Historical Sites of Kaleva

Bank
The movie entitled "Car99" was based on the Kaleva robbery which happened on January 5, 1933. It was a national event because it resulted in the first two way radio manhunt in history.

Bottle House Museum
The Bottle House is a popular tourist attraction. Built by John Makinen out of 60,000 bottles from the local bottling factory, today it houses the Kaleva Historical Museum. The hours to visit are Summer Saturdays from 12:00-4:00. Be sure to see this unique house which is on the National Historic Register.

Creamery
The creamery was torn down in 2003. The good news is everyone can see the beautiful new library from Healy Lake Road.

Cupboard
The former "Cupboard" and Welcome center is now a wood burning sign business.

The Depot
Depot Museum opening June 1998, a completely restored depot built in the early 1900's, serviced the Manistee and Northeastern (M&NE) and the Pere Marquette railroad systems until the 1970's. Houses the collection of local train buff, Sonny Miller, and other original railroad memorabilia. The unusual angular shape of this building was to provide services for two trains at the same time, the M & NE and the Pere Marquette. These two companies were in competition to get to Kaleva first. The Pere Marquette won.

Hours: Open Saturday (Memorial Day to Labor Day) 12:00-4:00. Staffed by N W Train Enthusiasts Club. Also see rail sculpture and poem by former student, Paul Cecelio.

Depot Sculpture
This rail sculpture represents the five generations who have lived in Kaleva. It was designed by 1997 graduate, Paul Cecelio, who also wrote the poem, Five Generations, about Kaleva's history.

The Creation of an Eagle
"…crafty old Louhi (Mistress of the North Country) was not without magic of her own. She took five sharp scythes and six worn out hoes and fashioned them into talons. Then she seized the broken planks of her ship and turned them into wings, and of the rudder she fashioned a tail. And the scythes and the hoes and the planks and the rudder became a mighty eagle. When all was finished, old Louhi herself took the shape of the eagle she had contrived. And under her wings she took a hundred of her swordsmen and on the tail she carried a thousand archers."
    Louhi created an eagle to carry the men from her ship to the ship of old Vainamoinen to retrieve the Sampo, a magic piece that had all the creative power of the universe. In the flight the Sampo broke and spilled in the sea, along with a fragment which contained a small portion of the magic being saved by the people of the land of Heroes.
   This sculpture represents the eagle into which Louhi was transformed in the tale of the Kalevala, the Land of Heroes. The sculpture was designed and created by the Brethren High School Service Learning Class, 1997-98, of welded scrap metal. The artist-mentor is Andy Priest of Wellston. This sculpture is located in the lot west of the Kaleva Art Gallery.

Elevator
Farmers brought their grain to sell here.

Fire House
The first Fire House which is behind the township office housed emergency fire equipment for public use.

Hilliard's (Kaskinen's)
This building was built by a master stone mason whose goal was to construct a building which would last almost forever. It's made out of the same orange bricks from which silos are constructed.

Hotel
The Hotel was operated by Frank and Mary Jane (Maycock) Dickson. This building was the first sight greeting the train passengers during their stop. Mr. Dickson was famous for giving horse and buggy tours of the area.

Kaleva Art Gallery Cooperative
In 2003 the gallery moved to the former drug store and a Tag Sale shop is in the Terwilliger building. The art gallery is currently entering its tenth year of operation. Click here to view current artists and inventories.

Lutheran Church
This church was built in 1913. It burned in 1969. The church had a 100 foot high steeple that could be seen for miles. The new church is in the same location.

Mural
The mural on the former firehouse wall has been painted over. It was designed and painted by service learning students and depicted the four early institutions in Kaleva: the church, store, Post Office and bank.

Pop Factory
The Pop Factory produced the famous orange pop called "Mission Brand." It was shipped all over Northern Michigan.

Pickle House
Pickles were a popular crop years ago. Farmers would have their pickles weighed, then the pickles were dumped into a salt water vat, cured, then shipped out by rail.

Post Office
The Township building housed the post office before the new one was built. The old post office is now the Superior Energy office.

School
The first school was built with six classrooms for grades K-12. Today it houses only elementary grades.

Siirtolainen
This is where the original Finnish newspaper was printed. For many years it was the drug store. The Kaleva Art Gallery is now in this building.

Store
The first store in Kaleva was built in 1901 and burned down in 1910. The Finns brought the concept of cooperatives to America. The store closed in 2005 and Kaleva is hoping for new owners/operators.

Terwilligers
One of the oldest buildings in Kaleva, it has housed several businesses. Terwilliger's is now a Tag/Resale shop.

Totem of the Kalevala
Each figure of the totem pole is from the epic poem, The Kalevala. Vainamoinen portrayed at the base of the totem pole, symbolized power and knowledge. He taught that good triumphs over evil, especially in Kaleva, "the land of the good". The Moon and Sun represented day and night, and the cycle that brought each year. The duck is the Messenger that helps Vainamoinen discover his true powers. The Wolf symbolized war and the harshness of survival in Arctic Finland. The Owl, Reindeer and Bear represented animals, which the Finns treasured and respected. The totem pole was repainted in 2006 and moved to east side of the Bottle House Museum.