Imatra Society
The purpose of the society was "to develop the economical and social state of the Finnish people in America".
Despite its name, the society was not based on marxian ideology, but instead there has been seen features of the labor movement led by Viktor von Wright, which sought to promote the cultural activity of the working people and raise their level of education and prevent them from joining socialist associations.
In October 1892 the chairman Koski informed the meeting of the society with the following: "A failure of crops has taken place in our native country Finland and a famine is imminent there, so it should be our duty, as we are in these better circumstances, to begin a kind of relief for the hunger.
Imatra Society began to build a large network of Finnish workers´ associations covering all the North America.
In February 1903 the society founded the Imatra League which was a Finnish American workers' union consisting of about 40 subdivisions across the United States and Canada.
[2] In September 1907 the society began to collect money for the crofters of the estate Laukko in Finland "who had got into distress because they were fired out from their crofts.
[1] This house, later called Imatra Hall, was most important place for the activities of the society and became well known and very popular among the Finnish people.
[1] Imatra Society established an employment agency by the proposal of Matti Kurikka.
In 1910 the theater group of the society performed several plays in Imatra Hall, such as Pimeyden valta (the power of darkness), Charleyn Tähti (the star of Charley), Jeppe Niilonpoika (Jeppe the Nilsson), Tukkijoella (on the log river), Roinilan Talossa (in the house of Roinila), and Viimeinen Ponnistus (the last effort).
1923 the Imatra Society sends a group of seven people to Ellis Island to help the Finnish immigrants in the landing process.
Many Finnish artists have performed a concert at Imatra Hall including such famous artists as: Uuno Klami on October 27, 1917, J. Alfred Tanner on May 29, 1924, Robert Kajanus on January 11, 1925, Lea Piltti on April 24, 1949, Tapio Rautavaara on October 22, 1959, Henry Theel on February 2, 1973, and Heimo Haitto on January 24, 1984.
[2] Other important persons who have visited in Imatra Hall include such as Paavo Nurmi on February 19, 1966, Anne Pohtamo on February 5, 1978, the minister of education Kaarina Suonio with her delegation on September 13, 1982, the president of Finland Mauno Koivisto and Mrs. Tellervo Koivisto with their delegation on October 25, 1985, and the minister of education Christoffer Taxell with his delegation on April 10, 1988.
[1][3][4] A group of actors from the National Theater of Finland led by Sakari Jurkka performed a comedy Myöhästynyt hääyö (the delayed wedding night) at Imatra Hall on June 2, 1971.
[2] In 1987 the society was planning to establish an annual music festival at Imatra Hall where Finnish and American artists could perform.
In the occasion the Finlandia hymn of Sibelius was performed by the Male Singers of Järvenpää from Finland.
After this a flag procession with national costumes led the people to the Imatra Hall, where the main event was held.
[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Only a few years after the 100 anniversary celebration the Imatra Society had come into financial difficulties and in fall 1995 it was so much involved in debt that it was no more able to recover.
