7/26/91, Diane Jugatek gave me a tour of Petrell Hall, 1912.
An IRRRB Project
Restoration of Town Hall
Fairbanks Township
Made possible by a grant from: The Iron Range Resources and Rehibiltation Board
Robert A. Anderson, artist
born in Finland, 1888, died winter 1990 at 102 years of age.

Anderson was a professional house painter.
He has one daughter, possibly in this area.
Lived in east Hillside area of Duluth, then Gateway Towers, then to a nursing home.
Many homes in the east end were painted by request. He could provide the correct color and tone for his customers. He performed in plays and gymnastics.
He always hoped (later in his years) to come back to Petrell Hall to see his work. He felt this work was his best. Whether he did other curtains (drops) we are not positive. His daughter may know something about this.
Mr. Anderson's wife served in Patrick's Overall factory in Duluth when they were young. He worked in a meat factory too, he had his own grocery store on 4th Street. He had a sister which at one time was a maid for Billy Burk. Yes, from the Zigfield Follies fame. Her husband was the chauffer and she was good friends with Burk's daughter. They followed the Burks to California and became a seamstress for costumes. Mae Nelson remembers an occassional package from California with very colorful garmets.
The 60th or 65th wedding anniversary was written up in the Duluth paper.
Funeral arrangements were bt Dowd-Jarvi Funeral Home (Barb Gunderson), 925 E. 4th Street, Duluth, MN 55805; 722-5131

Article in Finnish Newspaper upon his death.
Amerikan Uutiset (News) Arne Altonen, editor
P.O. Box 8147
Lontona, FL 33465-8147

Martin Tommila, 848-2376
Hwy 44

Note: "I met a million dollar baby at a five and ten cent store" - melodrama?
theme song, 1930's

Timothy and Beth Billman, nursed Robert A. Anderson
Two Harbors
1719 7th Ave.
Two Harbors, MN 824-2189

7/29/91, 12:30pm, Mrs. Nelson was very receptive to my telephone call. She mentioned another UMD faculty member which lived next to them some years ago by the name of Chee, the watercolorist. Chee was amazed at Anderson's talent for having no formal training.

Mr. Anderson painted primarily in the medium of oil.She mentioned one painting at her home. His favorite subject matter was birch trees and water landscapes. He often would do a painting for a neighbor and design and cut his own frame. Only a few sketches and paintings remain of his work. A photograph of Anderson in front of the backdrop in Brimson exists. A good friend and fishing buddy helped him in many painting projects, Walter Laakso. He had two daughters, now living outside the region.

Anderson was instrumental in producing several plays at the Finnish Hall here in Duluth, approximately every two weeks. He was also responsable for acquiring several plays from Finland, transcribing plays to produce in Duluth. He not only designed and built scenery and props but also performed continually, comedy was his specialty.

He operated his own artist studio, gallery on 2nd Ave East for a short period of time; painting and decorating with a good sense for color helped establish him in the community however. Later toward the end of his career he worked for Salmio Paint Contractors, working a large crew, one particular project mentioned was the Norshor Theatre renovation in the 40's.

His father was a carpenter in Finland. He began as a carpenter in Duluth however while on a trip tp Minneaplois his tools were stolen. Thus he embarked on his future trade which required fewer tools, just a few brushes...as a painter. He had painted on a few projects as a youth in Finland so built a reputation quickly when accepting his first job in Duluth.

Mr. Anderson had no formal training as an artist.

Other contacts:

Toivo Talonen, a friend, an old friend, 727-0427

Finnish Consulate
Donald G. Wirtanen, 727-8420
804 Alworth Bldg.
Duluth, MN
res 3800 London Rd, Duluth, MN 55804
525-5844

Mae Nelson, 728-3269

FAAC Hall in Duluth, East of First Street, end of driveway bank, no longer exists, ? (the daughter recalls a story told by her father about the time when all the props and scenery was thrown out into a dump, a pile,...there was a statue he carved for a show which the trash men very proudly displayed on top the heep for days...FAAC = Finish American Athletic Club...Virginia - Socialist Opera, Finish Community.

Mr. Witanen thought Anderson to be a very nice man, painted scenery for the stage and was an actor for the Finish stage. Witanen will check some sources for any existing art work, and Finish stages, town halls, etc.

Article in Magazine, Twin City, Sandinavian Special Issue, Vol.5.#8, 1982-83. Mentions Anderson, painting scenery for theatres, townhalls for small communities as: Virginia (prefix 749), Hibbing (prefix 262, 263) and Aurora (prefix 229).

Matti E. Kaups, Geography Department, UMD
329 Cina Hall
Duluth, MN 726-7255/6300
researched N.E. Minnesota Finns
2901 East 1st St.
Duluth, MN 55812 728-1814
Note: About three Virginia playhouse, hall, whatever it was called, was the Co-op Center in 1950.