Nr 4 Kailo – from tenant farm to Moominworld

Today, the island of Kailo near Naantali is known as the home of the Moomins. However, the island was inhabited long before the Moomins moved there in 1993. From the medieval period to the late 1970s, Kailo was owned first by the Bridgettine convent and then Naantali Parish. These days, Kailo is partly a recreational area for the residents of Naantali.

Aron of Kailo

Kailo was home to one of the tenant farms belonging to the parish. For a long time, the farm was managed by Aron Lehtonen (1875–1962). Aron was originally from Naantali and was well known in his time. He was commonly known as Aron of Kailo after his home island.

Aron Lehtonen’s father Antti moved to the island in 1862. The tenant farmer performed work for the parish two days a week. The farm also included land in Masku and Kalevanniemi. The tenants made a living through small-scale farming and fishing. Fishing was the primary source of income for the island’s tenants. They brought in their catch with seine nets, followed by herring fykes in the 1900s.

After his father died, Aron continued farming and fishing. He had six children with his wife, Elina. Based on oral history, it seems Aron wanted to manage Kailo on his own. Following an act of Parliament freeing tenant farmers in 1922, Lehtonen intended to buy his farm for himself, but the parish wanted to keep ownership of the island. Aron Lehtonen moved to a property on the banks of the river Vaarjoki in Lastikka in the early 1930s, taking the roof beams from the Kailo farm with him. After this, he would come to Naantali to sell his produce. Aron Lehtonen died in 1962 at the age of 87.

Caption 1: View across Naantali towards the island of Kailo. Buildings belonging to the Kailo tenant farm can be seen in the middle of the island. The island’s barren appearance is the result of human activity, including livestock grazing and firewood gathering.

Caption 2: Kailo’s last resident, Aron Lehtonen.