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When Pastor J. Huuskonen moved into the community in 1903, another congregation was established, with Huuskonen being succeeded by S. A. Krankkala, E. A. Heino, R. W. Heikkinen and F. A. Maunula. Activity has remained brisk, and in 1934 the membership was 93, and in 1944-45 it was 55. It was not until 1945 that this congregation officially joined the National Synod.

The Methodist church in Menahga has been served since 1937 by Pastor Matti Pitkänen.

Picture

Sampo Co-operative store in Menahga, established in 1904.

On the economic front, David Jones had opened the first general store in Menahga, and Hans Peterson had his butcher shop on the site which later was taken over by the dairy. To a considerable extent business was carried out with chits and tokens serving as currency, for the customers were frequently without money. Naturally, to mail a letter did require hard cash, but frequently even sending off a letter had to be postponed, for even the few pennies required were not always at hand. For those in such straitened circumstances life was often difficult: when a new settler managed to produce a pound or two of butter, it was taken to the store, not for money but for goods wanted in exchange or for a few chits which could be used later for purchases, in that store but nowhere else.

As conditions improved and producers and consumers became more demanding and aware that elsewhere there were stores owned by the consumers themselves, a long series of meetings and conferences led to the founding of the Farmers Co-op Sampo in 1903, when 13 persons purchased the first 17 ten-dollar shares

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