By June Pelo.
Axel Pelo was my father’s uncle who emigrated from Finland to Ashland, WI and married there in 1900 to Brita Johanna Jakobsdotter Nyberg-Lågland, 1881-1930. Axel drove a truck for the Chequagmegon Ice Company in Ashland. He had a sister, Edla Andersdotter Pelo-Westlund, who lived in Washburn, WI which is situated across Chequagmegon Bay. Axel and a friend, Charles Carlsson, decided to take a sail boat across the bay to visit Edla, but were caught in a storm and never reached their destination. Below are articles from the newspaper about their deaths. Axel’s widow returned to Finland with their two children and remarried there. She and her second husband had seven children, born in Karleby. Our family lost contact with Brita and knew nothing about her second family until one of the children found my name through one of his relatives and contacted me. He sent me a picture of his siblings and we exchanged mail. But he didn’t speak English, and contact ended.
Following are copies of newspaper articles about the drowning of Axel Pelo in Ashland, Wisconsin in 1903.
ASHLAND DAILY PRESS August 29, 1903
MAY BE DROWNED
Fears for two men who are missing from the City.
Have not been seen since last evening when they left to board a sailboat – bad night.
Charles Carlsson, bartender of the Suomi Saloon, near the corner of Seventh Avenue West and Second Street, and Axel Pahlow, a driver for the Chequamegon Ice Company, have been missing since 5 o ‘clock last night, and their friends fear they are drowned. The two men intended to go to Washburn yesterday in a sail boat, but the weather was too severe, but at 5 o’clock they left the saloon, and neither Mrs. Pahlow, nor the employers of either man, has heard from them since, although they have telephoned to Washburn and Nash. No one has reported seeing an overturned sailboat, so it is possible they are safe some-where. The sailboat was tied up near the west end ice house, until last night.
August 31, 1903
TRACES OF THE BOAT
Little doubt now that Carlson and Pahlow are drowned.
An oar and a board from the bottom of the boat picked up near head of the Bay.
There is now little doubt that Charles Carlson and Alex Pahlow were drowned by the capsizing of a sailboat between the Keystone mill and Nash Friday afternoon. Searching parties found and identified an oar between the head of the bay and Cook’s mill Sunday, and one of the bottom boards of the boat was found in the slough about ten rods from where the boat was found in which Redding was drowned several years ago. An employee of the Keystone mill saw the sail boat going in the direction of Nash Friday afternoon, and it appeared to be having trouble at that time, but no one saw it capsize. There is not much wonder at the disappearance of the sail boat, for it is believed to have been weighted down with pig iron. One of the parties who went out in it, had done considerable grumbling at the lack of ballast, and it was agreed that before attempting the trip across the bay, it should be taken to the pig iron dock and ballasted with pig iron. The last trip of the boat started from the last dock slip, and thence westward, and the boat is now believed to be at the bottom of the bay, together with the bodies of Carlson and Pahlow, between the Keystone mill and Nash. The sailboat belonged to Alex Frienstrom, and was formerly owned by a Finn at the north end of Madeline island, who was found dead in the boat, off the island about two years ago. There has been prejudice against it since, but it has been partly rebuilt. Carlson and Pahlow had a third passenger before they started on their final trip Friday, but they left him at the dock after one trip, in which he probably saw his danger.
September 14, 1903
ONE BODY IS FOUND
It proves to be that of Charles Carlson of Ashland.
Search to be made for that of his companion who was drowned in Chequamegon Bay.
Some Washburn duck hunters discovered the body of a man floating near the head of the bay yesterday. They took the body to Washburn and telephoned to Coroner Scott, who at once went to Washburn, where the body was identified as that of Charles Carlson. Carlson was probably drowned on the afternoon of August 28. In company with Axel Pahlow, a driver for the Chequamegon Ice Company, Carlson left for a sailboat ride to Washburn. Remnants of the boat were found afterwards, but search for the bodies was unavailing. The trip was a foolhardy one. The wind had been blowing a gale all day and Carlson and Pahlow would not have attempted it, had they not been drinking. Carlson was a bartender in the Suomi Saloon on Second Street near Seventh Avenue West. His gold watch was found on the body and there were other means of making the identification complete. Search will now be renewed for the body of his companion.
Coroner Scott had a terrible journey from Washburn. He started with a team from Washburn last night, and was unable to reach Ashland until this morning. This side of Washburn, a bridge was washed out, and he was obliged to drive around through a swamp, with the water nearly up to the wagon box in places. Arriving at Nash, he did not dare to try the new “road,” which the Washburn authorities have laid out through the jungles between Nash and this city, and this morning he had the greatest difficulty in getting through at all.
THE ASHLAND NEWS
September 16, 1903
BOTH ARE RECOVERED
The body of Alex Pahlow is found on the shore near Nash. A joint funeral.
The body of Alex Pahlow was found last night at 6 o’clock on the beach at the head of the bay, and was brought here this morning in a row boat, Coroner Scott taking charge of the remains. Pahlow is the man who, with Charles Carlson, tried to row across to Washburn in the severe storm that raged two weeks ago. Carlson’s body was recovered yesterday. There will be a joint funeral held for the two men.