Eliassen , Oskar. Born about 1845 in Sweden. Died 1931 in Cokato MN.
Spent years 1875 to 1907 in settlement of Oskar. Hancock Township. Houghton County.
Home was in Section 8. T55N R34W community of Oskar.
Jack Ruohonen’s history of Oskar and biographies states: Oskar Eliassen (Tynin
Oscar) was born in Haaparanta Finland Sept 14, 1842. His father was Swedish his mother
from the Heikkari farm from Vieijakka. As a boy he learned to read and write Finnish,
moved to Norway in 1864 where he married. He arrived in America in 1872 to “copper
island”, worked in the mine for about 3 years.
Mrs. Elsa Karolina Eliassen nee Ollila from Tervola Finland was born 1847. She
died Sept 21,1910 and is buried in the Oskar Cemetery. Her grave is located: up the
drive on the right, pass the first road to the left. Immediately on left are many Eilolas on
the left. Walk to face the canal with Frank Eilola grave in front of you. To the right is
Elsa’s grave by a maple tree. Tall stone. “TassaLepaa. Elsa K Eliassen. KW 1847, KW
1910” then paragraph words under. They had no children but brought up one of her
sister’s daughters from an early age.
Oskar began a lumber business with Sakari Hendrickson in the new settlement of
Ojanpera/Oskar. (See beginning of Oskar chapter)
He moved from Oskar to Hancock where his wife died. (Buried in Oskar
Cemetery). He then moved to Detroit to his relatives and from there to Cokato MN where
he died in 1931.
1900 Census
Oscar is living in Hancock Township. Been married 31 years. Immigrated in 1872.
Naturalized. Contractor. Can read, write and speak English. Owns home, tho mortgaged.
Living with Oscar is grandson Arthur Perrala 9 years old. Born 1890.
1910 Census for Hancock Ward #4. Quincy St. has on Oskar “J” born about 1845
in Sweden. He is 65. Immigrated in 1872. Spouse is Elsa K (obit says Elsa C) who is 62.
Dealer in wood. (He dies in Cokato MN in 1931).
Could there have been a daughter Elsa Caroline Ollila in Detroit, Michigan?
Susan Riutta’s document states he came back to Oskar in 1920’s for a visit with his
daughter Elsa Caroline. .. Bob Olson also told this oral history saying Oskar was
demented some then. Another story was the gal was his wife’s relative they adopted.
The 1897 and 1901, POLK directories have him listed as Lumber and Charcoal
manufacturer, Dealer in Hay and Cordwood, Timber and Ties and a general store.
1903-4 Polk Directory states: him just with charcoal.
1905 POLK Directory has him listed just as charcoal
He is not listed on the 1916 POLK Directory.
Richard Garnell's flyer on Oskar says: In 1907 Frank Eilola bought the Eliassen
farm. This is the middle house today on the Eilola Rd. off the Ruohonen road past Betty
and Norm Ruohonen’s home. Irene and Teddy Ruohonen are on the left and Marino’s are
on the right. Henry Garnell shares on his 1977 WMPL Heritage Line that Oskar Eliassen
lived in a log home that was a beginning of the home Frank Eilola purchased when Oskar
left the area. (Now Dave Jukari owns).
Eliassen name is not on any plat maps, though it is known that he had much land
in Oskar and North Canal and Liminga. Plats are after he left the area and before 1923
plat map.
Oskar and Elsa had property on the now Osma Plat Road, and Houghton Canal
Road. In 1890 Oskar Eliassen sold present day Bucky Ovist’s property to Andrew
Reikki.
Barb Koski found many spellings of the last name... Eliassen, Elliason. I chose
Eliassen , as that is what is inscribed on the Oskar cemetery monument.
Oskar was one of three men in 1875 to settle the community to later be named
Oskar.
The Gazette (11/7/1975) has community of Oskar observing 100th year when in
May of 1875 Jacob Ojanpera, Oskar Eliassen and Sakari Hendrickson left by rowboat
(another account was sailboat) from Houghton and sailed 6 miles north along the
shoreline until they came to the mouth of what is now known as Schlotz Creek. (A creek
in community of Oskar. Schlotz creek named after person who got the first “Oskar” land
patent). Ojapera built first, but others did near by after that. The community grew to
about 378 residents (in 1916 Polk Directory). Somehow the creek was renamed Schlotz
not sure when.
According to Richard Garnell’s flyer on Oskar Canal: Three immigrants from
Finland were living in Hancock. They wanted to find a home site where they could settle
and start a logging operation. They rowed west along the waterway from Hancock.
When they came to the creek they all decided that was the location they were looking for.
They all built log cabins and settled there with their families. Sakari and Wilhelmina.
Jacob and Emelia. Oskar had most of the land in “Oskar” and Liminga. He had at least 10
teams of horses, fifty or more men, and a sawmill. Oskar built many homes in Hancock
with the lumber boards from his sawmill.
Unauthored document says greatest years in logging and firewood industry was
1890 to 1895. At times he had 100 men + and about 60 horses. At some times he (and
others) employed over 500 laborers.
Mail was gotten by going to Houghton once a week. Settlers requested a Post
Office of their own. Ojanpera asked Eliassen to go to town to create a post office. The
story goes on to say that the Houghton Postmaster asked Oskar Eliassen for a name of
the community. He said Ojanpera. He was asked to spell the name and he could not. The
postmaster asked him his name and to spell his name. Oskar... and that became the name
of the community. Oskar Eliassen became the first postmaster in 1889.
A book Michigan Name Places states: Oskar Eliassen , a Finn, came to Hancock
Township (now Stanton Township) about 1870 and became a charcoal tycoon. He was
appointed the first postmaster of this settlement Feb. 2. 1888. (GSM1889; Post Office
Archives)
According to the book History of Finns: About 1883 Ojanpera sold his home and
business to Oskar Eliassen and moved to Cokato MN. Hendrickson had left before.
(Ted Ruohonen’s abstract shows Sakari Quit Claim Deeded his land to Oskar Eliassen
Nov. 4, 1876. Jacob Quit Claim Deeded his land to Eliassen July 21,1886.)
Oskar Eliassen became the biggest lumberman in a wide area working 100 men
and 60 horses at a time. 1890-1895 was the years of highest volume of logging.
A railroad was constructed to bring logs from forest to near shore. A horse named
Tom started cars moving then gravity rolled down the incline. Horses pulled the cars
back up the hill. Later the horses were replaced with steam locomotives. Later Oskar
Eliassen had his own steamer to transport cordwood to Lake Linden.
As coal replaced cordwood, Oskar Eliassen went into business of sawmill. He
created dressed and rough lumber.
Unauthored document says the planed lumber made better building material.
A book History of the Finns in Michigan by Armas Kustaa Ensio Holmes states:
May of 1875 three men took off from Houghton/Hancock in a sailboat. They stopped at
now Coles Creek and walked the rest of way along the stream. One mile from the mouth
of the creek Jacob Ojanpera marked a home site. Farther along Hendrickson and Eliassen
did the same. As they built their homes they slept in the sailboat. When homes were
completed they went back for their wives and families.
Each worked inland making logs, railroad ties and cordwood with a team of
horses and an ox. The logs were taken to Lake Linden by steamboat and then sent to
mines on railroad. The cordwood was used in the mine’s boilers.
More wood taken the manpower brought more homes and farmland cleared and a
settlement of Ojanpera was formed after the leader.
Richard Garnell’s flyer on Oskar has Eliassen listed as a logger, operated a
sawmill, and had kilns for making charcoal. Much of the wood was also used for the
steam locomotives and the mining companies for shoring up the shafts, stopes and
tunnels, or firing the steam boilers. Company homes also used the boards from Oskar’s
sawmill. Calumet and Hecla had a railroad from the Oskar Bay shore to the woods where
Eliassen ’s logging operation was located. They also made a dock where a large barge
could tie up. The barge was equipped with railroad tracks side by side. Ten railroad flat
cars would fit on the barge. C and H kept one locomotive at Oskar for bringing empty flat
cars to the logging operation to be loaded and back to the dock in Lake Linden via the
Portage Canal and Portage Lake and Torch Lake.
Richard does not know if C and H had their own tug for pushing the barge or
maybe it was Crose Co tugs.
A Daily Mining Gazette article on the 100-year anniversary of Oskar states that
1890 to 1895 was the highest volume of logging. They cut 510 acres for lumber, railroad
ties, and cordwood. A few men, several horses and oxen did the lumbering.
Son to Aleksi Garnell, Henry, shares on his 1977 WMPL Heritage line interview: Oskar
Eliassen did not own all the land that he got lumber off of. He had legal bill of sale for
timber rights on farmers land.
Deric Garnell, son of Henry, submitted a Bill of Sale date Dec. 28, 1893 from
Oskar Eliassen and wife for timber cutting rights on the legal description of his
grandparent’s property. ( then was Olaf Pearson’s). It has Oskar’s signature, along with
Fred Saatio, and John Bousu as witnesses.
Richard Garnell’s grandfather, Alex Sr., was a woodsman for Oskar. He says
“My dad would haul lumber and firewood to town for Oskar. Oskar Eliassen ’s sawmill
was at Oskar by the lakeshore.”
Oskar community had a Charcoal business with two owners. Nils Burkman and
Oskar Eliassen . We guess is that Eliassen ’s kilns were down the today road named
Ruohonen Rd. Nils Burkman had the kilns by the lakeshore where Venzetti’s home is
now and three more Eliassen ’s? were in Heinola about a mile from Oskar.
Richard Garnell describes the lakeshore kilns: The kilns were about 25 feet high
and maybe 30 feet in circumference at the bottom. They slowly tapered narrower toward
the top where there was a large door to throw in the cordwood. There was a long ramp in
front of the kilns, which sloped from the ground to the height of the kilns and back down
on other side. Horses were used to bring the cordwood wagons to the top and back down
empty. It took a week to make one batch of charcoal. Burning of the wood was a critical
job as one needed to know when to close all the vents and flues to snuff out the fire. The
mining companies bought the charcoal in buildings to warm the copper molds before they
poured copper into the moulds.
Deric Garnell gave Barb a picture she believes comes from the Bill Brinkman or
Richard Garnell collection of the former Great Lakes Transit Co. passenger steamer
Octorara, passing by 3 charcoal kilns in Oskar. The wording under the picture says: The
Kilns made the charcoal for the refinery units at Cowle’s (Cole's) creek, Ripley
frequently Calumet and Hecla and Dollar Bay when the T and O smelter was located
there.
Richard’s flyer goes on to say:
The horses needed hay for the winter. They made hay in the Liminga area as
Eliassen owned most of Liminga. Hay was cut by manpower with scythes. My dad, Alex
Jr., would tell me that as a young fellow, about 50 men would start to cut a large field of
hay, each following the other. My dad would be the person to carry water to the men.
Unauthored document says: As the community grew Eliassen established the first
store. There, anyone could purchase anything from clothing and pocket watches to salt
fish.
Ted Ruohonen’s abstract shows Sakari Hendrickson Quit Claim Deeded his land
to Oskar Eliassen Nov. 4, 1876. Jacob Ojanpera Quit Claim Deeded his land to Eliassen
July 21,1886. Ojanpera and Hendrickson left area. Oskar remained.
The Gazette (11/7/1975) goes on to say:
One event was a large forest fire in 1896 that was fed by warm winds from the
West. In 1897 the Eliassen family stable and 21 horses were destroyed by fire. He
rebuilt on a smaller scale.
Richard Garnell’s flyer states: Pioneers who settled in Oskar and farmed were:
Frank Eilola, Esa Dorvinen, August Lahnala, John Bollard, Emil Johnson, Yalmer
Lantto, Niilo Juntunen, Alex Garnell Sr., August Bohjanen, Jack Ruohonen, Thomas
Kuru, Alex Lahti, Carol Olson and of course Oskar Eliassen .
Oskar was married to Elsa Caroline Johnson. (No relation to Andrew Johnson
pioneer Barb is told). An obituary is included. She was 63 years old when she died
September 23, 1910 at her home at 1029 Quincy St Hancock. The obit says they sold the
farm three years ago (1907).
Jack Ruohonen’s biographies in his history of Oskar states: Killing a horse. Those
closest to the event say they recall at the Eliassen farm there was a horse who was Elsa
Eliassen ’s pet. She drove it where ever she had to go, but the little trotter accumulated
years and the mistress began to feel sorry for it. Consequently the master (Oskar?) got a
hold of a couple of young guys Victor and Esa to kill the horse but in such a way that the
wife would not know and at night so that no one could see them. Thus Victor and Esa
came carrying a big blacksmith sledge. The walked with the horse to the end of a long
dock that extended into the lake. Once there Victor held the horse steady and Esa hit the
horse with the sledge. The horse fell into the lake, and satisfied they walked back to the
farm. When they got to the stable there they saw the horse sneckering to get inside!! It
had been too dark for Esa’s sledge to have found it’s mark. And Victor felt so sorry that
he began to cry. The horse survived for the moment.
Polk Directories state these people working for Oskar: (spelling is often
incorrectly spelled)
1897 Berala Victor (Victor Perala?) as manager; John Bousu as clerk; Henry
Hendrickson as blacksmith; Herman Hermanson as engineer; Marge Sophia as domestic;
Jacob and Henry Pietala as laborers; John Purri as foreman; Paul Jr. Ruottinen (Barb
misplaced job); Swante Ruottinen as carriage driver.
In 1901 As laborers - John Banula, Matti Biilikankas, John Purri, John Druisku
Jr., Matti Hendrickson, Antti Juntunen, Sami Luoma, John Makela, John Makela Jr., John
Mattanen, Alex Mehtala, Jacob Miller, Matti Olli, John Ruahanen. Bookkeeper is
Herman Hermanson.
Unauthored document says that Oscar Eliassen accompanied by his daughter and
granddaughter returned in 1920 to Oskar. (Barb inserts this is the first mention of
daughter and granddaughter- not in any literature he had children. Robert Olson shares
his dad Alex brought Eliassen home one time.. see Olson document) Although saddened
by his misfortune, he still seemed the grand and honored person he once was. The
community still held him in high esteem.
His wife died while still in Oskar and is buried in Oskar Cemetery. He died in
Cokato Minnesota in 1931.
Son to Aleksi Garnell, Henry, shares on his 1977 WMPL Heritage line interview: Oskar
had a general store. John Bousu was the clerk. He carried meat in brine in 300# barrels,
flour in barrels.
Jack Ruohonen shares in his history of Oskar document 1953”
Before we being the biographies let us think back tot he Eliassen farm.
When he first arrived, Eliassen built a log home with two rooms and a low attic.
But when the business improved he enlarged the house to 6 rooms with a stone cellar
containing a furnace. There was also indoor plumbing, running water and a sauna. The
water came from an artesian spring in the hills a mile away. ( On August Lahnala
property.. see picture.) The water system was piped down. It was constructed with
manual labor using a shovel and pick. Labor was cheap because Democrats were in
power.
On the farm was also a store, a stable for about 30 horses, a large cow barn, a
warehouse, blacksmith shop where several men worked, also a large weight scale room.
A flowing river went right by the farm.
On the shore was a large sauna that was used by the whole community. Along the
sides of the river were workers dwellings.
Also on the farm was a 15 room boarding house where the work boss Victor
Perala lived as did a lot of workers. They also ate there.
There was a telephone in the store and the post office.