Söderhamn became a town

The military power´s increased need for weapons in Sweden at the beginning of the 17^th century resulted in the moving of gunsmiths from the country in to the towns, which was an order enforced in writing by the King. This was even the case in the province of Hälsingland. In this province there were many skilled gunsmiths, the best in Scandinavia it was said. The only alternative for the gunsmiths was, according to the King´s letter, that they should cease making weapons and become simple farmers instead. The result was that about 40 gunsmiths moved into Söderhamn from the country around..

All of these were given a place in the newly started gun factory, which was established here because of the availability of water-power, and because there was a good harbour. "The reason for the town being founded here, was the fact that there was a Swedish Royal Factory located here", this according to Daniel Djurberg, the historian. On the 7^th September 1620 Gustav Adolf 2nd signed the letter of prevligies for the town of Söderhamn. The towns reputation for its weapons and as a harbour town explains the reason for symbols on the town´s seal, which is a vessel with two crossed muskets.

In the town´s early history the inhabitants made a living by weapon-making, farming, fishing and hunting. The genuine old fishermens´ houses in the eastern part of the town are proof that fishing (mainly for salmon and herring), was an important occupation for many of the town´s inhabitants.

Many fires

Thoughout the history of the small town there have been many extensive fires. The small houses of wood lying so close together meant that fires have quickly raged up and spread. The first major fire in the town was in 1675 which resulted in serious damage to the housing area where the smithies lived. The town hall was so badly damaged in this fire that a new hall had to be built.

The Ulrika Eleonora church was inaugurated in 1693, and was given its name after the queen, King Karl 11^th´s consort. The next summer King Karl 11^th visited Söderhamn on his way home from Torneå. The king was called "The grey coat" by the people. His visit was the first royal visit to Söderhamn. In the company of the clergyman Gudmund Portuan and the mayor Magnus Blix the king visited the new church and afterwards dined with the mayor near the market square.

Between 1719 and 1721 Russian galleys caused havoc along the eastern coast of Sweden. Cossacks went aland, rampaged and set buildings on fire. In May 1721 Russians plundered Söderhamn and set the town ablaze. The town was almost completely burnt to the ground. Only a few buildings survived the fire, among others Ulrika Eleonora church, which today is the only remaining 17^th century building. The old church of Maria was burnt down by the Russians. Several new ships with valuable cargos of iron, weapons etc were also destroyed by fire.

But the people of Söderhamn didn´t give up easily. The town was quickly reerected. Many new industries were established, and at this time a large shipbuilding trade developed in the town. In 1780 24 new ships were launched in Söderhamn and a fleet of trading ships was established with Söderhamn as their home port. From here timber and butter was transported to Stockholm, and also linen which was a traditional product of Hälsingland. In the middle of the 19^th century iron products were shipped to England, France, Eastern India and North America. Timber was exported to Spain, Portugal and other countries, and the ships brought home the important cargo of salt.

In 1835 the next big fire occurred. This time about 50 buildings were destroyed in central Söderhamn.

There were other fires in 1860 and 1865, but the biggest fire of all in the history of the town broke out on 22^nd July 1876. Nearly all of the town centre was destroyed and a third of the towns population was made homeless. They had to reside in temporary accomodation, tents, until their houses were rebuilt. Even public buildings such as two schools and a hospital were burnt to the ground in the fire. The church survived though even on this occasion. The newly erected town hall, built of bricks and mortar, suffered severe damage, but was repaired and taken into use again in 1878.

The development of the sawmill industry

The middle of the 19^th century was a very expansive era in the town´s history. Thanks to the fastly growing sawmill industry Söderhamn became one of the country´s biggest industrial centres. The extensive forests were felled, new companies were established, canals for aiding the transport of felled trees by river-floatation were constructed, and sawmills were built. The sawmill industry bloomed and in 1880 there were as many as 11 steam-sawmills on the road between Söderhamn and Ljusne. The population of the town grew rapidly. The old town plan, which had not been changed since the 17^th century, was now adapted to the needs of the industrial society.

The modern Söderhamn

The structural development of Söderhamn was characterized by a strictly geometrical town plan based on a perpendicular system of streets . The land between the streets was divided into square plots. No attention was paid to the terrain or other local conditions. Around 1890 the timber industry was not thriving as previously. Sawmills started to close down, which resulted in unemployment and people moving away from the town. This negative development continued right up until 1945 when a Swedish air-force base was located to Söderhamn and the telephone company LM Ericson was established in town. Then people started to move to Söderhamn again and the town regained some of its optimism for the future.

The air-force base was an extremely important part in the daily life of the municipality of Söderhamn for over 50 years. This epoch came to an end when the base was closed down in 1996. The area is now called "Flygstaden" (roughly "Aviation town"), and is now an enterprise estate where many modern businesses have established. In one of the old hangers a museum of aviation has been opened. The visitor can here see different types of aircraft and can try out a unique flight simulator.

The town hall square (Rådhustorget) is still today, after 380 years, the most important square in town. The square was constructed after the fire in 1876. The park south of the river is to a great degree taken up by the railway viaduct, a magnificent iron construction from 1886. The many parks in town with their superb flower beds and wonderful exhibition of colour has made the town famous far beyond its borders. The central parts of Söderhamn, with its pleasant mixture of old buildings and new ones built in an old style, contributes to the character of Söderhamn, an idyllic small town. The pedestrian street is the natural meeting point. Walking tours of the town are arranged each summer led by knowledgable guides.

In the old mill (Kvarnen) one can experience an old millhouse environment from 1751. Exhibitions and other cultural activities are held here throughout the year.

The tower Oscarsborg, built in 1895, is a well known symbol of the town, and provides magnificent views of the town. Beyond the town lie the blue hills and endless forests of the Hälsingland province. To the east lies the glimmering waters of the archipelago, a wonderful place to be in summer.