author
S. (Salomon) Ilmonen
1871–1940
A Finnish-American pastor and historian, he devoted much of his life to recording the story of Finnish immigrants in North America. His books helped preserve a community’s memory, from early Delaware settlers to later Finnish-American life across the United States and Canada.
2 Audiobooks
Amerikan ensimäiset suomalaiset : Eli Delawaren siirtokunnan historia
by S. (Salomon) Ilmonen
Abraham Lincoln raittiusmiehenä ja lyhyitä piirteitä hänen elämänkerrastaan
by S. (Salomon) Ilmonen
About the author
Born in Ilmajoki, Finland, in 1871, he emigrated to the United States in 1891. Before entering the ministry, he worked as a painter and laborer, and later traveled widely among Finnish immigrant communities as a subscription agent and correspondent for the newspaper Siirtolainen. He studied at Suomi College in Hancock, Michigan, graduating in 1904, and completed its theological seminary in 1906.
As a Lutheran pastor of the Suomi Synod, he served Finnish communities in several states, including New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and later California. Alongside his church work, he became especially important as a chronicler of Finnish immigrant life.
He is best remembered for writing major histories of Finns in North America, including works on the early Finnish presence in Delaware and the multi-volume Amerikan suomalaisten historia. These books traced Finnish migration from the 1600s through later settlement in the United States and Canada, making him an enduring source for the history of Finnish America.