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Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent, who currently number about 700,000. , Finland , commemorating the thousands of emigrants who left the country to start a new life in the United States, mainly in Upper Michigan and Minnesota.]] HISTORY Finns first started coming to the United States in large numbers in the late 19th century, and continued until the mid 20th century. However, there were some Finns in the United States beforehand; in particular, they were instrumental in the development of the New Sweden colony on the Delaware River , later absorbed into New Netherland . Many townships were established by Finnish Americans, including Herman, located in Baraga County , Michigan. The town is named for Herman Keranen , of Ylivieska , Finland . A significant number of Finnish immigrants also settled in Northern Minnesota , often working in the region's iron mines. A number of the Finns fleeing the Russification efforts also emigrated to many of the mill towns of New England where they became known for their woodworking skills. , the meeting hall of Finnish immigrants, in Astoria, Oregon ]] DEMOGRAPHIC CONCENTRATIONS Today, the greatest concentration of Finnish Americans is in Michigan's Upper Peninsula , where they form 16% of the population, and are the largest ancestral group in the peninsula's western counties. {Link without Title} The largest Finnish community in the United States, and the largest outside of Scandinavia, is in Lake Worth, Florida , north of Miami {Link without Title} . NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS Notable Finnish Americans include historian Max Dimont and Gus Hall (originally Arvo Gustav Halberg), U.S. Communist Party leader. Also, an early Ethnic Finn was John Morton , signer of the Declaration Of Independence . The original name of the family was Marttinen, of which Morton is an anglicized version. The Marttinen/Morton family came originally from Rautalampi municipality in the Region of Northern Savonia , Province of Eastern Finland . CULTURE An annual festival is held to celebrate Finnish heritage. The festival is called FinnFest and has been held in a different city each year since the festival was established in 1983. There have also been two FinnGrandFests where American and Canadian groups consolidate their festivals. The next FinnFest is going to be held in Ashtabula, Ohio, July 26-28, 2007. {Link without Title} SEE ALSO
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