History
Our History, Once upon a time...
At Strömsundshemmet you feel history beneath your feet. That is thanks to our unique collection of ancient buildings from the blast furnace that once operated here during the years 1742-1820. In the eightenth century Iron ore was discovered two hundred kilometers north in the Gällivare region. It was soon being transported by the Lapp or Same people with reindeer sleighs down to the coast at Strömsund. Here it was transformed in a simple blast furnace to iron billets and shipped to Europe. The blast furnace was in operation for only a short but fascinating time.
The winds of change
During the 1730´s things begin to happen that are going to mean great changes for Strömsund. An interest in mining and the geological riches hidden in Swedish Lappland coincide with an availability of investment capital and technological advances. The Swedish crown informs their agent in the outlying province Norrbotten to investigate the value of mining and forestry as a development tool for the region. New industries in combination with farming will give development and cement this far flung outpost to the Swedish state. Under just a short period the company of Råneverken is established. The owner builds his lodge in Melderstein just 20 kilometers up the Råneå River. Iron ore of excellent quality from Gällivare and the newly built blast furnace at Strömsund will be the focus of the companies operations. Hammer mills for iron billets plus water mills, sawmilling and blacksmiths make Melderstein a centre in Norrbotten. Iron ore is transported by Reindeer sleigh from Gällivare to the coast at Strömsund. Iron billets are then transported up the Råneå river to the hammer mill at Melderstein
Where did Strömsunds Blast furnace lie?
Just North of the Råneå Rivers meeting place with the Gulf of Bothnia is the Strömsund bay. A few hundred meters from there lies Dynträsket lake. The heart of the industry the blast furnace was located exactly where Strömsundshemmet is located today. On the other side of a small creek was the forge masters house and a small water driven mill. A shipyard was built in the bay and everything was owned and controlled by the company.
Difficult times
The furnace was in actual operation sixty years between 1745-1830 and operation was always fraught with difficulties. Ore is transported by Same or Lapp people to the boarder of the county. From there farmers are employed to move ore with horse and wagons. Often Same where employed to move the ore the whole distance from Gällivare to Strömsund. Labour for coking, coke delivery and millhands was orginally planned to local farmers. They where found to be not up to the task, or maybe they where not interested in doing the work. Employment at the mill was not enticing asigh as coking gave less pay than working at making tree tar and on top of that many had farms to work. The mill owners called on the state to help. As in other places in Sweden at the time farmers where forced to work a certain number of days at the furnace, in return the company payed tax directly to the state. Only in that way could the furnace and accompanying tasks recruit the neccesary labour force. Central Europe was in dire need of iron in billet form. All over Northern Sweden small furnaces and smithies where established. To guarantee iron supply (the furnace at Strömsund was not a big enough single producer) billets where purchased from central Sweden. This needs of this enormous industry was causing difficulties for farming in the district and several times farmers sent representatives to Swedish parliament to have their complaints heard. Finally in 1750 the State representative prohibited building of more mills, farming had to be given a chance to survive. A passing observation A visiting guest Professor Emanuell Ekman described Strömsund in 1785 as "a blast furnace, coking oven, wharehouse and watermill as well as a signifacant collection of cottages and barns. From the furnace to the main road was a built a special road and at the bay lay a shipyard with a half a dozen ships".
More problems
Difficulties arose all the time causing problems with production. The water flow in Dyträskbäckencreek was uneven. The furnace had production stop in the years 1792 and 1802 and in 1805 the furnace cracked. At the same time Swedish iron had problems finding a market due to trade protection in Europe and political difficulties. The Swedish-Finnish-Russian war of 1808-1809 meant iron was high priority and times where good for production but the state failed to pay for deliveries.in the year 1812 the company was placed in recievership.
Recession
A map produced the year 1828 shows how the Strömsund area was now in a serious recession. The owners house was now gone as well as many workers houses, barns and farm buildings. The inspector was now living in the furnace masters house. The name JP Rånlund is registered as the mill caretaker. During the following period the property changes hands often, as well as the former owners property at Melderstein. A Gällivare company with strong English interests demolishes most of the furnace in the year 1866.
A new era
J.P Rånlunds oldest son Carl Rånlund purchased what remained of Strömsunds iron works, now called Strömsunds Faktori. The watermill and harbour and the company changes its focus towards forestry. A visiting American tourist in the year 1870 had the following observation about Strömsund "near the harbour was a little lake and with its accompanying beck a mill. There where even a few small farms. A very desolate place. So deserted that you have to ask yourself where the large cargo that was being landed was going to be transported to". Patron Carl Rånlund was a very active trader and in 1880 he built a very large manor house. A man of many talents he was owner and operator of small smithies, sawmills, farms a forestry operation plus a trading house.
Källförteckning; C J F Plagemanns Resor av Carl Johan Lamm, Luleå Stads bildarkiv, Meldersteins Bruk 1741-1892 av Kjell Lundholm (text) och Rolf Selberg (teckningar). Protokoll från Stiftelsen Strömsundshemmets styrelsemöten. Intervju med Lennart Rånlund och Gun Skoog.
Strömsundshemmet foundation is created
The Strömsundshemmet foundation owns and operates the property Högsön 4:4 since Autumn 1942. Renovation of buildings started the following Spring. Soon there after Minister Rumar began furnishing rooms. Thirty bunk beds plus ten more comfortable beds with matresses and twenty blankets where purchased. Next Easter the home was opened for the first time. The church begins operating the home mostly as a place for recreation for members of the church. During the following years four church cottages are moved to Strömsund from Råneå. A baking house is in the year 1910 demolished. A farm building is remoddeled and becomes the frame for a school house. The ruins from the blast furnace are preserved.
