Mosjøen

Downtown as well as northern and north-eastern parts of Mosjøen

The town is named after the old Mo farm (Old Norse: Móar) the town was built up on the outskirts of the large farm. The first element is derived from the word móar which is the plural form of mór which means "moorland". The last element is sjøen (Old Norse: sjór which means "sea" or "seaside". Mosjøen, therefor means "the sea(side) belonging to Mo". In other words, it was a place where the farmers of Mo had their boats and boatsheds. Earlier spellings are Moesøen in the 18th century and Mosøen in the 19th century.[6]

Spanning 300 years, Mosjøen's architecture includes villas of the early 20th century

The English sawmills in 1870. As Mosjøen grew wealthier and wealthier, surrounding forests were depleted

Mosjøen's telegraph station in 1906. The town was central for infrastructure and communications in Helgeland

Mentioned in Aslak Bolt's cadastre of the 15th century, Mo is a medieval farm with a history at least dating to the Viking Age. Mosjøen's own history starts in the early modern period. Mosjøen was populated by 1600.[7] The earliest inhabitant known by name is Svein Beachdweller, who lived there together with his wife and daughters in 1660.[7] In the 17th and early 18th century, especially following the 1645 Treaty of Brömsebro, several inhabitants of Jemtland escaped to Trøndelag and to Nordland. Many of them came to Vefsn, including Mosjøen. In the 18th century, Mosjøen as a settlement for nonagrarian occupations started to materialise. For example, the regional executioner resided there temporarily. As did a handful of craftsmen and public officials.

From the late 16th century until the 1820s, Mo was possessed by the Mo family: wealthy farmers as well as skippers and merchants who contributed to Mosjøen's gradual expansion. In 1794, a member of the family received royal privilege to establish a trading post in Mosjøen.

In the 1860s, a group of Englishmen—the 'salmon lords'—established The North of Europe Land & Mining Company, introducing the first industrial period in Mosjøen. Sawmill industry created 'Klondike conditions': People came from everywhere in order to get a job, to trade, and so on, and salaries were relatively high.

On 4 April 1874, King Oscar II decided to grant ladested (town) status to Mosjøen effective on 1 January 1875. As a ladested, Mosjøen now had the privilege to export goods directly to foreign countries. As a new town, it had the right to self-government, so it was separated from Vefsn Municipality to become a separate municipality on 1 January 1876. Initially, the new town had 379 residents. In 1939, a small adjoining area of Vefsn was transferred into the town of Mosjøen.[8][4][5] The Cinema Museum in London holds excellent film of the area in 1931 in its collection (ref HMO321) [9]

As the biggest and most important, central town in the Helgeland region, Mosjøen became northern headquarters of the Nazi German occupiers between 1940 and 1945. After the war in 1945, Mosjøen entered its second industrial period. Among several industrial establishments was Mosjøen Aluminum Plant.

Mosjøen's coat of arms was granted by King Olav V on 25 March 1960. Composed by sculptor Arthur Gustavsson, it is blazoned Sable, a cock Argent. The cock is traditionally equipped with red beak, wattles, comb, and claws: the so-called colour of armament. The cock represents watchfulness and fighting spirit. After the merger with Vefsn in 1962, the coat of arms has been used by Vefsn Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, a major municipal merger took place. The town of Mosjøen (population: 4,628) was merged with the municipalities of Vefsn (population: 5,358), Drevja (population: 1,001), and Elsfjord (population: 920), creating a new municipality called Vefsn.[8][4] Upon merging, Mosjøen lost its status as a town.

In 1998, the municipal council of Vefsn declared Mosjøen to have the formal status as a town.

Part of Mosjøen Aluminum Plant

Mosjøen is one of the industrial towns in Nordland. Especially important is the Mosjøen Aluminum Plant, owned by Alcoa.

Mosjøen's business sector contains both traditional and modern companies as well as a wide spectre of branches, including trade, crafts, banking, transportation, and tourism. The town is a commercial centre in the region, attracting customers from smaller neighbouring towns and from rural municipalities.

Part of the harbour

As a transport hub in Helgeland, Mosjøen connects to the towns of Sandnessjøen 71 kilometres (44 miles) to the west, Mo i Rana 87 kilometres (54 miles) to the north, and Brønnøysund 160 kilometres (99 miles) to the south by road. The European route E6 between Trondheim 393 kilometres (244 miles) to the south and the county capital Bodø 318 kilometres (198 miles) to the north runs through Mosjøen.

Mosjøen is also accessible by airplane, by train, and by ship. Mosjøen is served by Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad, which is located five minutes by car south of the town. Mosjøen Station on the Nordland Line has daily departures for Trondheim in the south and for the Bodø in the north. A smaller commuter rail operates between Trofors and Mo i Rana.

Encompassing both private and public quays, Mosjøen's harbour is the biggest port in Northern Norway. Mosjøen Aluminum Plant has got its own port.

Part of Sjøgata

Dolstad Church from 1735

The following are popular sightseeing spots:

• Sjøgata, a historic and picturesque street containing the largest concentration of 19th-century wooden buildings in Northern Norway.
• Fru Haugans Hotel, established in 1794 and today the oldest hotel in Northern Norway.
• Dolstad Church, established in 1735.
• The Town Park, established ca. 1900 and regarded as one of the finest public parks in Norway.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mosjøen.

• Municipality of Vefsn
• mosjoen.com - local portal for Mosjøen and Vefsn
• Vefsn Slektshistorielag (Genealogy)