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Palo a group of Finns left for Russia in the 1930s, including Antti, Raymond, Roy, Ruth and Sofie Niskanen.

In the 1930s there was also a Townsend Club for some time, and at the end of the decade a Finnish relief committee, in which Isaac Sandberg was chairman. In 1946, a chapter of the MFAHS was started with 7 members. This group, however, was too small to be effective, and when its treasurer John Läntinen left for Finland and its chairman Charles Dahl moved to Superior, the chapter ceased to exist, according to its secretary, Hilma Nieminen, who then alone collected the ata on Palo for the MFAHS files.

The mutual advantages of the local farmers, however, did call for various and effective joint actions, and a start was made in 1912 with the Palo Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Association. Its first board of directors included Erick Erikson, Emil Halmetoja, Frank Kari, Charles Korpi, John Nopola, John Peltonen, Paul Ruotsi and Nestor Salin. John Läntinen served 18 years as the association's president, John Kari 14 years as its chief accountant. In the years following World War II, the association policies covered property valued at about $5,000,000. Next, in 1918, followed a telephone company, in which John Hietala was first chairman and E. Halmetoja secretary, and after a successful campaign a telephone was installed on almost every farm. In the 1920s came a cattle breeding station, and in 1931 the start of the local cooperative. John Läntinen had purchased a former schoolhouse, which he sold to the cooperative for their store, and he also served as one of the original board of directors, together with John Aho, John Hemming, Matt Johnson, Oscar Sillanpää, Emil Waltonen and Kalle Wuori, all of the men born in Finland. It was not until the 1950s that two second-generation Finns were added to the board which still had five of its original members.

Picture

"Riento" temperance hall in Palo.

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