The school year end edition announced that Lincoln Won Honors on the Achievement Day held at Barnum, with Lincoln winners to have trips to compete at the State Fair. The Lincoln girls team won the championship in volleyball and baseball. Fourteen seniors were to graduate on May 30, 1928, with the address to be given the University of Minnesota's President, Lotus D. Coffman. The Baccalaureate sermon was given in the Lincoln gymnasium by Reverend Wargelin of Duluth. Seniors were honored at the junior-senior banquet. Eighth grader Emerth Nynas wrote about his trip to Barnum. News notes included an item noting foul smelling smoke coming from the Creamery that forced the closing of windows. The Echo, the senior annual, was deemed to be well worth its price of twenty cents. The State Home Economics Supervisor, Miss Keever, visited Lincoln School. In Town of Thomson news, the Luther League of Esko's Corner gave a program at the Finnish Lutheran Church of Cloquet; and comings and goings of residents were noted. There were advertisements for the following businesses: First National Bank and East End State Bank of Cloquet; Kuitu and Mattinen; Arrowhead Cooperative Creamery; Huima's Cafe; Johnson Bros.; Juntti Bros.; and J.H.Mattinen Barbershop.
The Lincoln School 4-H Club Halloween party was deemed to be a success. School policemen were chosen for the next term of three weeks. Armistice Day was observed by a program presented to the school by the English III class. The Lincoln Girls' basketball team defeated the Aces. Prospects were bright for the Lincoln boys' basketball team. In addition to Washington School news, there were advertisements for the following businesses: Juntti Bros.; Arrowhead Cooperative Creamery; and the Cloquet Cooperative Society.
The school faculty expressed their appreciation to the students in this Christmas edition. An operetta in three acts was given by the boys' and girls' Glee Club of Lincoln School. A performance was given by comedic magician Jim Manchester. A sleigh ride party from Lincoln School to Washington School and back again via Harney Road was enjoyed by 4-H Club members despite rainy evening weather. A Sunday school program was presented, with numbers listed. A Christmas program given at Lincoln School. The Lincoln boys beat Meadowlands in basketball, but they split a two game series with Wrenshall. The Lincoln girls also beat Wrenshall in basketball. Two movies about dairying were shown at Lincoln and Washington Schools. The farmers organized a farmer's bulletin board on which they could buy and sell goods. In addition to seventh and eighth grade news, and Washington School news, there were advertisements from the following businesses: Cloquet Co-Operative Society; Arrowhead Cooperative Creamery; and Juntti Bros.
Miss Aartola and Miss Tunturivuo gave interesting lectures at the Washington School about life in India. The Agriculture Department conducted a survey in the community to see whether or not the community people wanted to raise crops that were new to them as well as new equipment they wanted to have. The Luther League elected new officers. Mr. Winterquist took over the Farmers' evening class, due to the illness of Mr.Knuti. The 4-H Club met and thought about having another sleigh ride party. Mid-winter promotions were made at the start of the second semester due to the high IQ achievement scores and scholastic records of several students. The Lincoln girls' basketball team beat a new opponent, Floodwood, while the Floodwood boys' basketball team beat the Lincoln boys' basketball team. The seventh and eighth grade news was presented as well as advertisements from the following businesses: Arrowhead Cooperative Creamery; Cloquet Cooperative Society; and Juntti Bros. Stores.
Lincoln students listened to President Hoover's inaugural address on radio, thanks to Superintendent A. L. Winterquist connecting a radio in the assembly room. The band made their first public appearance at a Luther League meeting. The 4-H Club had a reorganizational meeting, with new officers elected. The agriculture classes were privileged to be able to use a 64 bottle milk tester, loaned to the school by the Arrowhead Creamery to test milk. The girls' basketball team beat Barnum, but lost to Alborn. They started practice for volley ball and baseball. The boys' basketball team beat Alborn, but lost to Barnum. There were advertisements from the following businesses: Arrowhead Cooperative Creamery; Juntti Bros.; and the Cloquet Cooperative Society.
This photograph shows a logging crew, consisting of Henry Perttula, Jonas Perttula, William Perttula, Emil Kangas, Waino J. Heikkinen, and an unidentified man. Sitting are Abel Palkie and Adolph Peterson.
This photograph shows Albertson's Logging Camp Crew and horses at work in the woods. It is one of a series of 41 photographs titled "Logging on the Midway."
This photograph is of the Luokkala family's house, with their barn and other farm buildings in the background. The two women and baby in the foreground are unidentified.
Local woodsman Mike Mattila is standing in a large pine stump which appears as if it is going to devour him. The fact that this massive stump was hollow indicates its core had rotted out by the time the photo was taken. Whether Mattila felled the tree himself is not known, but if he did, he most certainly used something other than the tool in his left hand.
The students and teacher are posing in front of the Maunu School, which was an old one room school located near intersection of present day Canosia Road and Forstie Road.
Depicted in this photograph is A.M. Miller's sawmill and yard in Thomson, Minnesota. The Midway River can be seen in the background. Andreas M. Miller operated his sawmill here from 1872 to 1891.
This postcard shows the 1938 - 1939 Minnesota State FFA Class Champion basketball team. It has a postmark stamp of Esko, Apr 20 A.M. 1939 Minn, and was addressed to Andrew E. Maunu in 302 - 17th Longview, Washington, c/o Columbia Hotel.
The students in Miss Helia Branwall's class during the 1923-1924 school year are identified as the following; in the left row, Raymond Kemp, Matt Korby, Vieno Kotka, Frances Hiukka, Lila Fredrickson, George Kangas, and Arnie Nygren; in the second row, front to back, are Edwin Mattila, William Stenman, Fanny Marks, Carl Sariin, Laura Kangas, and George Kesty; the middle row, Elsie Nynas, Martha Korby, Uno Siltanen, Bernice Juntunen, Milo Current, Rudolph Murto, Arnie Manisto; the fourth row, Edgar Peterson, Ida Juntunen, Arnie Murto, Jennie Thompson, and Alma Laakso; and the right row, Walter Sarkela, Lila Mattson, Walter Polo, Millard Olson, and Toinie Raisanen. Note the cloakroom recessed area in the back left of the photo, and the three bars hanging on the wall for students to hang their coats.
This photograph shows Henry Sunnarborg and his wife, as well as their dog, standing in front of their farmhouse located on the western banks of the Midway River, north of Highway 61. The younger lady standing to the right of Mrs. Sunnarborg is their adopted daughter, Julia (Mattinen) Sunnarborg. Henry was born in 1859, moved to Duluth in 1880 and Thomson Township in 1885, then to Bessmer Michigan in 1887, moved back to Thomson Township in 1889, passing away here in 1929. His wife died in 1918. Julia lived with them from the age of 5 onward. The house and its barn still are still standing in 2012.
This photograph shows Mr. and Mrs. John Juntti, with their daughter Lempi, in front of their home. Lempi appears to be showing off her apparently new shoes.
This is a photograph of an early one-room schoolhouse shortly after it was moved to its present site as the first building at the Esko Historical Society's museum in Esko. The general membership at the time is photographed in front of the school house and next to the monument, which is inscribed with the following: "In Memory of the early Pioneers (1872) and the Early Finnish Pioneers who arrived in 1873." It was designed by local artist Edgar F. Olson. The smokestack to the left is from the Arrowhead Creamery. In the front row are Emil Johnson, Vieno Hill, Selem Lamminen, Hulda Heikkinen, and Julia Sunnarborg. The second row has ?, Mrs. Emil Johnson, Emerth Nynas, Mrs. Lamminen, Waino Heikkinen, Mrs. Palkie, Edgar Olson, and Ed Tan. In the third row are ?, Evert Myllymaa, and Jack Kinnunen.
The top photo on this panel shows Waino Heikkinen, to the left, and Ed Tan, right, renovating the Palkie gristmill in the gristmill building at the museum in Esko, in 1963. The second photograph shows, from left to right, Andrew Maunu, Eli Juntti, Jack Holm, and Charles Anderson finishing landscaping work at the Palkie gristmill building and the Finnish memorial monument at the museum. The bottom three photos show the historical society members re-assembling the gristmill wheel in the gristmill building at the museum, again in 1963. The original spelling of the surname was Palkki, and the Americanized version is Palkie.
This oil painting by John Ruikka (April 16, 1880, to May, 1965) depicts the original Palkki gristmill, which was built on the Midway River and located on property of pioneer Erick Palkki. It was used from 1878 to approximately 1916, was built by pioneers to grind grain into flour, and was water powered. Please note that the original spelling, in Finnish, is "Palkki." The spelling as "Palkie" is an Americanized spelling of the name.
Teacher Anna Swanson (top row, right) with her students in front of the Pantsar School in rural Thomson Township in 1905. Included in the photograph are Mary Marks, Mary Pantsar, Alice Carlson, Clara Moe, and teacher Anna Swanson in the top row. The second row of students are identified as Arthur Johnson, Robert Carlson, Emil Johnson, William Mattson, Edgar Olson, Hjalmer Mattson, Ed Kinnunen, Mayme Pantsar, Ida Sakrisson, Ida Point, Teena Sakrisson, Esther Olson, Anna Holm, and Mayme Point. In the third row are Olaf Moe, Arthur Point, Fanny Skarp, Oscar Pera, Thomas Holm, Ed Juntti, Charles Pykkonen, Emil Moe, Ray Palkki, Charles Point, Eino Poutinen, John Holm, Jacob Holm, Agnes Tweith, and Effie Holm. Sitting in the front row are Abel Palkki, Herman Skarp, William Perttula, and Eino Juntti. The Pantsar School was a one-room school in early Thomson Township, located northwest of the Church Road and Harney Road intersection. In the 1920s the building was moved by Ed Kinnunen and was converted into Mannila's Store.
This photograph of Matt Kkonu, his wife Laura, and their children in 1907 was taken in front of their farm house with the barn and other buildings in the background. The farm was located on the Erickson Road, bordering on the Midway River. The two oldest children in the family are in the picture, and are Sanni Konu, the oldest one in the family, and then Ida, the second oldest.
This is a plat map of Thomson Township in 1903, showing locations of Esko's Corner (Esko), Thomson Township Schools, Thomson Reservoir; pilings for the Minnesota & North Wisconsin Railroad bridge (popularly known as the Brooks-Scanlon line) still visible in the St. Louis River near the Highway 61 bridge in Scanlon, drawn in 1980 by J. Raymond Mattinen, (April 13, 1914 to September 18, 1987), a local historian and author of the first book of the history of Esko and Thomson Township. It was drafted from the official Carlton County tax rolls of 1903 and platted from the county soil map of 1905. Also shown are Elm Creek, Midway River, St. Louis River, Hay Creek, Crystal Creek, Village of Thomson, Northern Pacific Railroad, Minnesota and North Wisconsin Railroad, and the Great Northern Railroad.
This photograph shows the Polar League Sub-District Boys' Basketball Champion team and their coach. Standing, from left to right, are Dale Luokkala; Jim Manisto; Harold Hultberg; Coach Les Knuti; Richard Richardson; Allan Lennartson; and Duane Davidson. Seated are Marv Heikkinen; Denny Juntunen; Don Pykkonen; Calvin Bohren; Darrell Lassila and Jim Juntunen.