Wide spreading water routes are known to have attracted hunters, raiders, merchants and tax collectors since the 9th century.

[citation needed] Permanent habitation settled to the area after Gustav I, king of Sweden, had promised tax relief to peasants who would move north.

As a memorial of those merchants, on the market of Kuhmo there stands the statue “Laukunkantaja” (in English, "The Bag Bearer").

In this era, Elias Lönnrot, compiler of the Finnish National Epic Kalevala made his poem-collecting trips via Kuhmo to Karelia.

Publishing Kalevala in 1835 fueled birth of Karelianism, which became a major trend in culture spheres towards the end of 19th century.

Scenery to lake Lentua based the background of the middle picture in his work Aino triptych.

During the war Kuhmo was bombarded 48 times and ground battles took place as near as ten kilometers from the center of the town.

At narrow Kuhmo (Saunajärvi road) the Soviet 54th Division was forced to spread its troops which made Finnish guerilla tactics efficient.

A campaign to destroy the pockets and prevent the Soviet 44th Division from rescuing encircled forces continued until the Moscow peace treaty.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has set Kuhmo as a part of Eastern Finland´s stable bear population area.

Traditionally inhabited by Karelian Orthodox Christians, Rimpi was one of three Karelian-speaking villages in Kainuu, the other two being Kuivajärvi and Hietajärvi in Suomussalmi.

The village was destroyed in the Winter War and later rebuilt, however Finnish authorities did not allow the inhabitants to build Karelian-type houses.

Rimpi was home to Eljas Ahtonen, who was the model for Väinämöinen in Akseli Gallen-Kallela's painting Aino-taru.