaskan produce, and in the ships of this
company — including the “Suomi,” the “Turku” the “Sitka,”
and the “Atka” — more contingents of Finns, especially from
the vicinity of Turku, emigrated. Etholen’s executive official was
a Finn, Lt. T. Bartram. The Captains of the ships were Finns,
e. g. Gustaf Nybom and D. A. Grönberg, and the crews were of
course mostly Finns too. Later, in 1859, another Finn — Capt.
Johan Hampus Furuhjelm — became Governor of Alaska. The
Finnish population in this province reached its highest number
— about 500 — in the i86o’s. The whole enterprise was pros-
perous, but the Crimean War of 1854—55 had a harmful effect
on it, and finally, in 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United
States. Some of the Finns then returned to their home country,
some went to the United States, while others remained in Alaska,
mostly becoming assimilated with the rest of the population.