Saaristokatu was a residential area for sailors during the sailing era. Men were at sea. Women, children, shipbuilders, craftsmen and the occasional bourgeois lady lived in Raahe.
For example, in 1864 the population of Raahe was just over 2000 people. In that year, there were 42 Raahe based tallships sailing the world's seas. If the majority of the average 14-man crew of the ships were from Raahe, almost 600 of the city's male population were absent. The only people living in the town were women, children, shipbuilders, the elderly and craftsmen.
According to Samuli Paulaharju's Wanha Raahe publication from 1925, there were three plots along Saaristokatu street between Kauppakatu and Kirkkokatu streets: plots 155, 161 and 160. He mentions sailors as residents.
There were many more sailor's wives here in Raahe than there were bourgeois wives, and they spent most of their time with their children, as the old man was usually at sea for years at a time. The women also took part in fitting out the ships. Sailing ships would not have moved anywhere from the port without the hard work of, for example, the wives sewing the sails.
Additional Information (In Finnish)
Samuli Paulaharju: Wanha Raahe
Raahen Museo - Merimiesarkku
Naisten Ääni - Sofia Jussila
Eija Turunen: esitelmä 23.1.2013 (Museuumiblogi)
Back to the front page of the Old Town Raahe Advent Calendar