Listen: Why did Finnish immigrants come to Minnesota? (And no, they're not Scandinavian)

The Curious Minnesota podcast discusses why Minnesota has more residents of Finnish ancestry than any other state.

December 19, 2022 at 8:44PM
Boarders posed in front of the Elanto Boarding House, a Finnish business, on the Mesabi Range in the early 1900s. (IMMIGRATION HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER ARCHIVES/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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Minnesota has more residents of Finnish ancestry than any other state. That's the result of mass immigration from Finland that occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The story of Finns immigrating to Minnesota is distinct from the Swedes and Norwegians. Eric Roper, who wrote a story on this topic, discussed the reasons why with Ash Miller on the Curious Minnesota podcast.

Further reading:

about the writer

about the writer

Eric Roper

Curious Minnesota Editor

Eric Roper oversees Curious Minnesota, the Star Tribune's community reporting project fueled by great reader questions. He also hosts the Curious Minnesota podcast. 

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