Aadalen Farm site, 2016
Photo by Elroy Christenson 2016
The actual site for this farm has
some ancient roots but no longer exists as a working farm and is not
mentioned in the contemporary bygdebok farm books.
It is mentioned on Oluf Rygh's work as #224.
Adalsbrug workers doing sand casts for stove parts, 1905
copied from the Klevfos industrial museum
The foundry took the name of the farm and bridge over the stream- "Aadals Brug" or Aadals bridge. It's original product was a scythe blade which apparently was rather successful since they started producing other products such as cast iron stoves. As the business expanded so did the need for land. Eventually the farm is consumed by additions to the factory and living quarters and a church for the workers. They started turning out plows, rakes, printing presses, steam boilers, railroad and bridge parts. In its late stage the factory also produced the Norge-sykkel, the only bicycle produced in Norway. There were up to fifty buildings supporting the process. [Åse Krogsrud, "AadalsBrug - (Once upon a time, it was an industrial community... ) 1842-1928"]
Along with the Klevfos paper mill this area became the second largest industrial area in Norway in the early 1900's. It remained an active foundry until 1928 when a huge fire consumed the entire plant. The location of the farm is now covered by houses but a walking path exists along the stream to the Klevfos community center.
There are a few
Medieval records that show the name of Aadalen.
224. Aadalen. Drying. å1da £ one. - Aardalen HC. OC.2 262.Aadallen 1604.1 / 4th Aadallen, Oudahl 1616. Oudallen 1669. Oudahlen1723. * Árdalr, river-valley; 1st Led ár, Gen. of á. More often as farm name, also well known as the name of Settlements in forms Aadalen and Ardal. Enanden Form is Odalen that is influenced by ó, Page Form of á (Mail. P. 41 ogVang GN. 184). [Dokumentasjons-prosjektet (in Norweigian and Danish) [ ]Aadalen farm existed in 1842 as a farm near a nice stream presently called Svartelva which was probably called the Ardal and Ardal river valley which supported the newly developing foundry. I believe that Olea Olsdatter was born and her family worked on the farm until the factory took over the land. Several generation of Olea's grandparents lived, worked and were born on this farm back as early as 1656.
In the mid- 1800 a paper mill had
established itself on this stream down from the farm.
They had built a dam for a power source and probably brought
in wood from nearby forests. The influx of work and workers
and its power source probably drew the first construction of
a small foundry on the Aadalen farm. The farm was
first used as a source of food for the factory workers from
the Klevfos
paper mill and the Adalsbruk
foundry. Eventually the foundry
expanded to consume the land and my family
probably found the industrial site to be
less healthy and certainly far too
noisy.
 |
 |
|
Stream with rock wall of the
foundry. 2016
photo Elroy Christenson,
2016
|
This sign nearby the stream
identifies the intensity of the
manufacturing that went on here. photo Elroy Christenson
2016
|
Adalsbrug workers doing sand casts for stove parts, 1905
copied from the Klevfos industrial museum
The foundry took the name of the farm and bridge over the stream- "Aadals Brug" or Aadals bridge. It's original product was a scythe blade which apparently was rather successful since they started producing other products such as cast iron stoves. As the business expanded so did the need for land. Eventually the farm is consumed by additions to the factory and living quarters and a church for the workers. They started turning out plows, rakes, printing presses, steam boilers, railroad and bridge parts. In its late stage the factory also produced the Norge-sykkel, the only bicycle produced in Norway. There were up to fifty buildings supporting the process. [Åse Krogsrud, "AadalsBrug - (Once upon a time, it was an industrial community... ) 1842-1928"]
Along with the Klevfos paper mill this area became the second largest industrial area in Norway in the early 1900's. It remained an active foundry until 1928 when a huge fire consumed the entire plant. The location of the farm is now covered by houses but a walking path exists along the stream to the Klevfos community center.
There is little information on
the farm Aadalen but it is listed as farm #224 in Oluf Rygh's
book on Norway farm.
| 224. Aadalen. Udt.
å1da£en. -- Aardalen HC. OC.2 262. Aadallen 1604.1/4. Aadallen, Oudahl 1616. Oudallen 1669. Oudahlen 1723. *Árdalr, Elvedalen; 1ste Led ár, Gen. af á. Oftere som Gaardnavn, ogsaa bekjendt som Navn paa Bygder i Formerne Aadalen og Aardal. Enanden Form er Odalen, der er paavirket af ó, Sideform af á (Indl. S. 41 og Vang GN. 184). |
224.
Aadalen. Udt. å1da£en. - Aardhal HC. OC.2 262. Aadallen 1604.1 / 4. Aadallen, Oudahl 1616. Oudallen 1669. Oudahlen 1723. (Norwegian translation in Google) * Árdalr, Elvedalen; 1st Led ár, Gen. to get. More often that Gaard (farm) Name, recognized as acquainted with that name on the village in the form of Erne Aadalen and Aardal. a another form is Odalen, where the influence af ó, Side Form af á (Indl. S. 41 and Vang GN. 184). (Danish translation seems more accurate, in Google) * Árdalr, river-valley; 1st Led ár, Gen. of á. More often as Farm Name, also well known as the name of Settlements in forms Aadalen and Aardal. a Another form is Odalen that is influenced by ó, Side Form of á (Indl. S. 41 and Vang GN. 184). |
Gunnar Dyressön, bailiff in Ringerike, testament is made that he Erlend
Dyressöns recorded the testimony of three men who witnessed his
parents Statements that neither the king nor any other man possessed
something in Finn Sand (fishing grounds) in Aadalen, just as they also delivered up Explanation on
Farm's boundaries and the right to fishing. [Oluf Rygh' Norske Gaardnavn]
