Factory manager Adolf Törngren asked in 1864 Tampereen
Pellava- ja Rautateollisuus Oy company to build a paddle steamer
to operate between Tampere and Lempäälä.
The paddle steamer finished in 1865 and was launched in 6.6.1865.
Boat was 100 feet long and 27,5 feet wide. It had 80 ep. steam engine.
Paddle steamer was named ”Elias Lönnrot” after
Finnish national epic’s, ”Kalevala’s”, writer
Elias Lönnrot who had worked as a private tutor in Adolf Törngren’s
Laukko Manor in Vesilahti. This was his way of honour the well liked
tutor.
“Elias Lönnrot” had a scheduled route on Pyhäjärvi
lake between Tampere and Lempäälä. In 1866 built
paddle steamer “Vanaja” continued the route from Lempäälä
to Hämeenlinna.
Lempäälä canal was built in 1873 but still there
were no direct connection by ship between Tampere and Hämeenlinna.
The reason for not continuing the route to Hämeenlinna may
have been because the ship was considered to be too wide for the
Hämeenlinna route. It didn’t fit to the narrow end of
the canal because of its wheel cases.
Steen, the captain of that time, also thought that the boat was
too fancy for residents in Hämeenlinna which was why the ship
visited Hämeenlinna only a few times. M/s Vanaja made several
cruises from Hämeenlinna to Tampere and transported e.g. factory
workers on their pleasure travels while Steen thought Elias Lönnrot
was too fancy for that.
Railway between Hämeenlinna and Tampere finished in 1876 ended
passenger and freight transportation by ship.
In 1876 “Elias Lönnrot” was transferred through
Tampere to Näsijärvi lake for 14 years where it had a
route from Tampere to Kuru and Teisko. Elias also made pleasure
cruises and towed rafts of logs.
In 1890 manufacturer G.A Serlachius bought m/s Elias Lönnrot
and had it transferred to Keurusselkä lake. Serlachius decided
to use the lake route to connect Mänttä and Keuruu. The
ships main use was to tow timber to Mänttä’s paper
mills.
M/s Elias Lönnrot cruising along Keurusselkä lake made
people proud by its splendour both in Keuruu and in Mänttä.
Daily route between Mänttä and Keuruu ended in 1897 when
railway between Haapamäki and Jyväskylä was built.
Since there was no church in Mänttä, Elias continued to
transport people to church in Keuruu.
The road between Kolho and Keuruu finished in 1923 ended Elias
Lönnrot’s traffic in Keurusselkä lake. Elias was
made to scrap in Mänttä in 1926.
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