My Family in the Pacific Northwest, 1896 --1910

Table of Contents
1897 John Poysky Purchases More Property
1899 John Poysky and Sofia Ulriika Määttä Marry
1899 -- 1910 Six Children born to John and Sofia Poysky
1900 Federal Census, Clatsop County
1902 Astoria, Oregon
Another Astoria Promotional Article, Undated
1902 -- 1910 The Polk Astoria City Directories
1908 Wendla Posyky First Burial in Poysky Family Plot
1910 Federal Census, Clatsop County
1896 -- 1910 Other Notable Events
The Boarding House Finns
Email Me
Website Index
Search this Site and Site Map

1897 John Poysky Purchases More Property
October 12, 1897 Abraham Sotka and Mary Sotka to John Poysky: "John Poysky purchased from Abraham Sotka and Mary Sotka, in consideration of One Dollar, all the West Half of Lot #4 Block #3 as laid out by J.M. Snively in County of Clatsop and State of Oregon."

This is the location of the Poysky Boarding House on Franklin Avenue. It was not uncommon to offically list the real estate price paid at $1.00 or $10.00. Cost negotiations outside the purchase transcript could be agreed upon based on true value. And no mention is made of any buildings on the property.

1899 John Poysky and Sofia Ulriika Määttä Marry
Sofia Ulriiika Määttä arrived in Astoria, from Kuusamo, Finland, in 1891. The author of this website has yet to find the ship on which she sailed, but her arrival date is documented in the 1900 Astoria, Clatsop County Census.

The customary Finnish emigrants' route was to travel to Hango, Finland, and sail across the North Sea to England, travel by train to Birmingham, then sail to New York. Other New World destinations were Ontario, Canada; Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Once on North American soil, a train could be boarded for most any area of the United States. In 1906 a trip from Hango, Finland to Astoria, Oregon third class on the ship and second class railway across the country was $97.75. It was common for family members to join together to finance the trip for a relative wishing to leave the old country.

Sofia probably worked as a domestic when she arrived in Astoria. There were Finnish Boarding Houses needing maids and cooks, and there were other opportunities to work for affluent families in similar positions. Her brother Simo Kustaa Määttä and family had come to Astoria in 1889. Her sister Anna Kaisa had traveled with their brother Simo. Presumably Sofia stayed with Simo when she arrived.

Sofia and John became acquainted in Astoria. The Finnish community was very social. So perhaps they met at the Finnish Lutheran Church, or the Finnish Brotherhood Hall. In any event, they fell in love, and married on March 7, 1899, in Clatskaine, OR. The ceremony was in the home of John H. Lumigarvi, Minister of the Gospel, Quincy, Oregon. Witnesses were Joseph Lumigarvi and Simon Hendrickson. Quincy and Clatskanie were small fishing and farming communities in Columbia County.

1899 -- 1910 Six Children born to John and Sofia Poysky
December 14, 1899, the first Poysky child, Tyni Christina, was born. Tyni later changed her name to Tyne. Her Lutheran Baptismal certificate, written in Finnish, names her Tyne Kristina. Eva Sophia was born December 4, 1901, Carl Primus, later known as Charles Primus, arrived in 1903. Martha Sussanna, later known as Martha Susan, arrived in 1905. Eno Edward, later known as Edward, was born in 1908 and Waino William, Wayne, arrived in 1910. All of the children were born in Astoria, Oregon. The Poysky family was almost complete.

Edward earned the nickname Scarp as a young boy. It stayed with him for most of his life. In the early years, the Columbia River's high tides would spread under the Poysky Boarding House. Children liked to play there, looking for fish in the water. It was common to see the bottom feeding carp. When ever Edward saw one, he would call out “there's a Scarp.” Thus he became Scarpie.

1900 Federal Census, Clatsop County
Oregon's population, as of the 1900 census, was 8,381 people. "Astoria is a flourishing town on the Columbia River, whose principal industry is salmon canning."

Following are the excerpts of the 1900 Astoria Census, found in the Clatsop County, Oregon Census; "John Poysky born Sept 1860, Finland, age 39. Living 1371 Franklin Ave. In house: Sophia, wife, born Oct 1869, age 30. Finland. George, age 8 [should have been about 13 years of age], born Feb 1887, Finland, Tune C. 5/12 years old. Born OR . Pekka Poysky cousin, single. Born 1863, Finland. Age 37. And 15 unnamed boarders." All of the boarders were born in Finland.

George was John's son from his first marriage to Kaisa Greta. "Tune C." was Tyni Christina. Pekka Poysky was later known as Peter Poysky.

1902 Astoria, Oregon
The following are excerpts from Astoria City and Clatsop County Directory, Vol. II, by R. L. Polk, & Co. Publishers. Office 522-523 Marquam Bldg. Portland OR. Members of the Association of American Directory Publishers, 1902. The Polk City Directories were a combination of citizen and address directory, citizen assessed valuation and Chamber of Commerce promotional material.

"Astoria, Oregon, at the Mouth of the Columbia River. The Only Fresh Water Harbor in the World that is Within Ten Miles of the Ocean. The Great Gateway Of the Northwest to the Orient. Possess the Most Natural Advantages for Investment of any City on the Pacific Coast.

"Five or six lines of steamers owned in Astoria ply daily to ports, rivers, and bays in the vicinity. Three daily lines of steamers connect Astoria with Portland and ocean steamers to San Francisco, Alaska, China and Japan go out several times each month at stated intervals. The City is connected direct by rail with all places of importance in the United States, and Canada and is on the gravity and shortest route from London, Liverpool, New York and Atlantic seaboard to Japan, China and the Islands of the Pacific Coast.

"Among Astoria's industrial institutions are two iron and machine shops, two foundries, one saw mill, two box factories, one can factory, four salmon canneries, four cold storage plants for fish, one brewery and ice plant, two ship and boat building shops, one fish oil factory, one creamery, bottling works, bakeries and numerous small manufactories. It has an electric street car line, and gas and electric light plants.

"Astoria's water system, completed in 1896 at a cost of $260,000 has proved very successful. The capacity is about 4,000,000 gallons daily. Fire hydrants have been put up on every street corner in the principal part of the city.

Another Astoria Promotional Article, Undated
Undated: The Possibilities of Astoria, Mark Sullivan. “In the future, no doubt, the three leading industries of Astoria and its connecting country will be agricultural, lumber manufacturing and fish packing. The fields of the fish and farming industries are exhaustless, and it will be many decades before the forest begin to fail to supply the mills ... The climate in all seasons of the year is ideal ... Concerning the culture and learning and the social life of Astoria, it may be said that while there is a whirl of activities in every avenue of business, conventions of the social side of the community are rigid and exacting. This comes from maintaining high ideals of home life, and from the comprehensive understanding of what makes for nobility of character and intellectual worth upon a true ethical basis."

1902 -- 1910 Polk Astoria City Directory
A City Directory is similar to a telephone book in that it lists individuals, their occupation, companies, addresses and advertisements. However, it is a private publication designed to promote the cities/area on which it concentrates and to be sold at a profit for the publisher. The Polk Company started publishing city directories in 1878 and continues in business today. In 2005 The Polk Company lists 1,000 city directories priced at $960.00 each.

1902: John Poysky was listed as a fisherman residing at 1374 Franklin Ave; Sophia Poysky was listed as boarding house owner at 1571 Franklin Ave and residing at 1371 Franklin Ave., John Poysky's assessed valuation was $310.00; most family assets were $1.00 to $800.00 .

1904: Sophie Poysky had a one line advertisement under boarding houses: "Poysky, Sophia, 1371 Franklin Ave." John Poysky was listed as a fisherman, both he and Sophia resided at 1371 Franklin Ave.

1906: Both George and John Poysky (son) were listed as residing at 1325 Grand Ave., and both were fisherman.

1910: John Poysky was listed as owning the boarding house at 1371 Franklin Ave, residing at 1325 Grand Avenue. His assessed valuation was $655.00. Sophie Poysky's assessed valuation was $110.00. Other Poysky's listed in the Director were Jacob Poysky, laborer at the Union Fisherman's Co-Op Pak Co., Jalmar Poysky, probably son of Matti Poysky, laborer at the Clatsop Mill Co., Matt Poysky, laborer at the Astoria Box Company, residing at 2513 Birch and Peter Poysky, boarding house owner at 1381 Franklin.

Wendla Posyky First Burial in Poysky Family Plot
This website author has not found any official documentation of the birth or death of Wendla Poysky. But her black tombstone is the first burial marker in the Poysky Family plot. This is what this author believes the story to be.

1900 Federal Census, Clatsop County, OR. John Poysky's family, as recorded by the census taker, included Pekka (translates to Peter) Poysky, a cousin and a member of John's household. Pekka was 37 years old, single, and a Finnish emigrant.

April 9, 1902 Peter Poysky married Susan Baklum in Astoria, OR. Peter was Susan's second husband. She brought three children to the marriage.

June 22, 1907 Susan Poysky filed for divorce from Peter Poysky. Two Poysky children were born of that marriage, Vendla, four years of age and Marshall Robert, 22 months old.

Susan later withdrew the application for a divorce from Peter. In the 1910 Federal Census Susan relates that she had borne six children, five were living.

February 23, 1911. Susan Poysky again filed for divorce from Peter Poysky. Children listed from the marriage were Robert Marshall age 5 years and Astor Reino Poysky, age 2 years. No mention was made of Vendla. And Robert Marshall's given names were reversed from the original divorce filings.

1908. A tombstone for Wendla Poysky (1905 - 1908) was placed in the John Poysky family plot in the Greenwood Cemetery. This author believes this was for the daughter of Peter and Susan Poysky, even though the spellings are not the same, and the ages don't match those in the divorce proceedings.

1910 Federal Census, Clatsop County
John Poysky's family included Elsa Matta, mother in law, age 69:, 21 male boarders and 2 female servants. Family was listed as living at 1371 Franklin Ave. Elsa Matta , Sophie's mother, had left Finland, 1896, three years after her husband's death. All her living children had come to Astoria so she joined them there. She bore 7 children, 5 living. Elsa spoke Finnish. Speaks Finnish. Elsa's eye sight was failing, but she could rock the babies and comfort them when they were ill..

John Poysky Head, married 11 years, age 49 years, all parents born in Finland, naturalized citizen, emigrated 1886.boarding house proprietor. Speaks English, can read and write.

Sofia wife, assistant proprietor, emigrated 1891, 6 children all living. No answer to the language question. Occupation, assistant boarding house proprietor. Yes to both education questions (can read and write).

Children: Tina, (Tyne) age 10, born, single in OR, both parents born in Finland, speaks English. Yes, to education questions.

Eva age 8 speaks English, both parents born in Finland, yes to education questions. Chas 6 speaks English. Parents born in Finland, yes to education questions. Martha, age 4, and Edward age 2 parents born in Finland, no answer to education questions or language spoken. (No answer to language question.)

George, son, age 23, emigrated 1891, single, born in Finland, parents born in Finland, emigrated 1891, profession student at University, (of Oregon), speaks English. U student.

Family legend passed down said Eva did not speak English upon arriving at school. She repeated the first grade due to lack of English skills. Eva was a shy child, and probably began first grade at age five years, so it is understandable. The author is sure the primary language at home was Finnish, as some family members as well as the boarders did not speak English.

Another sister remembered that there were three distinct nationalities in Astoria. The US citizens that spoke English, the emerging Finns that spoke Finn and English, and the Chinese door to door vegetable merchants that spoke Chinese, Finn and English.

Eva Poysky visited Finland in the late 1960's, eager to see her parent's homeland. One of her special events was to take a taxi ride into the Finnish countryside. The taxi driver spoke only Finnish, and Eva had a chance to use her Finnish learned in childhood. After a bit, the taxi driver told her she spoke 'very old fashioned Finnish' and that she did not have words for modern inventions like airplanes.

Peter Poysky, head of house hold, (boarding house located at 1381 Franklin Ave) age 45, born in Finland; married 8 years, emigrated to U.S. 1890, fisherman; owns home free. Wife Susanna, age 46, born in Finland; married (2nd) 8 years; mother of 6 children, 5 living; emigrated to U.S. 1887; boarding-house keeper. Robert, son age 4, born in Oregon. Reino, son; age 2, born in Oregon. George Blacklund, step-son, age 17; born in Oregon. Ida Blacklund, step daughter, age 15, born in Oregon, Mamie Blacklund, step-daughter, age 11, born in Oregon. Two female servants and eight born in Finland male boarders were listed.

Matti Poisky listed as head of household (2513 Birch). Age 38, born in Finland; married 16 years, emigrated to US 1902, laborer, sawmill, owns home free and clear. Hannah, wife, age 34 born in Finland, married 16 years, mother of 5 children, emigrated to US in 1902. Jalmer, son; age 16, born in Finland, emigrated to US in 1902, Olga, daughter, age 13, born in Finland; emigrated to US 1902; Sime, daughter; age 8, born in Finland, emigrated to U.S. 1902. Leonard, son, age 5, born in OR; son Walter, age 3, born in OR.

1896 -- 1910 Other Notable Events
February 23, 1900: Johan Paysky naturalized as US citizen at the Circuit Court in Astoria, OR. He registered as a Republican. His wife Sophia Poysky was naturalized at the same time, registering as a Democrat.

1900: Astoria Voter Registration included Peter Paysky, fisherman, age 34 and Johan Paysky, fisherman, age 40.

Nov 4, 1902: Matti Poysky declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States.

About 1903: John Poysky purchased from the Finnish Brotherhood a family cemetery plot in Greenwood Cemetery, Astoria. The Brotherhood had purchased a block of plots and sold them to Finnish members.

1905: George Poysky graduated from Astoria High School. The school building was the McClure School on 8th St. which was both a grade and high school until the new Astoria high school was built in 1911, at 16th and Jerome. Thirteen graduates and Principal Mr. Clark are pictured in an Astoria newspaper. George is standing in the back row, second from the left.

1906: Women were granted the right to vote in national elections in Finland. Finland was the first European country to recognize women's right to the ballot.

The Boarding House Finns
Walter Mattila, 1972 : "One feature of life in Astoria in the late 1800's was the large number of people who resided in boarding houses, since apartment house living at that time was largely unknown. The boarding houses often served as social and cultural centers for working people and newcomers. This was especially true of the Finnish boarding houses."

"A boarding house was usually known by its landlady. She advised newcomers on where to get jobs, whether to go to a bloodletter or a doctor, and how to stay out of jail. She would go to the bank with her new guests, interpret for them, and then help them count their money. Upon occasion she offered helpful advice upon which of her hired girls would make the best wives, so many a boarding house romance led straight from the kitchen to the altar -- and many a newly-arrived immigrant was awed to find a woman who had been a lowly milkmaid in Finland now a woman of influence in Astoria."

This effort is an on-going project, subject to the errors and omissions of all human activities. I gladly receive inquiries, corrections, additions and comments.
Email Jane at poyskyfamily@aol.com