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Vefsn Municipality
Municipality in Nordland, Norway From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Vefsn (Southern Sami: Vaapste) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mosjøen (population: 9,843). Some of the notable villages in Vefsn include Drevvassbygda, Elsfjord, and Husvik.
The 1,929-square-kilometre (745 sq mi) municipality is the 41st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Vefsn is the 91st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,469. The municipality's population density is 7 inhabitants per square kilometre (18/sq mi) and its population has increased by 1.4% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
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History
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The municipality of Vefsn was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1862, the vast eastern district (population: 921) was separated from Vefsn Municipality to become the new Hattfjelldal Municipality. This left Vefsn Municipality with 5,051 residents. In 1876, the town of Mosjøen (population: 379) was separated from Vefsn Municipality to become a separate town-municipality. This left Vefsn Municipality with 4,672 residents.[7]
In 1927, Vefsn Municipality was split into three: the small northern district (population: 964) became the new Drevja Municipality and the large southern district (population: 1,746) became the new Grane Municipality. After the split, Vefsn Municipality had 3,119 residents remaining. In 1939, a small area of Vefsn Municipality (population: 45) was transferred to neighboring town of Mosjøen.[7]
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, Vefsn Municipality (population: 5,358) was merged with the neighboring town of Mosjøen (population: 4,628) and the neighboring Drevja Municipality (population: 1,001) and Elsfjord Municipality (population: 920) to form a new, larger Vefsn Municipality. On 1 January 1995, the mainland areas of the neighboring Alstahaug Municipality (population: 70) were transferred to Vefsn Municipality.[7]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the river Vefsna (Old Norse: Vefsnar) which flows through the municipality into the Vefsnfjorden (Old Norse: Vefsnir). The meaning of the river name is unknown, but it possibly comes from the old word vefja which means "to wrap" or "to wind around".[8] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Vefsen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Vefsn.[9]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 13 September 1974. The official blazon is "Sable, a rooster argent armed gules" (Norwegian: På svart bunn en sølv hane). This means the arms have a black field (background) and the charge is a rooster. The rooster has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The rooster is also armed which means its claws, beak, and comb are colored red. The rooster is a symbol for watchfulness and alertness. The arms were designed by Arthur Gustavsson.[10][11][12]
The coat of arms was originally adopted by the municipality of Mosjøen on 25 March 1960. In 1962, Mosjøen was merged with Vefsn Municipality, Drevja Municipality, and Elsfjord Municipality to form a new, larger Vefsn Municipality. After the merger, the old arms of Mosjøen were chosen for the new municipality. Since the arms officially became obsolete after the merger, they were re-granted in 1974.[11]
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Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within Vefsn Municipality. It is part of the Indre Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.
Government
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Vefsn Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[13] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vefsn is made up of 29 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
Mayors
The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Vefsn is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:[33]
- 1838–1842: Christian Quale
- 1842–1844: Kristoffer Ingebrigtsen
- 1844–1862: Ola Olsson
- 1863–1864: Peter Holst
- 1865–1866: Ola Olsson
- 1867–1870: Anders Persson
- 1871–1876: John Ottesen
- 1877–1878: Even Sund
- 1889–1894: Peter Holst
- 1895–1896: Nils M. Kulstad
- 1897–1898: Even Sund
- 1899–1901: Per Flaa (LL)
- 1902–1904: Nils Kulstad (V)
- 1905-1905: Christian Møinichen Havig (V)
- 1905-1905: Per Flaa (LL)
- 1905–1913: Ole Klemmentsen (V)
- 1914–1916: Mikkel Alsgaard (V)
- 1917–1918: Nils Skandfer
- 1919-1920: Sølfest Hagen
- 1920–1925: Nils Mjaavatn
- 1926–1928: Anders Svare (V)
- 1929–1940: Per M. Stordal (Ap)
- 1943–1945: Anders Svare
- 1946-1946: Kåre Vangen
- 1946–1947: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
- 1948–1954: Anders Granås
- 1954–1955: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
- 1956-1959: Kåre Vangen
- 1960-1961: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
- 1962-1966: Einar Jensen (Ap)
- 1966–1975: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
- 1976–1979: Eugen Almås (Ap)
- 1980-1989: Peder Hyttebakk (Ap)
- 1990-1993: Roy Skogsholm (Ap)
- 1993-1998: Knut Petter Torgersen (Ap)
- 1998-2000: Britt Jonassen (Ap)
- 2000-2019: Jann-Arne Løvdahl (Ap)
- 2019–2023: Berit Hundåla (Sp)
- 2023–present: Rune Krutå (Ap)
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Geography
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The administrative centre of Vefsn is the town of Mosjøen which is situated along the innermost part of the Vefsnfjorden. Outside Mosjøen, the large municipality of Vefsn is dominated by spruce forests, mountains, lakes, agriculture, and the Vefsna river. The municipality is served by Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad.
The highest point in the municipality is the 1,556.55-metre (5,106.8 ft) tall mountain Geittinden.[1] The mountain Lukttinden is located in the northern part of the municipality. There are many large lakes in Vefsn including Drevvatnet, Finnknevatnet, Fustvatnet, Hundålvatnet, Luktvatnet, Mjåvatnet, and Ømmervatnet. The Lomsdal–Visten National Park is partially located in Vefsn.
Birdlife
The bird watcher that visits Vefsn soon realizes that it will take more than a day to cover all the interesting habitats and birding areas. Here you will find areas of virtually untouched coniferous woodlands, both inland and along the coast. The Skjørlegda nature reserve is a good example of woodland protection. Here you will find a virtually untouched coniferous forest covering the Eiterå valley. The valley stretches inland to a higher mountainous habitat that is also worth checking.
Luktinden (mountain) in autumn
The road along Vefsnfjord
Drevje valley (Drevjedalen), Vefsn
Farms of Vefsn
Historically, the land of Vefsn was divided up into named farms. These farms were used in census and tax records and are useful for genealogical research.
Farm maps
Note that each map has a maximum number of listings it can display, so the map has been divided into parts consistent with the enumeration districts (Norwegian: tellingskrets) in the 1920 census. This map will include one farm name per farm number; other farm names or subdivision numbers may exist.
The municipalities of Mosjøen, Elsfjord, and Drevja were incorporated into Vefsn in 1962, and are not included in these maps. Tellingskrets 5, Granli; 6 Øvre Svenningdal, and 7 Austervefsen og Feplingdal, are now part of other municipalities, primarily Grane.
Vefsn municipality, tellingskrets 1-4, 8, 10 from 1920 census
4km
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Tellingskrets (enumeration districts): 1, Hunnaala (lime); 2, Vikdalen (black); 3, Nes og Mo Skolekrinsar (blue); 4, Forsjord (purple); 8, Bjørnådalen (green); 10, Hals (red). List of farms:
1
1: Juvik2
2: Grønvik3
3: Søttaren4
4: Øien5
5: Vundals-Keiven6
6: Sørgården7
7: Hunnåla8
8: Høyneset9
9: Digermulo10
10: Dimmeldal11
11: Hundaalvatn12
14: Vikdalen13
15: Øyen14
17: Tverå15
18: Kjærstad16
19: Rosvoll17
20: Auflis18
21: Griva19
101: Skog Øvre20
102: Skog Nedre21
103: Olderskog22
22: Kralfars23
23: Farsjord24
24: Øksendal25
25: Steinlid26
26: Eitraalid27
27: Paaljord28
29: Granheim29
33: Ravnaa30
93: Ravatås31
94: Fokstad32
95: Alsgård33
96: Bjørnå øvre34
97: Bjørnåli35
98: Grannes36
99: Bjørnå nedre37
104: Dolstad38
105: Halsøy39
117: Kulstasjøen40
118: Rynes41
119: Aaremmen42
120: HaubergVefsn municipality, tellingskrets 9, 11
2km
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55
55 Dolstad kirke
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Tellingskrets (enumeration districts): 9, Austerbygden og Marka (teal); 11, Helfjell og Herringen (blue). List of farms:
1
86: Sjåmo2
87: Kjønåsen3
88: Kjemsås4
89: Tuven5
90: Reinfjell6
91: Nordås7
92: Langvatnet8
93: Otervær9
103: Froststad10
105: Halsskogen11
106: Andås12
107: Lundestad13
108: Hagfors14
109: Moldremma15
110: Heimigarden16
111: Gamarken17
112: Røsdal18
113: Honggard19
114: Jakobgard20
115: Bortigard21
116: Aabotsjord28
84: Herringbotnet29
85: Kalvmones30
122: Forsmo31
123: Jomfrurem32
124: Gløsen33
125: Brubakken34
126: Bjørknes35
127: Risnes36
128: Oseng37
129: Aanes38
130: Høgrem39
131: Heimstad40
133: Nilsmo41
134: Almdal42
135: Sæteren43
136: Hallingard44
137: Stigen45
145: Labakken46
146: Langmo47
147: Langmo ytre48
148: Engås49
149: Rokås50
151: Utgården51
152: Helfjellhaug52
153: Opgård53
154: Gulljord54
155: Høglid55
Dolstad kirke (church), built 1735Vefsn municipality, tellingskrets 12-15
2km
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55 Drevja kirke
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Tellingskrets (enumeration districts): 12, Ømmervatnet og Fustvatnet (lime); 13, Øvre Drevjen (red); 14, Ner Drevjen (blue); 15, Skaland (green). List of farms:
1
138: Brekken2
139: Smedseng3
140: Lynghaug4
141: Nerhaug5
142: Sletten6
143: Storvik7
144: Aspnes8
156: Grøftrem9
157: Skjetvik10
158: Sovarneset11
159: Goffahaug12
160: Mjaavatnet13
161: Straumen14
162: Tuvneset15
163: Uren16
164: Kækvik17
165: Nævervei18
166: Hatten19
167: Angermo20
168: Stordal21
169: Bjørkrem22
170: Sandbugt23
171: Toftneset24
172: Ømmervatsbukt25
173: Perjord26
174: Blaafjell27
175: Dalmo28
176: Steinhaug29
177: Jonseng30
178: Rognryggmo31
179: Vatshøve32
180: Enge33
181: Gullmo34
182: Bratlid35
183: Kummernes36
184: Kummermo37
185: Nilsskog38
186: Trømoen39
187: Almaasen40
188: Lamoen41
189: Granmoen42
190: Myren43
191: Forsmoen44
192: Bratbakken45
193: Bergsmo46
194: Nyland47
195: Stuvland48
196: Jonsrud49
197: Utnes50
198: Nermoen51
199: Lindseth52
200: Søfting53
201: Skaland54
121: Veseth55
Drevja kirke (church), built 1883Names and numbers
Following are the farms in the Vefsn Municipality, as they are listed in O. Rygh's series Norske_Gaardnavne (lit. 'Norwegian farm names'), the Nordland volume of which was published in 1905.
- See also: Digital version of Norske Gaardnavne - Nordland (in Norwegian)
The farm numbers are used in some census records, and numbers that are near each other indicate that those farms are geographically proximate. Handwritten Norwegian sources, particularly those prior to 1800, may use variants on these names. For recorded variants before 1723, see the digital version of O. Rygh. Note that the 1920 census records mapped above may not match O. Rygh.
Farm names were often used as part of Norwegian names, in addition to the person's given name and patronymic or inherited surname. Some families retained the farm name, or toponymic[permanent dead link], as a surname when they emigrated, so in those cases tracing a surname may tell you specifically where in Norway the family was from. This tradition began to change in the mid to late 19th century, and inherited surnames were codified into law in 1923.
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Notable people
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Notable people that were born or lived in Vefsn include:
- Thorolf Holmboe (1866 in Vefsn –1935), a painter, illustrator, and designer
- Nils Mjaavatn (1883 in Vefsn – 1951), a farmer, teacher, and politician
- David Monrad Johansen (1888 in Vefsn – 1974), a composer
- Aage Grundstad (1923 in Vefsn – 2012), an award-winning accordion player[34]
- Erling Bauck (1924 in Mosjøen – 2004), a Norwegian resistance member and writer
- Kjell Eliassen (born 1929 in Vefsn), a diplomat
- Trond Øyen (1929 in Mosjøen – 1999), a Norwegian violinist
- Baard Owe (1936 in Mosjøen – 2017), an actor, moved to Denmark in 1956[35]
- Inga Juuso (1945 in Mosjøen – 2014), a yoiker, Sami singer and actress[36]
- Odd Eriksen (born 1955; worked in Mosjøen), a politician also known for stopping an Algerian hijacker from crashing a Kato Air-flight in 2004.
- Frode Fjellheim (born 1959 in Mussere), a yoiker and musician on piano and synthesizer
- Finn Guttormsen (born 1968 in Mosjøen), a Jazz musician on upright bass
- Aleksander L. Nordaas (born 1982 in Mosjøen), a screenwriter and film director[37]
- Silje Reinåmo (born 1982 in Mosjøen), an actress, dancer, and musical performer[38]
- Sandra Lyng (born 1987 in Mosjøen), a Norwegian singer
Sport
- Johan Lind (born 1942 in Mosjøen), a speed skater who competed at the 1968 and 1972 Winter Olympics
- Bent Inge Johnsen (born 1972 in Mosjøen), a former footballer with 284 club caps and assistant manager
- Anette Sagen (born 1985 in Mosjøen), a Norwegian former ski jumper
- Thomas Drage (born 1992 in Mosjøen), a football player with over 220 club caps
- Eirin Maria Kvandal (born 2001), a Norwegian ski jumper
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See also
References
External links
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