Maggie Walz came to Michigan with $7, later founded a 1,000-person colony

Maggie Walz, born as Margareeta Johanna Konttra Niiranen in Finland in 1861, immigrated to the United States at the age of 20 with only $7. She arrived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a new immigrant, speaking little English, and took a job as a domestic servant. With determination to build a new life, she eventually became a pioneering businesswoman, newspaper publisher, suffragette and community builder, challenging gender norms of her time. Walz's story is recounted by the National Park Service.