History of South-Savo and Lake Saimaa ON THE PIER Living on the shores of Lake Saimaa

Saimaa becomes inhabited Savo between East and West Town built on islands Expanding town The harbour Strait Kyrönsalmi Tarburning Ironworks Agriculture Life in the archipelago Savo dwelling Villas Sääminki parish Church boats Savo boats Boats for every occasion Tar steamers Constructing a tar steamer Life on tar steamers Winter journeys   AN EXPANDING TOWN In between the wars, Savonlinna had a somewhat industrial appearance. A veneer factory under Eastern Finland’s Weaving Mill Ltd was founded in Pääskylahti after the Civil War. In 1938, the establishments were renamed as the Wilh. Schauman Ltd Savonlinna factories, and providing an income for every one in ten inhabitants they became the town’s largest employer. Another major industrial area was in Savola, in the heart of the town. Savola’s sawmill was initially built further away from settlement, but had since become surrounded by the railway and housing, and the establishment owned by And. Auvinen became impeded by lack of space. The sawmill clearly impressed its mark on the centre of town. All in all, half a dozen engineering works were involved in ship construction and repair. Following incorporations in the beginning of the century, town limits stretched from Kyrönsalmi to Talvisalo’s eastern and southern parts. An effort was made to control and restrict the spread of population to areas outside the municipal district, but this did not prevent dense population from sprouting in the immediate surroundings of Laitaatsilta and Miekkoniemi. The town area expanded in 1932 to cover the west of Laitaatsilta as far as Aholahti, as well as Miekkoniemi, Lypsyniemi and Pääskylahti in the east. The population of Savonlinna increased by 2,000, to a total of 7,500. The first and second quarter (as the divisions used to be called) began to look rather different when a stone part of Puistokatu School was completed in 1926. It neighboured a stone building constructed by Kustaa Laukkanen on the western shore of Haapasalmi –strait, which was later used as a girls’ school. The same year saw the completion of Miljoonatalo (Engl. ‘Million House’) on the north side of Olavinkatu and dairy and sales buildings belonging to Tuote Cooperative. In 1937, the Pohjoismaiden Yhdyspankki bank building was erected on the east side of Haapasalmi –strait within the first quarter. Maatalous-Osake Pankki bank had housed its red brick office on the top end of Auvisenrinne – slope for the prior ten years. The Y.W.C.A. hotel along Linnankatu was the first modern stone building in the old part of town.

mk 29.7.2005