Vefsn Municipality

Vefsn is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mosjøen. Some of the notable villages in Vefsn include Drevvassbygda, Elsfjord, and Husvik.
The municipality is the 41st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Vefsn Municipality is the 91st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,469. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 1.4% over the previous 10-year period.

History

The municipality of Vefsn was established on 1 January 1838. In 1862, the vast eastern district was separated from Vefsn Municipality to become the new Hattfjelldal Municipality. This left Vefsn Municipality with 5,051 residents. In 1876, the town of Mosjøen was separated from Vefsn Municipality to become a separate town-municipality. This left Vefsn Municipality with 4,672 residents.
In 1927, Vefsn Municipality was split into three: the small northern district became the new Drevja Municipality and the large southern district became the new Grane Municipality. After the split, Vefsn Municipality had 3,119 residents remaining. In 1939, a small area of Vefsn Municipality was transferred to neighboring town of Mosjøen.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, Vefsn Municipality was merged with the neighboring town of Mosjøen and the neighboring Drevja Municipality and Elsfjord Municipality to form a new, larger Vefsn Municipality. On 1 January 1995, the mainland areas of the neighboring Alstahaug Municipality were transferred to Vefsn Municipality.

Name

The municipality is named after the river Vefsna which flows through the municipality into the Vefsnfjorden. The meaning of the river name is unknown, but it possibly comes from the old word which means "to wrap" or "to wind around". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Vefsen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Vefsn.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 13 September 1974. The official blazon is "Sable, a rooster argent armed gules". This means the arms have a black field and the charge is a rooster. The rooster has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The rooster is also armed which means its claws, beak, and comb are colored red. The rooster is a symbol for watchfulness and alertness. The arms were designed by Arthur Gustavsson.
The coat of arms was originally adopted by the municipality of Mosjøen on 25 March 1960. In 1962, Mosjøen was merged with Vefsn Municipality, Drevja Municipality, and Elsfjord Municipality to form a new, larger Vefsn Municipality. After the merger, the old arms of Mosjøen were chosen for the new municipality. Since the arms officially became obsolete after the merger, they were re-granted in 1974.

Churches

The Church of Norway has three parishes within Vefsn Municipality. It is part of the Indre Helgeland prosti in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Parish	Church name	Location of the church	Year built
Dolstad	Dolstad Church	Mosjøen	1735
Drevja	Drevja Church	Nilsskogen	1883
Elsfjord	Elsfjord Church	Elsfjord	1955

Government

Vefsn Municipality is responsible for primary education, outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Vefsn Municipality is made up of 29 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayor of Vefsn Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:

1838–1842: Christian Quale
1842–1844: Kristoffer Ingebrigtsen
1844–1862: Ola Olsson
1863–1864: Peter Holst
1865–1866: Ola Olsson
1867–1870: Anders Persson
1871–1876: John Ottesen
1877–1878: Even Sund
1889–1894: Peter Holst
1895–1896: Nils M. Kulstad
1897–1898: Even Sund
1899–1901: Per Flaa
1902–1904: Nils Kulstad
1905–1905: Christian Møinichen Havig
1905–1905: Per Flaa
1905–1913: Ole Klemmentsen
1914–1916: Mikkel Alsgaard
1917–1918: Nils Skandfer
1919–1920: Sølfest Hagen
1920–1925: Nils Mjaavatn
1926–1928: Anders Svare
1929–1940: Per M. Stordal
1943–1945: Anders Svare
1946–1946: Kåre Vangen
1946–1947: Arne Aalbotsjord
1948–1954: Anders Granås
1954–1955: Arne Aalbotsjord
1956–1959: Kåre Vangen
1960–1961: Arne Aalbotsjord
1962–1966: Einar Jensen
1966–1975: Arne Aalbotsjord
1976–1979: Eugen Almås
1980–1989: Peder Hyttebakk
1990–1993: Roy Skogsholm
1993–1998: Knut Petter Torgersen
1998–2000: Britt Jonassen
2000–2019: Jann-Arne Løvdahl
2019–2023: Berit Hundåla
2023–present: Rune Krutå
Geography

The administrative centre of Vefsn is the town of Mosjøen which is situated along the innermost part of the Vefsnfjorden. Outside Mosjøen, the large municipality of Vefsn is dominated by spruce forests, mountains, lakes, agriculture, and the Vefsna river. The municipality is served by Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad.
The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Geittinden. The mountain Lukttinden is located in the northern part of the municipality. There are many large lakes in Vefsn including Drevvatnet, Finnknevatnet, Fustvatnet, Hundålvatnet, Luktvatnet, Mjåvatnet, and Ømmervatnet. The Lomsdal–Visten National Park is partially located in Vefsn.

Birdlife

The bird watcher that visits Vefsn soon realizes that it will take more than a day to cover all the interesting habitats and birding areas. Here you will find areas of virtually untouched coniferous woodlands, both inland and along the coast. The Skjørlegda nature reserve is a good example of woodland protection. Here you will find a virtually untouched coniferous forest covering the Eiterå valley. The valley stretches inland to a higher mountainous habitat that is also worth checking.

Farms of Vefsn

Historically, the land of Vefsn was divided up into named farms. These farms were used in census and tax records and are useful for genealogical research.

Farm maps

Note that each map has a maximum number of listings it can display, so the map has been divided into parts consistent with the in the 1920 census. This map will include one farm name per farm number; other farm names or subdivision numbers may exist.
The municipalities of Mosjøen, Elsfjord, and Drevja were incorporated into Vefsn in 1962, and are not included in these maps. Tellingskrets 5, Granli; 6 Øvre Svenningdal, and 7 Austervefsen og Feplingdal, are now part of other municipalities, primarily Grane.

Names and numbers

Following are the farms in the Vefsn Municipality, as they are listed in O. Rygh's series Norske_Gaardnavne, the Nordland volume of which was published in 1905.
The farm numbers are used in some census records, and numbers that are near each other indicate that those farms are geographically proximate. Handwritten Norwegian sources, particularly those prior to 1800, may use variants on these names. For recorded variants before 1723, see the digital version of O. Rygh. Note that the 1920 census records mapped above may not match O. Rygh.
Farm names were often used as part of Norwegian names, in addition to the person's given name and patronymic or inherited surname. Some families retained the farm name, or , as a surname when they emigrated, so in those cases tracing a surname may tell you specifically where in Norway the family was from. This tradition began to change in the mid to late 19th century, and inherited surnames were codified into law in 1923.

Farm Name	Farm Number
Juviken	1
Grønviken	2
Søttaren	3
Øren	4
Kleven	5
Sørgaarden	6, 1
Hundaala, 1	6, 7
Hundaala, 2	7
Høinesdalen	8
Digermulen	9
Demmeldalen	10
Hundaalvatnet	11
Bjørnvolden	12
Sørvasdale	13
Vikdalen	14
Øien	15
Rotneset	15, 5
Kvandalen	16
Tveraaen	17
Kjærstad	18
Helvik	18, 2
Rosvold	19
Aufles	20
Grøva	21
Kvalfors	22
Forsjorden	23
Øksendalen	24
Steinlien	25
Eiteraaen øvre	26
Eiteraaen nedre	27
Eiteraaen vestre	28
Eiteraaholmen	29
Tverelvmoen	30
Skjørlægden	31
Eiteraafjeldet	32
Ravnaaen	33
Turmoen	34
Faldmoen	35
Spelremmen	36
Laksfors, 1	37
Laksfors, 2	38
Laksforshoved	39
Spelen	40
Valryggen	41
Finsaasen	42
Glugvaselven	43
Haustreisdalen, 1	44
Haustreisdalen, 2	45
Nygaarden	46
Glugvatnet	47
Grane	48
Almdalen	49
Svenningdalen nedre	50
Baafjeldmoen	51
Stavasdalen	52
Baafjelddalen	53
Svenningdalen øvre	54
Hjortskarmoen, 1	55
Kapskarmoen	56
Hjortskarmoen, 2	57
Holmvasdalen	58
Bjørkaasen	59
Kjerringvatnet	60
Kapfjeldlien	61
Storkjønlien	62
Tomasvatnet	63
Bjorkjønlien	64
Kvanlien	65
Tøimskarlien	66
Bustadmoen	67
Simskaret	68
Fiplingkroken	69
Fiplingdalen, 1	70
Fiplingdalen, 2	71
Forshaugen	72
Jerpaasen	73
Hallingen	74
Fagerlien	75
Klovimoen	76
Bjorbækmoen	77
Stillelvaasen	78
Svartvatnet	79
Stabforsmoen	80
Stormoen	81
Baafjeldmoen østre	82
Fjeldbækmoen	83
Herringbotnet	84
Lien	84, 1
Nergaarden	84, 2
Kalvmoen	85
Skjaamoen	86
Kjønnaasen	87
Kjemsaasen	88
Killeraasen	89
Reinfjeldet	90
Lian	90, 1
Nordaasen	91
Klubben	91, 3
Langvatnet	92
Aasen	93
Ravatnet	94
Ravasbakken	94, 1
Fokstad	94, 3
Nordstad	94, 4
Alsgaarden	95
Bjørnaaen øvre	96
Einremmen	96, 3
Bjørnaalien	97
Skogsaasen	98
Bjørnaaen nedre	99
Mosaasen	100
Skog, 1	101
Kringleøren	101, 2
Øvstenget	101, 6
Skog, 2	102
Mo	103
Husbrekken	103, 2
Myrbakken	103, 3
Nyrud	103, 5
Dolstad	104
Hals	105
Halsøen	105, 2
Andaas	106
Remmen	107
Hagfors	108
Moldremmen	109
Marken øvre	110
Gamarken	111
Røsdalen	112
Midtmarken indre	113
Midtmarken ytre	114
Jakobgaardshaugen	114, 2
Marken nedre	115
Aalbosjorden	116
Fjeldstad	116, 2
Kulstad	117
Aasen	117, 1
Baathølen	117, 2
Myren	117, 3
Dalenget	117, 4
Staurremmen	117, 8
Fustskotremmen, 1	117, 9
Trangdalen	117, 10
Fustskotremmen, 2	117, 11
Finbrauten	117, 12
Kulstadsjøen	117, 16
Rynes	118
Bøen	118, 4
Aaremmen	119
Katuglehaugen	120
Veset	121
Forsmoen indre	122
Jomfruremmen	123
Haukland	124
Gløsen	124, 3
Volden	125
Bjørknes	126
Risnes	127
Myrnes	128
Aanes	129
Svartaasen	130
Steffenremmen	131
Herring mellem	132
Nilsmoen	133
Almdalen	134
Østerherring øvre	135
Østerherring nedre	136
Stien	137
Lillesmedseng øvre	138
Lillesmedseng nedre	139
Storsmedseng	140
Lynghaugen	140, 2
Strøm	141
Jordbæksletten	142
Breivik	143
Aspnes	144
Aakviken	145
Langmoen, 1	146
Langmoen, 2	147
Engaasen	148
Rokaasen	149
Granaasen	150
Hellefjeld ytre	151
Storremmen	151, 1
Utgaarden	151, 2
Husremmen	151, 3
Hellefjeld mellem	152
Hellefjeld øvre	153
Guldmoen	154
Høglien	155
Groftremmen	156
Skjetviken	157
Sovarneset	158
Mjaavatnet, 1	159
Gofahaugen	159, 1
Mjaavatnet, 2	160
Strømsnes	161
Tuvneset	162
Troldaasuren	163
Ømmervashoved	164
Næverveien med Kaldaahaugen	165
Hatten	166
Angermoen	167
Stordalen	168
Bjørkremmen	169
Sandbugten	170
Almlien	171
Ømmervasbugten	172
Perjorden	173
Blaafjeldet	174
Blaafjelddalen	175
Steinhaugen	176
Smalboremmen	177
Rognryggen	178
Vashoved	179
Tømmermyrmoen	180
Myrmoen	181
Bratlien	182
Kummerneset	183
Kummermoen	184
Breimoen	185
Baatstrand	186
Trømoen	186, 1
Trøen	186, 2
Øigaarden	186, 3
Almaasen	187
Lamoen	188
Granmoen	189
Strøm	190
Moen	190, 1
Myren	190, 2
Nystad	190, 6
Forsmoen ytre	191
Bratbakken	192
Bergsnev	193
Nyland indre	194
Stuvland	195
Drevland	196
Utnes	197
Holand	198
Myrmoen	198, 3
Lindset	199
Fornesviken	199, 4
Søfting	200
Skaland	201
Staulan	201, 1