Toivola, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Toivola, Michigan
|
|
|---|---|
Toivola along M-26
|
|
 Toivola, Michigan
Location in Michigan
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Counties | Houghton and Ontonagon |
| Townships | Adams, Bohemia, and Stanton |
| Elevation | 1,273 ft (388 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
49965
|
| Area code(s) | 906 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1614923 |
Toivola is an unincorporated community in Houghton County, Michigan, United States. The far-flung rural community is divided between Stanton Township, Adams Township, and Bohemia Township. It is found along M-26, 8 miles (13 km) southwest of South Range, 16 miles (25.7 km) from Houghton, and 35 miles (56 km) from Ontonagon. Toivola has a post office with ZIP code 49965. The community's historic industries include mainly agrarian uses and lumbering.
History
Local lore claims a group of Misery Indians, a branch of the Chippewa or Ojibway tribe, settled on the southern shore of Lake Superior in the area in 1845. Toivola was settled by Finns in 1892; they named the community after the Finnish term for the vale of hope, though it is translated as "Community of Hope" on the sign erected by the Michigan Department of Highways commemorating the town's centennial in 1992. Many of the original Finnish settlers came to the United States fleeing the terrible conditions brought on by the Great Famine in the 1860s. In the town's heyday, the population was large enough to support thirteen small schools, including the Heikkinen School and Misery Bay School. The community was originally a logging camp. Toivola once had a station on the Copper Range Railroad. Toivola's post office opened on January 19, 1905; Earl N. Drake was its first postmaster.
Attractions
- Misery Bay and Agate Beach - Public beaches on Lake Superior's southern shoreline. Perfect for swimming, camping, and rock hunting (fossils and agates).
- Nature Activities - Hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snow shoeing.
- Juhannus - Traditional Finnish celebration of the Summer Solstice. Bonfire or kokko burned on the sands of Agate Beach. Usually accompanied by music, dancing, and food.
- Artesian well - Cold, fresh water which runs from the pipe found by the old Misery Bay School on Misery Bay Road can be sampled by any passersby who thirst.
See also
In Spanish: Toivola (Míchigan) para niños
