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the Norwegian crofter system Husmannsvesenet var et fenomen som fantes over hele Norge, i forskjellige varianter. Eiker og de andre flatbygdene på Østlandet var nok det området der husmannsvesenet fikk aller størst utbredelse, og innenfor Eikers grenser finner vi mange varianter – det var husmenn med jord og jordløse strandsittere, bygselshusmenn og arbeidshusmenn. Siste halvdel av 1600-tallet og første halvdel av 1700-tallet var en periode med store omveltninger i bondesamfunnet på Eiker. Krongodset og adelsgodsene gikk i oppløsning, mange bønder ble selveiere, men også rike trelasthandlere fra byene kjøpte seg gård og grunn på Eiker. Folketallet økte, og mange nye husmannsplasser ble ryddet. Forarbeidet til ny matrikkel i 1723 er vel den første kilden som gir en samlet oversikt over husmenn på Eiker. Den viser at husmannsvesenet på dette tidspunktet var en institusjon som var veletablert i alle deler av bygda. Hele 116 av gårdene på Eiker hadde husmenn på dette tidspunktet. De aller fleste bare en eller to husmenn, men gårder som Nedre Hoen, Vestre Lo og Skjelbred hadde hele seks stykker, Stenshorne hadde hele ni husmenn, under Fossesholm er det oppgitt 13 og under Haug prestegård 14 husmenn. På så å si alle disse plassene ble det dyrket havre, som regel mellom en halv og en hel tønne. Det betyr at dette var husmenn med jord, mens husmenn uten jord ikke er tatt med – rimelig nok, siden dette var en skattematrikkel og det var jorda en betrakte skatt for. Dersom en tar med alle husmennene som ikke hadde jord, ville nok antallet vært betydelig større enn de 246 husmannsplassene som er oppgitt i 1723. Det neste årstallet vi finner en samlet oversikt over husmenn på Eiker, er 1765, da det ble tatt opp et manntall i forbindelse med innkreving av en ekstraskatt. Her var alle personer over 15 år med, og 252 av dem er ført opp som husmenn. Det er altså bare ubetydelig flere enn i 1723. Men skatten i 1765 var en såkalt koppskatt, slik at også husmenn som ikke hadde jord ble tatt med. Disse blir ikke kalt husmenn i manntallet, men føres i samme skatteklasse som husmennene. av dem var det hele 413 stykker. Ut ifra dette kan vi slutte at nærmere 20% av Eikers befolkningen på midten av 1700-tallet var husmenn.Men mer interessant enn antallet er det kanskje å se nærmere på hva slags husmenn en hadde på Eiker. Dessverre sier ikke manntallet i 1765 stort sett ingen ting om hva folk arbeidet med. Unntakene er åtte hammersmeder ved Hassel jernverk og fjorten stykker på Nøstetangen som «arbeider ved Fabriquen». Men ut ifra bosted er det også mulig å si en hel del om hva husmennene på Eiker livnærte seg av., Ikke overraskende finner vi flest husmenn der det var sagbruk og annen industri. Det var i Vestfossen og Skotselv, langs Hoenselva og i Mjøndalen. Det er vel neppe noen tvil om at mange av disse var sagbruksarbeidere. Under gårder som Solberg og Krokstad var det store møllebruk, og her finner vi også en konsentrasjon av husmenn. Det samme gjelder sundstedet ved Haug – både under Prestegården og på østsiden av Drammenselva under gårdene Lerberg og Hobbelstad. Husmennene her kan ha vært knyttet til tømmerfløting og laksefiske, men også det at Haugsund var et viktig knutepunkt for samferdselen hadde nok sin betydning. Blant husmennene her finner vi nok både vertshusholdere, skysskarer og håndverkere. Likevel er det bare en nokså beskjeden andel av husmennene på 1700-tallet som bodde på slike tettsteder. Under alle de større gårdene i bygda var det vanlig med både fire og fem husmannsplasser eller enda flere. Det gjaldt både gårder sentralt i bygda og de som lå i utkanten. Etableringen av slike husmannsplasser må ha sammenheng med behovet for arbeidskraft på gården, spesielt i onnene. Gårdbrukerne kunne sikre seg arbeidshjelp ved å leie ut jord og ta betaling i form av pliktarbeid. Uten å ha studert husmaannskontraktene nærmere, må en kunne anta at husmennene på slike gårder var såkalte «arbeidshusmenn», mens de som hadde fast arbeid på sager eller i annen industri var «bygselshusmenn», det vil si at de betalte for leie av plassen med penger istedenfor pliktarbeid. På en del steder kan det nok ha vært en kombinasjon – det gjelder for eksempel på gårder som Fossesholm, Ulleland og Hoen, som både hadde en betydelig jordvei og samtidig en stor sagbruksvirksomhet. Mange husmenn var nok også tømmerfløtere. Dem finner vi sikkert langs hele Drammenselva, men det var spesielt mange plasser i nærheten av de store tømmerhengslene ved Kverk og Stenberg. En annen næringsvei som la grunnlag for rydding av husmannsplasser, var bergverksdriften. Når det var så vidt mange husmenn under gårder som Berg og Stenshorne, har nok det sammenheng med at det var drift både i Bergsgruvene og Krambudalsgruvene på 1760-tallet.

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.

Photo registration 2025 During 2025, we will arrange a number of photo evenings in Nøstetangen Café at Sorenskrivergården. Here the public can help with information about the images, but everyone is welcome, whether they can contribute information or not. Thursday 27/3 at 7:00 PM Thursday 24/4 at 7:00 PM Thursday 25/9 at 7:00 PM Thursday 23/10 at 7:00 PM Thursday 20/11 at 7:00 PM

The Silverworks mines at Eiker Ever since Kongsberg Sølvverk and Kongsberg were founded in 1624, there has been a close connection between Bergstaden and the neighboring village of Eiker – among other things, the very first silver finds were smelted in Kongens smelhytte in Vestfossen. In the latter half of the 18th century, the Sølvverk employed 400 people, and it had several mines and shards in Eiker – including the “Christianus VI and Dronning Sophie Magdalena mine” in Skarraenga outside Vestfossen, the Kjennerudvannsgruvene in Lurdalen and the Schwabegruva on Grasåsen. The most significant activity, however, was that which was started around 1770 in the outlying areas under the farms Skarra and Kolberg, right on the border with Svene parish in Numedal. This became known as the "Schara Ertzdyb Grube" or simply "Skarragruvene". At this time, the Silver Works started up in several areas that were quite far from the main fields in Saggrenda. This was because the operation of these mines was becoming less profitable, and therefore richer deposits were sought. Optimism was great, and at the Skarra mines, more than 20 sharp points were taken up, two horizontal adits were driven in, totaling around 700 meters in length, and a crushing plant was built, which was powered by hydroelectric power from Dørja. The operation provided work for 50-60 people - at most, around 100 miners were active there. In the long run, the results did not meet expectations, and in 1898 the Skarra mines were closed down after 30 years of operation. This was part of the winding up of Kongsberg Sølvverk, where all operations ceased in 1805. It was not until ten years later that mining operations resumed, but operations were never as extensive as they had been at the end of the 18th century.

THE EIKER SONG FROM 1756 Notification from the Eiker Parnassus (Translated from Danish) From Eiker’s lofty Muses' choir, A stern decree resounds entire: "A warning now to all the town: No verses here with shameful frown! No poetry of such disgrace Shall dare pollute our sacred place. Beware! If someone pens such trash, They’ll feel our wrath descend in flash! No mean-spirited rhymes or jaded tone Shall ever reach Apollo’s throne. Though Grubler's pen might stir the street, Or Skildrer’s jest the folk repeat, No sulky soul nor grumpy song Will mingle in our artful throng. We seek no lines of wrinkled spite, Nor joyless scribes who dread the light. The world is dark and grim enough— Why spread more shade with solemn stuff? But let the breeze through birches play, Let sunlight cheer the hills of May. Let happiness in verses dwell, Where warmth and friendship rise and swell!" Thus speaks the Muse, her word is law— A cheerful tone must strike with awe. So bend your rhyme with joy and grace, Let kindness fill the metered space. Then you may knock upon our gate— A smile will be your welcome fate.

Here are the QR codes Eiker history club Currently, the site is used to experiment with how to provide access to material in Sharepoint. Uc c - Interviewer

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

Eikerminne is now available at the National Library Spokes Archive The National Archives - Genealogy Research Terra Buskerud-Historieboka

Ironworks - Hassel and Eidsfos Hasselverket Da glassverket på Nøstetangen startet opp i 1741. var Hasselverket alt en veletablert bedrift, mer enn hundre år gammelt og et anerkjent jernverk. Det produserte både smijern, som smedene brukte som råstoff til sine produkter, og mange typer støpejernsprodukter. Mest kjent – både i samtid og ettertid – var nok Hassel for sine «jernkakkelovner», med jernplater som var små kunstverk. De ble støpt i treformer med utskjæringer som var laget av noen av de fremste treskjærerne i landet. Rokokkoperioden på siste halvdel av 1700-tallet regnes som en storhetstid for denne ovnskunsten, og rokokko-ovnene fra Hassel er en interessant parallell til glasskunsten fra Nøstetangen i samme periode. Motivene var hentet fra bibelhistorien, men også fra gresk og romersk mytologi. Landets konger ble også hyllet, og noen av de aller rikeste borgerne kunne også spesialbestille ovner med sitt eget monogram. Eiere i denne perioden var familien Neumann, slektninger av Cappelen på Fossesholm og medlemmer av det lokale handelspatrisiatet. Jacob Hansen Neumann var eier fra 1746 til han døde i 1777. Deretter sto enken hans, Verkets hovedgruver lå i Hasselåsen på Modum, men det hadde også gruver andre steder på Eiker og ikke minst ved Arendal, der det ble utvunnet jernmalm av en helt spesiell kvalitet, som ble fraktet sjøveien til Eiker. Selve verket med den store masovnen lå ved Daler på Eiker og ble drevet med vannkraft fra Bingselva. Sammen med sagbrukene, som lå litt lenger ned i elva, la det grunnlaget for tettstedet Skotselv Eidsfos Ironworks Eidsfos ironworks was started in 1697 by Caspar Herman von Hausmann – grandfather of Caspar Herman von Storm, who played such a central role at the Nøstetangen glassworks. The ironworks was located in Hof parish in Jarlsberg county, but it was still connected to Eiker in several ways. Many of the works' mines were located in the area between Drammensdalen and Eikeren – most at Konnerud, but also partly at Eiker. The farmers at Eiker were probably involved in ore hauling for the works and in deliveries of coal and wood. Together with Kongsberg Sølvverk and Hassel ironworks, Eidsfos was a competitor for Nøstetangen in the fight for forest resources. Much of the transport to and from Eidsfos also went through Eiker. Ore and other goods for the plant were rowed up the Drammenselva and Vestfosselva rivers to Vestfossen and onward by sailing yacht across Fiskumvannet and Eikeren. Together with the timber rafting and the transport of goods for the Silver Plant, the transport to Hassel and Eidsfos made the waterway at Eiker an important transport artery. It helped to employ a growing population of farmhands and workers.

Setre og boplasser Rogndalsbråtan Arne Thorkildsens store registrering av boplasser, som ble gjennomført på 1980-tallet, har blitt fulgt opp av andre frivillige og koordinert av Eiker Arkiv. En oversikt er lagt ut på lokalhistoriewiki og oppdateres etter hvert som nye opplysninger kommer inn: Boplasser på Eiker .