In 1969 the Kaleva Historical Society (KHS) was formed by members of the community that wanted to preserve the heritage and history of family, church, and community.

Around 1900 when the first Finnish families moved to Kaleva they arrived to pine stumps and blow sand. Many that could afford to cut their loses and return to their homes did, but those who could not leave made the best of the what they had. By treasuring family, church and community and with a bit of SISU (Finnish for strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity) the founding families of Kaleva worked hard to persevere and erect a town from nothing. The first Historical Museum was housed in a room of the former Kaleva Jr. High School.

From that proud heritage came the group of people who formed the Kaleva Historical Society.

We hope you enjoy learning more about Kaleva Michigan.

To Join

please print and fill out our membership section on the form and send it to the address below.

To Donate

please print and fill out our donation section on the form and send it to the address below.

Make checks payable to the "Kaleva Historical Society".

14551 Wouski Ave.

Box 252

Kaleva MI 49645

Visit our historical locations and sites, and check out info about our projects.

Click to learn more.

Kaleva Art Gallery

The Kaleva Art Gallery is a cooperative gallery that supports many local crafters and artists. Click for more, including hours.

Sculpture Walk

This pleasant walk, established in 1998, takes you by gardens and unique sculptures in Kaleva. Click to read more.

Upcoming Events

From dedications to activities, the Kaleva Historical Society holds and participates in many events. Click for more.

Welcome to
Kaleva Historical Society

Printable Form

Membership/Donation Form

Kaleva - A Finnish Community in the heart of Manistee County.

In 1969 the Kaleva Historical Society (KHS) was formed by members of the community that wanted to preserve the heritage and history of family, church, and community.

Around 1900 when the first Finnish families moved to Kaleva they arrived to pine stumps and blow sand. Many that could afford to cut their losses and return to their homes did, but those who could not leave made the best of the what they had. By treasuring family, church and community and with a bit of SISU (Finnish for strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity) the founding families of Kaleva worked hard to persevere and erect a town from nothing.

From that proud heritage came the group of people who formed the Kaleva Historical Society. We hope you enjoy learning about our town, our history and our commitment to preserving the history of Kaleva, Michigan.

Get Here

Join the K.H.S.

We always welcome new members at the Kaleva Historical Society.

If you are interested in membership, click here.

We also accept donations to help continue our projects and raise funds to maintain our sites throughout Kaleva, Michigan.

Did you know?

Sauna forms a great part of Finland's heritage and culture. It is estimated that there are over 2 million saunas, which averages one per household.

While we don't have that many in Michigan - we do have the highest population of Finnish Americans.

Read about our Sauna Project here.

By using our website, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. To review our terms and conditions, click here.

Welcome to Kaleva Historical Society