• Friday-What'sUP August 10 - 10:38 pm

While here for a visit recently, Marsha and Gary Galbraith made a stop in Hancock to check out the new memorial that was erected in front of the Finnish American Heritage Center on Finlandia's campus. The black granite block stands at 8 ft., 3 in., the height that Lauri "Big Louie" Moilanen, was said to have stood at. "Big Louie" is a local legend here in the Copper Country, having immigrated from Finland to the U.S. with his parents, at the age of 4.

"Big Louie" held several different jobs in his short lifetime, working as a bartender, a miner and as a sideshow attraction for the Ringling Brothers Circus, to exhibit his unusual height. Because of his size, he had trouble finding clothing and usually had to have them tailor made for him, along with special order, size 19 shoes.

He was only 27 years old, when he contracted tubercular meningitis of the brain and died shortly after and is buried in Lakeside cemetery, which is located west of Hancock. The new monument honors not only "Big Louie", but all Finnish immigrants who settled here in the Copper Country during the mining boom of that time.

Good morning! Have a great weekend.

Cool that the monument is in Finnish as well as English.

So sad that Louie had such a short life, but it's nice that he's been memorialized.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing that as I'd never even heard of him.

Nice tribute to Louie.

Oh my--to be over 8 ft tall! Amazing!

A giant tribute to a giant man. R.I.P., Louie.

When I was a kid, we'd stop at Paulson's Museum in Osceola. Big Louie's clothes and shoes were on display there. Holy Wah!! What a tall drink of water he was!

Paulson's museum also had Big Lydia's clothing on display. Two big people!