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History · Kaleva

Kaleva dates to 1900, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register. Below: maps from 1956 on and the census since 1950.

1900founded
1on the National Register
16%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Doug Coldwell · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Kaleva began

When was Kaleva founded?

1900

Kaleva dates its founding to 1900 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1950.

First census: 346 in 19502020 census: 507126 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1895.The full story ↓

What stands out about Kaleva’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Kaleva are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Kaleva’s homes were built before 1961.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Kaleva’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Kaleva’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Kaleva came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Kaleva.

Read it all →

Kaleva was founded in 1900 and became a refuge for Finnish settlers. The name of the village comes from the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland.

There are two Michigan historical markers in the town. The historic John J. Makinen Bottle House is one, and Kaleva itself is the subject of the second.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Kaleva, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Kaleva Informational2015Kaleva InformationalMIMap-doton-Kaleva2005MIMap-doton-Kaleva
On the map

Kaleva on the map in 1956

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kaleva.

Kaleva on the 1956 USGS map1956Onekama sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kaleva.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Kaleva

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Kaleva, census by census

01002003004005001960198020002020Peak: 509

Between 346 and 509 people in every census since 1950.

8 censuses, 1950–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Kaleva’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Kaleva’s history

What year was Kaleva founded?

In 1900, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Kaleva’s post office opened in 1895, and the census of 1950 counted 346 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.