Engineer Wille Hall, who had experience in gold mines of Ural and Canada, published his research. According to his opinion the gold resources of the Ivalojoki area were several thousands of kilos. He suggested using dredges which were common in Russia. Based on the optimistic results of his research, two new mining companies were founded. Later Hall’s estimates and information proved to be wrong.

Oy Ivalojoki Ab

This company was funded by major industrialists and bankers of Finland. It possessed tens of claims around Laanila and Ivalojoki. The first excavator in the gold fields of Lapland, so called ”Hullu-Jussi”, was brought to Kuivakuru in Laanila. The company also built machine operated washing equipment and a narrow-gauge railway with dump carts.

Vaskissuvanto in Ivalojoki was dammed in order to facilitate access to the riverbed. In winter the bottom of the river was reached by gradually deepening pits in the covering ice.

Optimistic expectations for thousands of kilos of gold vanished in a couple of years. Shareholders and management ended up in disputes and the company was closed in 1927.

Oy Lapin Kulta

This company was owned by a group of industrialists from Tampere. The main financier was Rafael Haarla. Toivo Koivisto and legendary Heikki Kivekäs were in charge of mining operations. They both were familiar with gold mining in the gold fields of Russia.

The headquarters of Oy Lapin Kulta was based in Pahaoja near Sotajoki. A road with bridges was built to the site for transporting e.g., an excavator disassembled in parts. Major work sites were also in Härkäselkä and Laanila.

The excavator of Pahaoja failed to operate at all and none of the other claims proved to be profitable. The total result of Oy Lapin Kulta was a mere 17 grams of gold. The company was put to an end in 1927 after Rafael Haarla had paid all the debts.

The name of the company was revived in 1969 as the name of a beer brewery.

Heikki Kivekäs

"Heikki Kivekäs was an experienced prospector who had worked in America. He came to Lapland in 1901. There he staked the quartz rock area of Härkäselkä, as it was believed to contain gold."

Heikki Kivekäs (1863 - 1927) joined several mining ventures in the gold fields at the beginning of last century. He managed to arrange funding for several ventures, none of which proved to be successful.

Kivekäs lost his reputation as a capable foreman when he failed to assemble the steam shovel. He was dismissed and simultaneously also arrested be the police for forging a prescription for spirits. Kivekäs had a license to purchase 20 litres of spirits but he forged the prescription for 220 litres. He sold the surplus alcohol but was caught by the police. He was sentenced to prison, where he died in a few months