THE FAMILY HISTORY

This report is a concise account of the Kauppinen Family history. The information herewith is based on the data collected by the genealogist Jarmo Ahlstrand who himself is related to the Kauppinen family. He has done several genealogies of the Kauppinens over 20 years and his records as genealogist also of other families is prominent.

The oldest document of the Kauppinens derives from the 15th century. The important result of the research is that  all five Kauppinen family lines published in the genealogies by Jarmo Ahlstrand belong to the same family lineage and are related to each other There are altogether about 8 500 persons in Finland named Kauppinen. The oldest known Kauppinen had lived in the Middle Finland at the Vanhamäki on the boarder of Joroinen and Pieksämaa, apparently already in the 1200s on the area nearby the border of Sweden and Novgorod.

HERE A MAP OF THE DWELLING PLACE IN FINLAND

From Vanhamäki the Kauppinens have spread mainly along the waterway to different directions. In Hankasalmi there has been already for centuries old centralization of the Kauppinens. The first ancestor of the Hankasalmi Kauppinen branch was Paavo Ollinpoika (abt 1505 – abt 1560) who arrived to Venetmäki and Suolivesi in 1530. The main building “Vieru” of the original estate has been locating in 1561 at the same place as the main building of the Vieru farm today and is marked on the enclosed map with the number 1. The ancient fishing places and buildings of the estate were locating at Armisvesi on the shore of Old Halla and at Suoliniemi, on the west shore of the Suolivesi and the ancient in the history books mentioned places for seine nets on the shore of Jänkkärä – lake and through which there were routes from Vieru to Mylly and continuing until the Armisvesi and the Vanaja – lake.

The original estate is marked with red line on the map (the Kauppisten sukukirja II, page 4) and all the farms in Hankasalmi in the possession of the Kauppinens are marked with the number in the red circles. The names of the farms are as follows: (Kauppisten sukukirja II, page 5)

HERE THE MAP OF THE DWELLING PLACES IN HANKASALMI

According to the land register of the year 1561 the following farms have belonged to the estate after Paavo: Suoliniemi, Venhesmäki, Kuusmäki, Venheenaho, Ristiniemi, Vitsanniemi, East side of Suolivesi end and Kivimäki. Almost all carry the same name still today. The lands of the original estate are still today mainly at the ownership of the Kauppinens’ descendants.

At the Hankasalmi domicile museum you can visit the old log house, Halla. It has been removed from Suolivesi to the museum village. The enclosed links take you to get closer look to the interior and exterior of the log house:

http://www.hankasalmi.fi/matkailu/kotiseutumuseo.html

http://www.hankasalmi.fi/kuvagalleria/kotiseutumuseo.html

The Kauppinens moved on to the north and to the north-west along the waterway. A lot of Kauppinens still live at Viitasaari, Kannonkoski and Halsua. The family book will be published at the next family meeting in 2013.

THE MAP OF VIITASAARI, KANNONKOSKI, HALSUA HERE

The Kauppinens spread to North Savo in the beginning of the 16-century

From Vanhamäki the Kauppinens moved also towards the east. In Leppävirta there exist the places called Kauppilanmäki and Kauppilantalo.  In East Finland people made their living by the slash-burning which means that a dense forest was cut,  then dried one or two years,  after which it was burnt and then turnips or rye was sawn  into the ashes. Area cleared and burnt-over for cultivation gave good yields from five to six years after which new land had to be found.

Obviously the method like this did not provide living to many children. That is why the farm was left to the eldest son usually and the younger ones had to seek their living elsewhere. The two brothers Riekki and Jussi arrived with their families from Leppävirta to their hunting area in the beginning of the 16th century. They settled down to Kauppilanmäki at Vieremä. Almost all the Kauppinens in the Upper Savo are their descendants. The original estate of the Upper Savo Kauppinens is Rapakko at Kauppilanmäki. Today it is farmed already by the 16th generation.

THE MAP OF THE  UPPER SAVOLAX - LOCATION OF KAUPPILANMÄKI ETC HERE

About the characteristics of the family:

Jarmo Ahlstrand discovers the Kauppinen family as a success story. He describes the Kauppinens in the foreword of the genealogy as follows:

”On interviewing the family members we have drawn attention especially to how many similar characteristics there are in the family. The distinctive positive characteristics are among others rationality, considerateness, tranquility, bounce at work and resourcefulness, perseverance, kindness and helpfulness.”

The well-known descendants of the Kauppinen family are among others the Peace Nobelist 2008, the President Martti Ahtisaari whose great grandmother is Kauppinen from Hankasalmi branch (read KauppisViesti 2/2009), the Winter and Continuation war pilot, Mannerheim Cross Knight Ilmari Juutilainen and his brother Aarno Edvard Juutilainen, "The Terror of Marocco" (French Foreign Legion in Morocco 1930-1935), a national hero in the Battle of Kollaa during the Winter war belong to Kauppinens from mother’s side also (great grandmother Helmi Sofia Kauppinen). The creator of the national epic film "Unknown Soldier"  Edwin Laine is Kauppinen from mother’s side as well.

Moreover there are on American continent the family members prospered in different areas. The histories of the Finnish emigration to America and of the genealogy done on the American continent  we owe great thanks to Allan Kaupinen, who has done his carriere at the top of the U.S government (read the article in KauppisViesti nr  2/2009). His roots are at Pihtiputaa, Kauppila. The Kaupinen/Kotilainen/Wakkila family reunion in Ohio in the year 2010 was organized by him.

THE MAP OF THE EMIGRATION  IN  NORTH AMERICA AREA HERE