Hønefoss, Norway

The area around Hønefoss has been inhabited for a long time, and in the 14th century the area was known as Weienfoss. The land on the northern side of the waterfall belonged to a large farm called Hønen, but it was only after sawmills began to appear on the north side that the name “the Høne Foss” was used in the 17th century.

The idea of a city came in 1839, though at the time around 800 people were living there. It was decided to build a city by a waterfall to help the growth of industry in the region. The first worker’s union came to the town in 1890. The last half of the 19th century brought significant development for the community. The town was connected to Drammen by train in 1868 and this boosted industry significantly. Hønefoss got electric street lighting in 1896, only five years after Hammerfest, which was among the first cities in Europe with such lighting. Oslo got its first street lighting in 1893.

Hønefoss is not a maritime town, but launched the first steamship every built in Norway. It was launched on the river on the 9th of July 1837, just below the city bridge and Hønefoss.