History of Salolampi 1978 – 2012
February 1976 | Odell Bjerkness, Director, Concordia Language Villages, responded to Darrel Nicholson's letter of interest to create a Finnish Village |
| Spring 1977 | Jeanne Maki and others form a committee to develop a plan |
| August 1978 | First session of Salolampi at rented Camp Wilderness Borje Vähämäki, Professor at the University of Minnesota, was the first dean. First Salolampi song composed. |
| Winter 1978 | Vähämäki with Timo Riippa and Tuulikki Sinks wrote the first curriculum book. |
| April 1979 | Salolampi Foundation formed. Leo Liiste, first president. Statement of purpose, bylaws adopted. Scholarship fundraising begun. |
| Summer 1979 | Salolampi Village second session held at Maplelag. Tuulikki Sinks became dean. Salolammen Sanomat first published. |
| Summer 1980 | Salolampi Village moved to Camp Minne Wa Kan, Lake Andrusia |
| Summer 1981 | First Finnish language high school credit course offered. |
| Summer 1982 | Pirkko Gaultney became Dean |
| Summer 1983 | Log sauna from Finland donated to Salolampi site. |
| Summer 1986 | $300,000 gift from Jerry Jyring, Architect, Mountain Iron, Minnesota. Larry Saukko became Dean. |
| June 1987 | Concordia College designated 40-acre site at Turtle River Lake, Bemidji, Minnesota for Salolampi |
| August 1988 | Salolampi site dedicated. |
| May 1989 | First Finnish Elderhostel. |
| Winter 1989 | 300 Finn Fundraising Campaign launched. Concordia College donated $150,000 to the building fund. Building Fund phonathon initiated by Concordia Development Office. |
| June 1989 | Sauna from Finland completed on the lake shore. |
| August 1990 | Salolampi ground breaking celebration |
| February 1991 | $100,000 added gift from Jerry Jyring. Regional directors join Foundation Board. |
| February 1992 | Jerry Jyring memorial. Building program launched with Architectural Resources (Mark Wirtanen, lead architect) and Concordia College. |
| July 1992 | Fanny Jyring, widow of Jerry Jyring, donated Arabia dishes, iitala glassware, Aalto vases, and Hackman flatware. Brian Kallioinen designed and built birch cabinets for the dining hall. $900,000 Phase I fund raising goal reached. Phase II planning Main lodge and two cabins begun. First Mini-Salolampi at FinnFest in Duluth, Minnesota. |
| Fall 1992 | Phase II fundraising launched: $680,000. |
| Summer 1993 | First Finnish log cabin shipped from Finland and erected by volunteers. Phase I completion with dedication at Salolampi. First sessions held at new village site. |
| Spring 1994 | Second and third Finnish log cabins erected. First sessions held at new village site. Salolampi sign donated by Milwaukee Finnish American Society. Student representatives elected to Salolampi Foundation Board. First travel grant received from Finlandia Foundation National |
| Summer 1995 | Salolampi National Advisory Board formed. Landscaping begun. Salolampi videos produced. First Salolampi Foundation Scholarship Phonathon $10,000 to $40,000 awarded annually since 1995. First spring and fall work weekends held. Embassy of Finland hosted a Salolampi Gala in Washington D.C. |
| 1996 | $680,000 Phase II goal reached Construction of Jyringin Talo wings begun. Mini-Salolampi at FinnFest in Marquette, Michigan. Finlandia Foundation Board meets at Salolampi Fannie Käkelä-Jyring memorial. |
| 1997 | Seppi Maja and Hiltunen Tupa, Wings of Jyringin Talo dedicated. Scholarship drive launched with Salolampi Foundation Phonathon. Salolampi Endowment established at Lutheran Community Foundation. |
| 1998 | www.finnsonline.org launched. Celebration of the Completion of Salolampi held; Ambassador Jaakko Laajava visited. |
| 1999 | Sami kota completed on path to the sauna. New attendance record set. Mini-Salolampi at FinnFest in Seattle, Washington. Architect Mark Wirtanen, AIA recognized. |
| 2000 | Salolampi sessions extended to six weeks. Salolampi Scholarship Sampo drive begun. International Advisory Committee formed. New flag pole installed. First Family Fun Weekend held. Shoremaster dock and raft installed |
| 2001 | Multi-Generational Week offered. Finder's Fee scholarship launched. Pavilion constructed. Larry Saukko's 25th anniversary with Concordia Language Villages. Pertti Paasio, President of Suomi Seura, visited and reviewed the instructional program. Mini-Salolampi at FinnFest in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. |
| 2002 | Irja Hanson memorial was held. Salolampi Sampler sessions held at FinnFest02 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Aino Wheler is first representative from the Salolampi Foundation spoke to the total Expatriate Parliament. Leo Nevala memorial was held. Salolampi Heritage Society launched |
| 2003 | Finnish speaking children invited to attend Salolampi. Salolampi 25th anniversary celebration. Jukka Leino, Finnish Consul General, Honored Guest. Dance Pavilion constructed. |
| 2004 | Ambassador Jukka Valtasaari, Etel Valtasarri, and Cultural Counselor Tuula Yrjö-Koskinen review the Salolampi program. First "Family Week" held. |
| 2005 | David (Taavetti)Salmela observed his 25th anniversary as a Salolampi staff member. Salolampi Sampler at Finn Grand Fest, Marquette, Michigan |
| 2006 | Sanomat Youth Pages Launched. Concondia Language Villages and Sjolundin Swedish Language Village breaks ground on the Sjolundin facility, starting with the Weaving Studio and a cabin housing 12 villagers. The new Sjolundin Village Facility is about 200 steps from Salolampi. Many of the buildings built will be shared with Salolampi. Salolampi Sampler at FinnFest 2006, Astoria, Oregon. |
| 2007 | Dedication of Sjolundin Swedish Village's weaving studio building just to the north of Salolampi. Salolampi's looms moves to the the studio which will be a shared facility between Salolampi and Sjolundin. A couple of Salolampi's looms will stay in the Craft Room at the Hiltunen Tupa. Salolampi Sampler at FinnFest 2007, Ashtabula, Ohio. Finlandia Foundation National pledged to support Salolampi Sampler at all FinnFests International. Boat House constructed |
| 2008 | Soiva Music Camp for flute, piano, improvisation, and composition established at Salolampi under the auspices of Finlandia Foundation National. Finnish President Tarja Halonen visited the Salolampi booth in the tori during Finnfest International in Duluth. Salolampi Sampler held at FinnFest International, Duluth, Minnesota. Salolampi Village celebrates 30th anniversary. |
| 2009 | Soiva Music Camp adds clarinet to the program. 2009 donations and scholarships kept pace despite global recession Instructors Annikki Marttila and Susan Harstad received Global Citizenship Awards for 20 years of service to Salolampi. |
| 2010 | January - The long awaited sauna for Jyring Talo is completed. Soiva Music Camp was expanded to include violin in 2010. Salolampi started Adventure Day Camp. Salolampi acquired an electric golf cart for the exclusive use of disabled villagers. |
| Summer 2011 | High winds destroyed the old wooden flagpolein May. Jack Rajala painted and installed a new pine pole, and the Finnish flag waved over the Founders Day luncheon on June 25. |
| 2012 | Amy Tervola-Hultberg became Dean |
| 2013 | Artist Jill Halberg created Coats of Arms signs emblematic of five provincial regions in Finland for the cabins. Staff member Elisa Repo of Finland assisted by Mirka Oinonen, Peri Bovitz, Sam Copelan, and Kylie Pieczonka; ceated the whimsical map of Salolampi on the wall beneath the east deck. Concordia Language Villages, with help from members of the Salolampi Foundation, replaced the west deck of Jyringin Talo. Ken Tervola built a commercial-sized grill next to the new deck. |
Past Presidents of the Salolampi Foundation
Leadership of the Salolampi Foundation began with Leo Liiste as the first president in 1979, followed by Lester Ristinen, Kenneth Lahti and Martti Mattson.
The building program began during the presidency of Irja Hanson.
Succeeding presidents were Robert Pemberton, Ken Daniels, Armi Koskinen Nelson, Leo Nevala, Mike Anuta, Ray Pesola , Marlene Banttari, Marvin Nevala, Evelyn Eskeli, Gil Kinnunen, Jack Rajala, Joanne Bergman, and Tiina Watts, Susan ‘Susanna’ Harstad, John Hanson, Kaisa Syväoja.