: Torstein Seim
: Letters Home Journeys and Ventures in Pre-Emigration Norway (1785-1805)
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: 9798317815141
: Letters Home
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: Geschichte
: English
: 136
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Before Ellis Island... before the Atlantic crossings... There were the letters. In the late 1780s, four Norwegian brothers left their family's mountain farm in Hallingdal. Their father was the local sheriff. The land had been in the family for generations- but with too many mouths to feed, the younger sons had no future there. So they set out-on skis, on horseback, and on foot- crossing mountains and fjords in search of opportunity, in a rugged Norway still under Danish rule. They became rosemaling decorators, traders, and shipowners. They built new lives. They found love. And they wrote home. Thirteen letters. Full of grit, faith, heartbreak, and hope. Preserved for over 200 years- now translated and published in English for the first time. Letters Home is a richly illustrated historical treasure. A vivid window into rural and coastal life in Norway before emigration, before America- before these stories were lost. Compiled and annotated by a descendant of the letter writers, still living on the same family farm today. If you have Norwegian heritage, this isn't just a book. It's a piece of your story. Own the hardcover - a lasting keepsake and beautiful gift. Download the ebook - instant access, wherever you are.

Terry, a cousin of Torstein, shares the same rich ancestral heritage. Now retired and living in Florida, Terry first read the original Norwegian edition of Brev Heim and was deeply moved by the story. Recognizing its value for Norwegian-American families, he and Torstein decided to bring the book to a broader audience by translating it into English, so the voices of their ancestors could be heard across generations and across the ocean.

CHAPTER 2.THE HAMARSBØEN FARM


Ole Steensen Hamarsbøen, the Father.


Born in 1725, Ole Steensen Hamarsbøen had a small build, but his vigor and determination were unmatched.

In his youth, Ole served as a traveling schoolteacher in Hol after the school was established in 1742. This role reflected his commitment to education and community service.

A note from Øvremyro details one of Ole’s remarkable feats: “Ole Hammersbøen was the first to set up a mill in “Ustedalselven” Ustedal River. When he was to buy this mill, he skied the 50 kilometers from Hammersbøen to Borgund in one day. He brought the millstones over Filefjeld mountain to Valdres Valley and up through Hallingdal. He built a water sawmill in Ustedalselven around 1781 - before that, planks and boards were split with axes and wedges.”

In his younger years, Ole engaged in trading. In 1750, he testified about a deal with Torstein Jeilo to deliver 49 rolls of English tobacco, likely purchased at the Lærdal village market eight days after Michael’s mass.

Ole Steensen was first mentioned as the sheriff in Hol in 1761 during an appraisal at Eggeslaatten in Hovet.

Ole married Aagot Raunsgard, born in 1717, who was eight years his senior. Aagot passed away in 1797 and was considered “challenging to live with.” Ole had several siblings, each with unique paths:

  1. – Guttorm, a horse trader, drowned in Nordfjord.

  2. – Knut, a tailor, died in Jæren, south of Stavanger.

  3. – Tollef, who inherited a fishing lake in Skurdalen, froze to death while hunting reindeer on the Hardangervidda plateau in 1787.

  4. – Helge, the eldest brother, took over the Søre Foss farm in Hol in 1745 and built a loft house that still stands today.

  5. – Birgit, born in 1735, married Vebjørn Halvorgard, who kept a diary with excerpts reproduced in Holsboka (the Hol village history book by Reinton).

Ole Steensen took over the lease of the Hamarsbøen farm from his father in 1748. He received the lease certificate from Abel Maria Friis, the widow of the priest Stockfleth. The lease was valued at one hide to Hol Church and one to the parsonage in Ål.

Historically, the farm Hamarsbøen was a church property. See chapter 1.

The Loft House with a jail at Hamarsbøen.


Sheriff Ole Steensen documented the completion of a significant building on June 30, 1778. He noted, “Anno 1778, June 30th, I completed my southern building, and when the mentioned building was finished with interior and exterior surface treatment, it had cost me over 140 riksdaler. Ole Hammersbøen.” This entry highlights the substantial investment Ole made in enhancing the farm’s infrastructure.

The loft house at Hamarsbøen, described in the magazine “Nu” from January 31, 1905, stands as a testament to the architectural and historical heritage of the region. The article details the house’s venerable status:

“The old venerable loft house with