Chapter 10 Sampo and Elmo, The Finnish Towns and Mines (1909)

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Chapter 10 Sampo and Elmo, The Finnish Towns and Mines (1909) The Sampo Coal Company constructed the town of Sampo in 1908.

1 Chapter 10 Sampo and Elmo, The Finnish Towns and Mines (1909) The Sampo Coal Company constructed the town of Sampo in It started mine development efforts that same year on an eight-foot vein of coal four miles north east of Hanna. The coal mine was the first large scale non Union Pacific Coal Company mine effort in the Hanna area. About twenty men were employed in the first year. The Sampo town and mine were managed and worked primarily by the Finnish population. Joseph Pesola was the superintendent of the mine in During 1908 and 1909, several openings were made, but good quality coal was not found. The Sampo mine only produced coal in Coal production was closed by The holdings of the Sampo Coal Company are located about five miles north of the town of Hanna. Mr. S. Alawer is in charge as Manager. Several openings have been made, but coal has never been found in paying quantities until the present slope was driven, which is now down about four hundred feet with a parallel man way. Two entries have just been broken off, one running to the north and the other to the south. During the past year 7,539 tons of coal were produced and shipped to Colorado and Nebraska. (1910 State Mine Inspector's Report) FINNISH SAMPO MINERS (GERT MILLIKEN COLLECTION FROM GARY MILLIKEN)

SAMPO COAL MINE (GERT MILLIKEN COLLECTION FROM GARY MILLIKEN) The Sampo mine

It was the only year coal production was reported to the State of Wyoming.

surveyed and a town map produced by the office of Turpin and Eldridge, Civil

2 SAMPO COAL MINE (GERT MILLIKEN COLLECTION FROM GARY MILLIKEN) The Sampo mine produced 7,539 tons of coal with 44 employees in It was the only year coal production was reported to the State of Wyoming. Although no coal was produced in Sampo in 1911, the town site of Sampo was surveyed and a town map produced by the office of Turpin and Eldridge, Civil Engineers, Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming in March of THE TOWN OF SAMPO MAP (GERT MILLIKEN COLLECTION FROM GARY MILLIKEN)

The Sampo map identified the following miners as once living in the town of Sampo: House 30 Nikolai Huhtala, House 32 Jack P. Niemi, House 34 William E. Hill, House 37 John O. Nikola, House 58 Wm.

3 The Sampo map identified the following miners as once living in the town of Sampo: House 30 Nikolai Huhtala, House 32 Jack P. Niemi, House 34 William E. Hill, House 37 John O. Nikola, House 58 Wm. Nordwall, House 60 Salu Maki, House 123 Aaron Tanttari, House 142 John Hall, House 143 Arvid Ramstrom, House 148 Peter Airaksinen, House 154 John Isaacson, House 156 Kusti Saari, and House 172 Muna Hirsimaki. ELMO IN THE EARLY 1900 S. IN THE PICTURE ABOVE, WORKINGMEN S COMMERCIAL STORE IS LOCATED AT THE FAR LEFT, THE SHAMROCK SOCIAL CLUB IS THE BRIGHT WHITE BUILDING AND THE SAMPO CO-OP STORE IS LOCATED AT THE FAR RIGHT. (GERT MILLIKEN COLLECTION FROM GARY MILLIKEN) Elmo is located about one mile east of Hanna and was composed, in the beginning, primarily of Finnish people. It had a close relationship with the town of Sampo. Several of the buildings located at the town of Sampo were moved to Elmo. The town was a place for businesses to exist that were not owned by the Union Pacific Coal Company. With the closing of Sampo, the Finnish miners discovered coal deposits near Elmo. Some of the buildings at Sampo were eventually moved to Elmo and a new town was created. In 1939, Irene Ruskanen wrote A Short History of Elmo, Wyoming for the Pioneer, the student newspaper of the Hanna High School. The author, Irene Ruskanen and Reino Kuoppala were both killed in a car accident in In 1911, coal deposits were found near where Elmo now stands. In as much as there was coal there, workers were needed and as workers came, the town sprang up. In 1912, the deed to Elmo was obtained. In 1916, it was incorporated, but since there were not enough people, hoboes and ranchers were hired to make up the population. The few people of Elmo were asked to lend bed clothing and other supplies so that the hired men could stay there while they were needed for the town to become incorporated. They stayed in the attic of an old house there that burned down in the fire of The first houses built in Elmo were located near where the Allen Motors now stands. Matt Seppa and Henry Kuoppala built them.

4 The first child born in Elmo was Harold Siltimaki. A man, who got a big kick out of wondering who would be the first person in it, built the Elmo jail in A few days later, he himself was put in and locked up for two days. Tom Mangan started the first Elmo-Peacock mine in 1913 and then in 1928 it finally gave way and caved in. In 1932, Henry Kuoppala and Gus Siltimaki started the second Elmo-Peacock mine which is running now. In 1914, the Workingmen s Commercial was set upon Elmo. The first manager was Emil Pahti. In 1918, the Sampo Cooperative was brought to Elmo from Evansville and the first manager wa Gus Siltimaki. In 1916, A. S. Allen owned the Allen Bakery, but it was sold and he set up the Allen Meat Market which was burned in the fire of In 1919, Andrew Ruskanen started the Elmo Garage. The same year Gus Fagerholm started the Service Garage. In 1932, when the highway was put through, A. S. Allen started the Silver Cabins and John Toumie the Elmo Cabins. There never has been a church, but there have always have been a great many saloons. Elmo was settled mostly by the Finnish people and still 53% Finnish people. The population is 131 people. (Irene Ruskanen, A Short History of Elmo, Wyoming for the Hanna High School Pioneer) In 1912, the Union Pacific Coal Company did not allow the sale of alcohol in Hanna. Saloons and bars were prohibited. Many of the miners loved their alcohol and entertainment, so the saloons in Elmo filled the void. Thomas Mangan, James Mangan, and William Clark incorporated the infamous Shamrock Social Club in Elmo in August of It was reported that well traveled paths lead from each of the Hanna mines directly to the saloons in Elmo. One year after incorporation, the Union Pacific Coal Company and Union Pacific Railroad filed complaints against the Elmo saloons. April 11, 1918, two years before Prohibition, the two saloons in Elmo were forced to close, because the Carbon County Commissioners refused to renew their liquor licenses. Support for denial of the licenses went all the way to the governor of the state. Representatives of the Union Pacific Coal Company today requested acting Governor Frank L. Houx to exert the influence of his office with the board of commissioners of Carbon county against the renewal of licenses for saloons in the town of Elmo, which was incorporated about a year ago, and the site of which is near the great coal mining camp of Hanna. They informed the acting governor that the sale of liquor in Elmo subjected the miners employed at Hanna to temptations and opportunities for dissipation, which they were unable to avoid in their own town, there being no saloons at Hanna. It is stated to the acting governor that the sale of liquor at Elmo had resulted in the depreciation of the efficiency of a sufficient number of the employees of the Hanna mines for the effect to be seriously felt in the operation of the mines. (Rawlins Republican, April 11, 1918, p.1) In August of 1917, a fire broke out in Elmo during the early morning hours and five business buildings were burned to the ground. The only business buildings left intact were the Workingmen's Commercial Company and the "Shamrock" Saloon, owned by Thomas Mangan. The fire originated in the building occupied by Nick Vouraxis, which was used as a pool room. He and his wife lived on the second floor of the building and barely escaped with their lives. The kids at Elmo attended school in Hanna. In the early years, the kids caught the school bus at the Workingmen s store.

5 I enjoyed waiting for the school bus at the Workingmen s Store that is now closed. There was a big heater on the floor I could stand on and visit with the others waiting for the bus. Albert Aho, the manager, the manager used to go to the store early in the morning and take care of the coal furnace so there was heat for the Elmo people waiting for the bus. I remember the old building located on the front street that was owned by Mrs. Sue Mangan, now a resident of Laramie. The building was called the Shamrock. It was later the V.F.W. Club. The building has been torn down. West of it stood a small Finn church, that does not exist anymore. Henry Kuoppala use to have a Pop Shop on the alley located close to the old Workingmen s store. West of the old Sampo Store was a bakery. (Elsie Salo, Hanna Herald May 1, 1980)

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