Lodge 52: Mississippidalens Ros
From SFHS
In the yearbook Svensk Finska Nykterhets Förbundet af Amerika i Ord och Bild (the Swedish Finn Temperance Association of America) a publication summarizing the activities of Svenska-Finska Nykterhetsförbundet av Amerika published in 1908, Lodge 52 is listed as being located in Waldeck, Minnesota. In the association's Minnesskrift 1902-1917 (p. 81, 83), Lodge 52 is listed as being located in Palisade, Minnesota. By 1968, when the Order of Runeberg published its Memorabilia about temperance and sick benefit activities among Swedish Finns spanning over 70 years, Lodge 52 is no longer active.
The membership list (see table below) is a good illustration of chain migration: more and more persons from one location in Finland, in this case, Gamlakarleby, move to join a successful countryman who has written XX letters home, and even perhaps sent along tickets to the USA. It would be interesting to seek out families of those original members, to at least discover their destinies. They had organized the lodge on April 30, 1907 with 18 members. The highest number of members had been 70.
From the 1908 publication, p.108, we learn that Arthur Dahlquist, a member of Ljusstrålen in West Duluth, founded Lodge 52 in 1907. The membership at that time had 13 adults and 5 "underage." That was, in truth, a good beginning if you take into consideration all those obstacles which lie in the road of such an activity, here in the socalled wilderness.
"One of the greatest hindrances for a social organization here is that the place is so scarcely populated and the roads, especially in summer, are nearly impassable. But despite everything, this association got started and has made pretty good progress. Presently (1908) there are …24 adults and 11 children…
The association's present [1908] officers are: president John Jackson; vice president, Thure Dahlquist; financial secretary, Werner Dahlquist; treasurer, Hugo Kulhem; secretary, Birger Jacobson; vice secretary, John Johnson; marshal, Mrs. Edith Beck; vice marshall, Elis Kulhem; guard, John Kulhem."
Membership list
(Mrs.) Alina Anderson, Närvilä, Gamlakarleby Roy Anderson (son of Alina) Carl Beck, Palo, Gamlakarleby (Mrs.) Edith Beck (Edith S. Dahlquist), Såka, Gamlakarleby (Mrs.) Elna Beck (Elna Salmila), Kirilaks, Gamlakarleby Ernst Beck, Kronoby John Beck, Kronoby Olof Beck, Palo, Gamlakarleby Arthur Carlson, born Aitkin Co., Minnesota Carl Rafael Carlson (Skrabb), Helsingfors city Elvira Carlson, daughter of William & Regina Fanny Carlson (Skrabb), Helsingfors city Jennie Carlson, born Aitkin Co., Minnesota Jenny Carlson (Skrabb), Helsingfors city (Mrs.) Regina Carlson (Regina Korin), Såka, Gamlakarleby Rudolph Carlson, born Aitkin Co., Minnesota William Carlson (Wilhelm Skrabb), Såka, Gamlakarleby Georg Dahlquist, Storby, Gamlakarleby (Mrs.) Maria Dahlquist (Maria Johansdotter Kåla), Kirilaks, Gamlakarleby Werner Dahlquist, Såka, Gamlakarleby Fanny Gustafson (Fanny Merkibacka), Nedervetil Otto Gustafson (Otto Kanko), Korplaks, Gamlakarleby Edmund Höglund, Gamlakarleby city Matts Höglund, Gamlakarleby city Signe Holmes, Kallis, Gamlakarleby (Mrs.) Eva Holmqvist (Eva Höglund), Gamlakarleby city Herman Holmqvist, Närvila, Gamlakarleby Birger Jackobson, Såka, Gamlakarleby Albert Jackson (son of Andrew & Sofia) Andrew Jackson (Anders Jakobson), Wittsar, Gamlakarleby Arthur Jackson (son of Andrew & Sofia) Elvira Jackson (daughter of Otto) (Mrs.) Hilma Sofia Jackson (Hilma Sofia Koski), Linnusperä, Gamlakarleby John Jackson (Johan Jakobson), born in the village of Wittsar, parish of Gamlakarleby Otto Alex Jackson (Otto Alexander Jakobson), Wittsar, Gamlakarleby Runnar Jackson (son of Otto) (Mrs.) Sofia Jackson (Sofia Indola), Linnusperä, Gamlakarleby Emil Jacobson (Emil Huhta), Nervil, Gamlakarleby Uno Jacobson, Såka, Gamlakarleby Hilda Johanson (Hilda Merkibacka), Nedervetil (Mrs.) Alina Johnson (Alina Tylin), Kirilaks, Gamlakarleby Elis Johnson (Eliel Merkibacka), Nedervetil Herman Johnson (Herman Merkibacka), Nedervetil John A. Johnson (Johan A. Koski), Linnusperä, Gamlakarleby John V. Johnson (Johan Viktor Merkibacka), Nedervetil Enoch Kullhem, Såka, Gamlakarleby Elis Kullhem, Såka, Gamlakarleby Evert Kullhem, Såka, Gamlakarleby Hugo Kullhem, Såka, Gamlakarleby (Mrs.) Irene Kullhem (Irene Söderholm), Kronoby John Kullhem, Såka, Gamlakarleby Uno Kulhem, Såka, Gamlakarleby Edmund Lund, Kallis, Gamlakarleby Walter Lund, Kallis, Gamlakarleby Ernest Pasell, Superior, Wisconsin Hugo Renquist, Kallis, Gamlakarleby Emma Semell, Kallis, Gamlakarleby John Semell, Kallis, Gamlakarleby Lee Wickstrom, Kallis, Gamlakarleby Nimi Wickstrom, Kallis, Gamlakarleby Georg Williamson, Duluth, Minnesota Archie Wold, Minneapolis, Minnesota
