Kaisa Matilda Heikintytär Salmela is daughter of Juho Henrik II from Salmela’s Uusitupa. She was born on 9.11.1859 into family of eighteen children. Juho Henrik II got into financial trouble when he was backing up loans to his brother’s academic studies (story of Salmeliini). This probably was one of the reasons that Kaisa Matilda but also her brothers Demeterius (1861-1936) and Matti (1858-) went to America.
Picture. Matilda Salmela and Henry Koski year 1905 with their youngest children Elmer and Mamie. Mamie is family’s USA born child. [Matti Kalliokoski photo]
Kaisa worked as piika, servant girl until she married 1886 with farmer’s son Juhani Erkinpoika Kalliokoski (1861-1924). In Halsua, Kalliokoski farm, family crew with Antti Adolf (died in young age), Juho Nestor, Heikki Robert, Hilda Adeliina, Elmer Nikolai.
Call of America caught Kaisa and Juho and year 1902 the family left home to try life in new continent and settled into state of Washington. Family crew next year in USA with young daughter Mamie. In town of Olympia Henry worked as coal miner. As Finnish names were difficult to use in USA, they adopted name Matilda and Henry Koski. Also Henry has siblings who moved to USA. Juhani used the name Henry because his brother Joonas Erkinpoika had already started to use the name John there. There was also a third brother Matti Erkinpoika (known as Matt in USA) who emigrated to the US. They all shortened their names to Koski [ÅÅ].
Henry’s brother John was a coal miner in Carbonado, Washington. Also brother Matt worked in coal mines with John when first time in the US. Later Matt’s family moved to Seattle, Washington where his children continue living. Both John and Matt died as relavitely young men. John´s descendants lived at least in British Columbia, Canada. [ÅÅ]
Working in coal mine was not enough for Henry and he went ahead to founded his own town, Finnish Winlock. Henry and 2 other Finns went south looking for farm land. Having found none they stopped for the night in Winlock, Washington. There they found a township for sale. It was logged-over land. They bought the land and divided it up among other Finns. This place is now known as Finnish Winlock. They re-created the town and gave it wealth. Henry remainded a guiding force of the town for the rest of his life. He spent so much time working at that that his farm in Ainslie did not prosper. He did have the largest funeral 1924 ever seen in Winlock when he died. For example three preachers conducted his funeral. [ÅÅ]
After Henry passed away, Matilda left the farm and spent her old age with family of her son Elmer (1901-41) and his wife Grace (Lempi Katariina) f. Hoikka. Elmer’s family moved to the farm in about 1935 there was very little of value left there. Elmer had Finnish sisu in his heart and would not give up. He worked and worked to re-create the farm but just could not prosper. Finnish sisu became his demise and died of over-work in year 1941 when WWII was pressuring economy everywhere. [ÅÅ]
Henry and his brother’s come from a Kalliokoski farm in Veteli. Their farther Erkki Joonaanpoika (1829-1914) Heikkilä had brought the the farm on 1865 for his family. Since Erkki’s wife Kaisa Erkintytär Pihlajamaa (1830-97) passed away, Erkki also came to USA year 1904 to live with his son Henry’s family. Erkki’s daughter Leena Kaisa continued keeping Erkki’s Kalliokoski farm. Erkki died there is buried year 1914 in Winlock, Washington, like his son Henry and Kaisa Matilda . Also Henry’s and Matilda’s daughter Hilda (1891-1927) rests in Winlock. [ÅÅ]
Troubles reading stories in Finnish behind the hyperlinks? Some of the stories are translated in here: Salmela in english.