8 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
PRESERVING LOCAL HERITAGE
THE BIGGEST LODGE OF ITS KIND ON THE WEST COAST, ASTORIA’S FINNISH BROTHERHOOD WORKS TO KEEP HISTORY ALIVE
By HEATHER DOUGLAS
2017 marks the 100-year anniversary
of Finland’s independence. This year,
Astoria’s own little piece of Finland
in Uniontown, Suomi Hall, will be
celebrating a heritage that extends back
131 years.
Originally built up the hill from
its current location in 1886, part of
the original Suomi Hall building was
moved to its permanent location at 244
W. Marine Drive in 1910, where a new
first floor was quickly constructed at
street level and the original building
hoisted up to create the second story.
The second floor of Suomi Hall has
been home to The United Finnish Kale-
va Brothers and Sisters Astoria Lodge
No. 2 for the past 100 years.
Informally called “The Finnish
Brotherhood” by locals, Astoria’s
Lodge No. 2 is fueled by its mission to
promote and preserve Finnish heri-
tage. The organization first served as a
sanctuary in difficult times when Finns
flocked to Astoria in the late 1800s after
their home country experienced horrible
famine and economic collapse. They
wanted a place to call home in a new
and unfamiliar land — at the lodge,
Finnish immigrants could speak their
native tongue with each other as well as
learn English as a second language. In
its heyday in the late 1800s, the lodge
boasted over 1,000 members and had
its own school, wrestling team, track
and field team, cemetery in Svensen
and even provided burial services for
members without family or means.
Since the beginning, The Finnish
Brotherhood of Astoria developed a
strong enough root base to outlast sim-
ilar collapsed organizations in notable
locales such as Portland and Berkeley,
California.
“In fact, the organization — which
welcomes sisters as well — is the big-
gest lodge of its kind on the West Coast
with over 200 members ranging in ages
from 18 to 100,” said Trudy Enke, the
lodge’s president. “Not necessarily our
oldest in age, but one of our longest
PHOTO BY DANNY MILLER
Trudy Enke, President of the Astoria Finnish Brotherhood, left, introduces her sister Terry Arnall, right, as a guest speaker giving a presentation on
the art of Carl Larsson on Sunday, Jan. 8 at Suomi Hall in Astoria. Arnall wore an authentic costume used at the museum in the Carl Larsson House.
PHOTO BY DANNY MILLER
Continued on Pg. 9
Suomi Hall is home of the Astoria Finnish Brotherhood.
‘WE ARE
HONORING
OUR
FAMILIES
AND
HERITAGE BY
CONTINUING
TO TAKE
LOVING
CARE OF THE
BUILDING
TO ENSURE
THAT WE’RE
AROUND FOR
ANOTHER
100 YEARS.’
PHOTO BY DANNY MILLER
Finnish Brotherhood members gather for a
meal before an afternoon meeting Jan. 8.