Industrial Revolution - Waterways
Fåbro is reported as the lowest crossing point on the Lysaker
river as far back as the mid 15th century. Sollerud and Jar farms
were legally bound to maintain a bridge here at this time. However,
the earliest reported crossing of the border river between Oslo and
Aker is by Duke Erik in 1308! The current bridge was built recently
after a period of many years when the river was impassable at this
point.
Before the industrial revolution Fåbro was a mill site, but the
arrival of Nils Scavenius in 1749 set the wheels of industry
turning. He established a starch and powder factory. At the same
time Christopher Wormnæs started a nail factory using water power
to drive his hammer.
The poet, customs man and councillor Christian Braumann Tullin
lived by the falls at Fåbro;. His white house on the Oslo side of
the bridge is known as Norway's oldest poet-house. He took
over both the powder works and nail factory but by the early 19th
century both of these were closed down. Somewhat later an
explosives factory was opened below the falls on the east side.
Unfortunately the factory exploded in 1874, blowing out the windows
in Tullin's house.
Heavy industry arrived in the late 19th century with Granfoss
Brug and Ole Mustad's factory. Granfoss produced paper. Mustad
produced metal products and margarine. Mustad's nails, metal
fastenings and fishing hooks are sold around the world to this day.
Nowadays the heavy mechanical industry is largely replaced by
modern offices. Part of the Mustad complex became the CC Vest
shopping centre in the 1980's. Along the banks of the river below
Fåbro the buildings still reveal their origins.
Related sites
In the Industrial Revolution - Waterways series:
SQUAWK#2 The Mill Falls of Lysaker
Aina has also placed caches at industrial locations along
Oslo's rivers:
AG#23 - Cotton Fall
AG#24 - Canvas Fall
There are several other caches along the Lysaker river:
PPJ #43 Wet Arena by
PPJ
Lysakerelva Spilleboksen by
Fossum Feus
PPJ #18 Peter's Crossing by
PPJ
More information about Lysakerelva and the falls at Fåbro may be
found at: Ullernhistorielag
Initial cache contents (all tradeable)
- Norwegian 10 øre coin
- UK 29p stamp
- Lillehammer Olympics '94 pin
- Large paper clip
- Scotchlock telecom splice terminal