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Rafting in the Drammen River Timber rafting had been taking place in the river since the High Middle Ages, and more and more of the timber had to be transported from the upper parts of the district, where there were still large forests. This applied to both sawn timber and beams that were cut with an axe. The authorities adopted regulations for the rafting and provisions on how large quantities could be cut and sawn on the various saws, but the rafting itself was organized by the lumber merchants in cooperation with each other, but where the largest sawmill owners had the decisive say. The most important timber hinge on Eiker was at Kverk below Skotselv, where the timber was held back and released in quantities no larger than it was possible to sort them when they arrived at the mills. The largest of these sorting hinges was the "Great Hinge" at Nøstetangen, where the timber going to the sawmills in Vestfossen was stopped. Another important hinge was Stenberg, where the beam timber was sorted. There were permanent crews at these hinges, while there was only seasonal work at the smaller hinges and at the quarrying in the tributaries. From Nøstetangen, the timber was pulled up the Vestfosselva river by horses walking along the riverbank. This work was carried out by "timber carriers". In addition, the sawmills in Vestfossen received a good deal of timber from the area around Eikeren. These logs were tied together in rafts and transported across the lake with sails. After the logs had been turned into planks and boards at the sawmills, they were chained together in large "mushrooms", often with several thousand boards, and floated down to the board plots at Bragernes. This plank floating was carried out by special workers called "nersetters".

Haugsund 1765 In the tax census from 1765, 265 people were recorded as living in Hougssund. It only included people over the age of 12, so with children there were probably between 300 and 400 people living in the settlement. Most were married couples with or without children, and sometimes with elderly parents or servants, but we also find widows, widowers and a few unmarried people. Almost no one is listed by occupation - the exception was Sheriff Stephanus Bagge and Auctionsdirecteur Holtzrod - the two may have constituted the local small "middle class". In the church records, occupation is sometimes listed, and here we see that the population of Hokksund consisted of river workers, fishermen and sawmill workers, but also of innkeepers and craftsmen of various kinds. The settlement had grown up around the ferry station, where travelers along the King's Road might need food, drink and perhaps accommodation. Blacksmiths who could shoe a horse, carpenters and wheelwrights who could repair a carriage and shoemakers who could repair worn-out shoes also settled here. The river was also an important workplace - salmon fishing and timber rafting took place here, and rowers (rowers) transported goods of all kinds by boat. Others were day laborers in agriculture and forestry, and many probably also had their own plot of land where they could keep livestock and grow a little grain.

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The farming community at Eiker In the latter half of the 18th century, most of the farmers on Eiker had become freeholders. A hundred years earlier, they had been tenants, either under the crown estate or on estates belonging to nobility and civil servants. The estate economy on Eiker reached its peak under the governor Hannibal Sehested, who was also the lord of Eker county in the years 1648-1652. When he fell from grace, his large estate was taken over by the Crown. This estate was first mortgaged and later sold to private individuals to cover the state's debt. Thus, most of the old estates disappeared, and the Eiker farmers became owners of the farms they lived on. Although the farmers were freeholders, most of them were in considerable debt. The creditors were often merchants involved in the lumber trade and sawmill operations in the district. Instead of paying land taxes as tenants, they had to pay interest and installments to the creditors, and in addition many burdensome taxes and fees were paid to the state. In practice, the difference may not have been that great. But at the same time, the new industries opened up new opportunities for the Eiker farmers. A few owned their own sawmills and were directly involved in the lumber trade. Far more were involved in the transport and delivery of goods to sawmills, mines and other industries. Driving for the Magasinet at Kongsberg was important, and coal was burned that was delivered to the Sølvverket, Nøstetangen glassworks, Hassel ironworks and other businesses. Those who managed to take advantage of these opportunities could become debt-free and in some cases set up as owners of several farms. Not everyone was able to share in the prosperity that the new industries created. The forest at Eiker was being cut down quite a bit, and the authorities introduced restrictions on forestry. It was also not allowed to build new water sawmills that produced for export – that was reserved for the privileged mills, which largely belonged to the bourgeoisie in Drammen. Most of the farmers could not therefore get directly involved in sawmills and the lumber trade and earn income from this. It happened more and more often that farms were divided in connection with inheritance settlements, because the one who had the land did not have the means to redeem the other heirs. The farms thus became so small that the income from forestry and driving became necessary to survive. This in turn affected agriculture and livestock - the oak farmers were not self-sufficient in either grain for food or hay for animal feed, and they bought butter and cattle for slaughter from the valleys and mountain villages. Some of the farms at Eiker were sold to merchants who were involved in the lumber trade and sawmill operations in the district. They were often called "proprietærer", and they usually had their own apartment building at Bragernes, where they mostly lived, while the farm at Eiker was a kind of mixture of industrial farm and pleasure farm. The agricultural community at Eiker thus ranged from such wealthy proprietors to small farmers and householders who lived on a subsistence minimum and who were dependent on wage labor to feed their families.

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Diverse industrial development in the 18th century – machine mills, silk saws and factories Much of what happened in the 18th century was a further development of older technology. Alongside the small and simple stream saws came large grist and sifting mills – also called “Dutch mills” or “machine mills”. The first grist mill was established by Peder Tyrholm, who bought the Borge farm in Nedre Eiker and renamed it Møllenhof. He received a royal privilege to operate a grist mill in 1737, and in 1756 this was expanded to operate a sifting mill, which was based on grinding imported wheat. Later, Møllenhof was taken over by the famous mill builder Godberg Poulsen from Flensburg. Both grist and sifting mills became increasingly common during the 18th century. There were machine mills at Mjøndalen, on the Fossesholmsgrunn near Vestfossen and Hærebro near Skotselv. At the same time, important improvements were made at the sawmills. This was particularly linked to the invention of the "silk saw", which meant that one had several saw blades in the same frame. Instead of cutting one board at a time, one could then cut many boards at once. However, it was not simply allowed to increase production. In 1688, quantity regulations had been introduced, which set a ceiling on how much could be cut each year at the individual sawmill. Some sawmill owners then began to buy up smaller sawmills and transfer the quantity from there to the larger sawmills. Vestfossen and Skotselv consolidated their position as the largest sawmill locations, but sawmills also grew rapidly in Mjøndalen, by the Hoenselva and at Vendelborg during the 18th century. Other forms of industry also emerged during the 18th century. At Møllenhof, the production of linseed oil and green soap was started in addition to the groat and sifting mills. The term "silk saw" is used for a gang saw with several blades. The oldest water saws had only one blade, and the same log had to be cut many times. It could take many hours, even days, to cut a large log into planks and tables. With silk saws, the entire log could be cut in one operation. Of all the important technological innovations of the 18th century, the silk saw was perhaps the one that had the greatest impact on Eiker. At Hoenselva there were both wadmelstampers, which stamped wool into wadmels, and feldbereder tampers, which stamped hides to be used in the tanneries. Nail hammers appeared in many places, including at Skotselv and in Vestfossen. A small nail hammer in Dørja was moved to Krokstadelva, where it was expanded into a large enterprise under the name Krogstad Spiiger Fabrique. It was in operation for more than 100 years, and eventually also produced other iron products. Even more advanced was supposedly the hardware factory Friderichsminde, which was established at Stensrudfossen in Bingselva at the end of the 18th century. It was actually located in Modum, but was run by Frantz Neumann, who was the owner of Hassel Jernverk. Farm grinders and stream saws Mills and mills are documented in Eiker in written sources from the late 13th century, but have probably existed since the Viking Age. From Hoenselva we know the name Kverne, close to the place where Eiker Mølle is located today. The place name "Mjøndalen" comes from "Mylnardalen" – Mill Valley. At Vestfossen the noble estates Berg and Foss had their mills, and there were also large mills at Krokstadelva and Solbergelva, where the owners most likely ground the grain for many of the farms nearby. This was also industry, in the sense that water power was used to perform the work instead of muscle power. But the difference was of course great between the small mills by streams and rivers and the factories of the industrial age. The first water saws were not particularly large or complicated structures either. We estimate that the first up-and-over saws at Eiker were built around 1500, and when the Eikværings were required to pay taxes to Akershus Castle in 1528-29, many of the farmers paid in the form of sawmills. Within a few decades, more than 100 large and small water saws were built around Eiker, and sawmilling and lumber trade became an important industry for the Eiker farmers.

Jens Hofgaard at Hoen - a proprietor and his use Jens Hofgaard was among Drammen's largest lumber merchants for several decades. He owned sawmills in Ringerike, Modum and Eiker, but chose to concentrate his business on the Hoenselva to an increasing extent. He is known for having built the large cart at Hoensbruket, and it was he who commissioned the famous "Hoenspokal" from Nøstetangen glassworks. But he was also behind an extensive regulation of the Hoensvassdraget, including through the construction of Himsjødammen. The last decades of the 18th century were a golden age for lumber trade and sawmill operations in Eiker. It was the heyday of the "trading patriciate", also called the "plank nobility". Perhaps the best known is Jørgen von Cappelen, who built Fossesholm Manor as a memorial to himself. Another of the great lumber merchants was Jens Hofgaard, owner of the farm Øvre Hoen with underlying delights, including the water rights in the Hoenselva. His predecessors had also expanded the sawmill operation quite significantly by transferring quota grants from sawmills they owned further up the Drammensvassdraget. But Hofgaard continued this strategy, and he ensured sufficient water flow through a purposeful and comprehensive regulation of the entire watercourse.

Inns and Guesthouses Many of those living along the main travel routes were likely able to host travelers, serve food and drink, and offer lodging for a small fee. However, if such activity was to be conducted on a somewhat larger scale, a royal license was required. These licenses were issued by the Rentekammer (Treasury Chamber) in Copenhagen, likely based on recommendations from local officials. At the same time, the innkeepers and guesthouse operators were required to pay an annual fee, which the bailiff was responsible for collecting. Therefore, the archive of the County Governor in Buskerud contains considerable information about who was engaged in such activity. From the Rentekammer’s order, dated 3 November 1759, to the bailiff Egger Madsen Fisker: Since it has graciously pleased His Royal Majesty to grant the following Royal Licenses for the operation of inns and guesthouses within the jurisdictions of Hurum, Røyken, Eiker, Lier, and Buskerud, entrusted to him, subject to payment of an annual fee in addition to what has previously been ordered or may be ordered henceforth, namely: Eiker Parish 16. Nils Sutterud from the settlement of Sutterud –                     1 rigsdaler 17. The widow of the late citizen Augustinus – from Lille Steenset –            48 skilling 18. Peder Augustinusen – from the settlement Sanden under Temte –        18 skilling 19. The resident of the holding Frognes under Haug Vicarage –              48 skilling 20. Lars Thosen from the settlement Bacherud near Vestfossen –           24 skilling 21. Tore Clausen, innkeeping on the Fossesholm side –                    1 rigsdaler 22. Rasmus Schiestad on the Semb side –                           1 rigsdaler 48 skilling 23. Peder Augustinussen – likewise –                                   1 rigsdaler 24. Ingeborg Sperren – likewise –                                    1 rigsdaler By Hokksund on the eastern side of the river 25. Richardt Gram –                                            1 rigsdaler 26. The widow of Peder Andersen –                                1 rigsdaler

The village between Bergstaden and the lumber town Kongsberg, Bragernes and Strømsø To the west, Eiker bordered Kongsberg, which in the latter half of the 18th century was the country's second largest city – only Bergen was larger. At the opposite end were Bragernes and Strømsø. Both were formally subordinate to Christiania, but still had full market town privileges and were one of the country's most important export ports, especially for lumber. The proximity to these two large cities influenced the farming community in Eiker. Kongsberg Bragernes Stromso Royal road and waterway "The Silver Road" is a new name for the important road that was built between Kongsberg and Drammen in the 1620s. It has had many different names, but the most common was probably "The King's Road". Transport along this route, especially to the Kongsberg Silverworks warehouse, was an important industry for many in Eiker. Much of this transport was also provided by "røyerter", who transported goods on the Storelva and Vestfosselva rivers. All this traffic, both by land and by water, provided the basis for coach stations, guesthouses and inns. The magazine run Inns and guesthouses Mines at Eiker Large parts of the village lay within the circumference of Kongsberg Sølvverk, which operated a sharpening plant and had several mining areas on Eiker. The most important was the Skarragruvene, which was a workplace for between 60 and 100 miners. In addition, there was a significant ironworks at Skotselv - Hasselverket - and at the other end of Eikeren was Eidsfos ironworks. The Silverworks mines at Eiker Hassel and Eidsfos Ironworks

Ub c - Sameia Interview Archive This is an archive of around 200 interviews that are not currently publicly available, but which trusted employees can access, for example to record or write down the content. Contact Bent Ek - bent.ek@eikerhistorie.no - if you would like access. L 0116 Margit Bolstad Interviewed by Arne Thorkildsen 28/8-1991. 3 soundtracks - total 1 hour 35 min. Download audio files Contents

Fossesholm Manor Written by Bent Ek In the mid-18th century, the estate economy at Eiker was in complete disarray. The large Sems estate had been divided up after Lieutenant Colonel Richelieu went bankrupt in 1719, and in 1743 the main farm itself was bought by the farmer's widow Olaug Pedersdatter on the neighboring farm Berg and divided into two farms. Skjelbred at Fiskum was divided up after the death of the mining councillor Niels Mechlenbourg in 1713, and the division of the Ulleland estate at Skotselv began when the county magistrate Vilhelm de Tonsberg died in 1731. The exception to this development was the manor house Fossesholm at Vestfossen. This estate was also divided, in the sense that it was divided between a number of owners belonging to the same family. However, one of these owners – Gabriel von Cappelen – pursued a determined acquisition of farm shares, and in 1762/63 his son – Jørgen von Cappelen – was able to buy out the last co-owners, so that he became the sole owner. While the other estates on Eiker had disintegrated, Fossesholm still had a significant land and forest estate, with underlying farms between Vestfossen and Fiskumvannet and stretches of forest on both sides of the Eikeren. One half of the settlement of Vestfossen, with five large sawmills, also belonged to the estate. The Cappelen family had been involved in the timber trade for several generations, based in Bragernes, but Jørgen had become a wealthy man as a supplier to Kongsberg Sølvverk. In 1763, he was 58 years old, and he retired to the old manor house at Eiker with his wife, Magdalena Darjes. There they began a large-scale building project, which resulted in the manor house that we largely find on Fossesholm today. Here, the refined lifestyle of the merchant patriciate continued for another couple of generations – until it ended with a forced auction in 1822.