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The only active Finnish organization in the capital has been the local chapter of the Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society, founded in 1949, with Väinö Kortesmäki as chairman, Jafet Marjamaa as vice-chairman, Harold Lehto as secretary, and Mrs. Herman Fischer as treasurer. A part of the program of this chapter has been to make Finland and the Finnish contribution to Minnesota better known during the Minnesota Centennial and during several "Festival of the Nations" events. The chairman of the chapter has served for years as a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society and has worked to make possible a translation into English of the history of the Finns in Minnesota. The St. Paul local chapter

Picture

Presentation of the Minneapolis Finns at the Festival of Nations in 1955.
Hamline University professor Taimi Ranta at left and Irene Halonen.

also sponsored a study, completed in 1955, to show land ownership of the Finns in Minnesota, based on material in the Minnesota State Archives.

During Finland's Winter War, there was a Finnish Relief Committee in St. Paul, with Harold Hood and Dan Turula as co-chairmen.

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