Vennesla- from farming to industry

Apart from the people who died from The Black Death, it looks as if the population of Vennesla was the same and increased little from The Dark Ages unto the end of 1700. Around the year 1550 the population had come up to what it was before the Black Death, about 150 people. During the next 70 years it increased with about 50, and in 1766 it had grown to 280. The farms had become more divided and there was about 18 of them around in the rural district.

One of the reason for the enlargement of people must mostly be the saws. The saws came to Norway through Sweden around 1530 and in the other half of the century. The first saws entered Kvarstein, and the Vigeland falls, which is a southern part of Vennesla. Before this the falls and the streams had been used to drive the hand-mill they used to chop wood. In the year of 1711 there was claimed an extra tax on shoes. In Vennesla at that time there were 203 people who had shoes. History tells that there was no action in the whole country at that time and that showed especially in Vennesla who depended on the wood industry. There was a group of farmers who ran this buisness. In Vennesla there was in particular three persons: Markus Mosred, Markus Heisel and his his brother. Their buisness went well, they owned their own woods and even had their own ships for exportation. An old document showed that they were men of great wealth. In 1638 our hometown Vennesla got the first policeman. There were only a few farmers in vennesla, but enough pagans to hire a policeofficer.

We know nothing about people and their lifestyle in Vennesla in the earlier times. First in 1400-1500 A.D. we can find information about Vennesla. The latest in written is from the 1440’s. Around the year 1600 there were about 12 farms and living places in Vennesla. At that time there were already a few well established saw industries in our local community. In the end of the 1700’s there were seen bears and wolves in Vennesla.

The inhabitants had bad equipment in 1700’s. Things were to heavy to carry, where taken by horse or sleigh. They used this both summer and winter. The first wheeltools were used in the 1730’s. The norseplough were made of wood, but in the end of 1700, they used iron more. The potato came to Norway before 1750, but it was around 1800 it became common in Vennesla. They always had the potato, if the grain harvest went wrong. To get meat, the inhabitants had to go to the nearest town, Kristiansand. They didn’t start pighold before 1830, but after this it got common.

Our first industry: water-driven saw

In the beginning of the 16th century the water-driven saw came to use, and revolutionized the timber-industry in Vennesla. Vennesla took this technology in use in the 17th century. In 1792 the first iron-foundry was founded. Their specialty was cast-iron ovens. The iron-foundry wasn’t functional for a long time, but the saw-mill work expanded. Vennesla became a county in 1861. One half of the population were tentant farmers.

At the start of the 20th century the county Vennesla was represented as an industrial county. Our most noteworthy industrial concerns are Hunsfos (paper and cellulose production) and Vigelands Brug (aluminum) in our county and region. After the second World War, yet another big concern arose in Vennesla county: namely Norsk Wallboard. Later Reber elevator-factory got in line as Venneslas biggest industry.