NORWAY — Dale Piirainen will present “The Finns Come to Oxford County” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Norway Historical Society, 471 Main St.
It is free and open to the public.
About 100 years ago, 400 young Finnish immigrants sailed from their home country and settled in Oxford County. Some made their way to the Oxford Hills area.
Piirainen will try to answer who they were, how they got here, why the left their homeland and what happened when they arrived here.
He will also talk about the Finnish impact on local culture. Finnish refreshments will follow Piirainen’s talk.
Piirainen is the grandson of early Finnish immigrants. He is president of the Finnish-American Heritage Society of Maine, located in West Paris where he lives with his family.
In between a six-year Marine Corps enlistment and retiring after serving 20 years in the Navy, Piirainen attended the University of Maine in Orono, graduating with a B.S. in education in 1975.
Following his military career, he and his family returned to Maine. He represented West Paris on the Oxford Hills school board, among other activities.
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