Two young boys, Fred and Isaac Esko, stand in front of the home of Alex Esko and Eva Esko, their parents. Fred was two years older than Isaac, and is the taller boy, while Isaac is the one wearing a white shirt. The house depicted here is probably the third in a series of several expansions. The original log home was constructed in 1895 and was basically in the shape of a rectangle that was parallel to Highway 61, on the south side. If you look very closely at the lower left corner of the house, you can see a black line extending west from the corner. This represents the bridge that crossed the Midway River. To the right, the settlement of Esko would begin its development about a decade later.
Depicted here is the farmhouse of Alex and Georgina Esko, located on the hillside banks of the Midway River. The baby is probably Isaac Esko. This photograph was taken south of the present Highway 61, looking northward to the bridge over the Midway River. In the background is a hayshed.
This is a photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Esko, their children Hilda Esko, George Esko, Isaac Esko, Fred Esko, and Henry Esko, and their farm home. The namesake of Esko, Alex Esko purchased the farm in 1890 from Timber baron Andreas M. Miller. Alex Esko was born in Finland in 1862 and came to the Village of Thomson in 1880 and to Thomson Township in 1890 when he purchased the farm. He was a railroad agent, county commissioner, member of Thomson Township School board, and Thomson Township Town Board.
Originally this house was built in Ash Lake Township. In 1889, it was moved to Shaokatan Township. Six children were raised in this house. Every one is lined up outside the house with many of the other farm buildings in the background.
Depicted here are Kaisa Maria Sarkela and Erick Sarkela standing in front of their farm house, with a barn and outbuildings in the background. The boy's name is Jalmari Sarkela, and Jenni Sarkela is the girl in the photograph.
The farm house of J. Alfred Kusicko was built after the 1918 Forest Fire, since his previous house burned in the fire. His name is listed as J. Alfred Kusicko as well as Alfred Kusicko, with his surname being spelled Kuusikko and Kuusiko also.
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.