Sweden roadtrip in 1905

Håkan Österås from Södertälje is a historic preservationists of great dimensions. When this 44 years old document surfed up to the surface in Bispgården he contacted Worldkustom. One of the first Automobile Clubs were formed in Härnösand.

What Håkan Österås (left) saved for the future was an amazing description of a Sweden where the cars did not have access to the counties. Cars were stopped by the  sheriff handing out fines.
– Because, it was a car.
Just like now then when it is time for car meet and the police have low beam test on the  cruising  street handing out tickets. But let’s forget about the present day misery for a moment and enjoy Håkan Österås giant save of this historic document with his catcher glove .

1905

Government Crisis everywhere.
The year is 1905. In Denmark, the government crisis. Minister of Culture, Minister of Agriculture and Interior Minister has resigned outright. This is in protest against the fearless minister of law  Alberti who absolutely demands  impose corporal punishment in Denmark.

In Sweden and Norway it´s even worse.

The nion is bursting. The Norwegians have hauled the Swedish flag on their  government building  in Kristiania and slamed up the Norwegian and sent a letter to the Swedish king.

-Because You can not manage to acquire Norway a government since the current members resigned enters our Constitution that says that the union cease because you, in the back munity of the Swedish king does not work for us in Norway.

Sweden has grown out of the fighting.
Sweden has grown out of the fighting.
We have let Finland to the Russians, and now the King giving speeches again, where he says he tried everything for the brotherhood of folks (meaning Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark)  well in Scandinavia, but that “they do not want to.” In our newly inaugurated parliament building, which took eleven years to build, is the Prime Minister Boström and scratching his head with hardly anyone left to rule over.

In Stockholm, the riots arise between the striking garbage men and black feet running away waste anyway. At the same time the entire Swedish government leave  after Norway sent a telegram that they now run by their own government jus- so- you-know  and in Bjuråker, Hälsingland has a 62-year-old crofter is been killed with an ax by his daughter and housekeeper.

Loreley cab. 
Twenty mil due north in Bispgården, Jämtland Wilhelm Berglind has layed down some dough for a car. A Loreley convertible. .Ehh well –  All the cars were the cenvertibles  at this time.

German  footwear and sewing machine and also a hit song. 
In a time when every bicycle repair would create its own car brand took the sons of a sewing machine manufacturers an iniative and started car production in the premises in Arnstadt Germany.

Dad Rydolfs sewing machines were called “Rud. Ley Maschinenfabrik” and the youngsters  car was named Loreley who was also the name of a hit song that was played in the drawn-key works in the luxury home  at this time.

Rudolf Ley at his shoe making machine  in 1886.

Back to the car.
The owe five  (1905) had a water-cooled four straight on 1500cc and 10 horses. The owe eight (08) came with a six on 25 frisky.

Loreley 1907 with windshield but without headlights.
After the First World War was called the car Ley and in 1925 it was over.

They sold the premises to other car makers, moved into the old sewing machine workshop again and made spare parts for the  cars until 1947 when the car dreams were over for good .

The old man’s  thing with sewing machines and shoe machines  continued still, now known as  Schuma and Textima.

1905 The orelay came to Stockholm complete with two large kerosene lampsin  front and windshield delete. Such things were not needed. Behind the driver’s seat was a big box of tools, oils and gasoline.

Filling stations were not yet invented in Sweden. Gasoline they bought at the pharmacy but it started coming into the country store well.

Wilhelm Berglind was the true entrepreneur 

Born in 1875 in Irsta, Västmanland he came to Fors, just east of Bispgården 21 years old as a shop assistant, but it was not long before he started his own business. He started the first power plant in Jaran and started the machine shop that manufactured electric lighting, photo frames, push buttons and horse-drawn forrest-sowing, inter alia,

When he turned 30 he thought  apparently it was time for a car and he was the first also in Fors.

Wilhelm had managed to obtain a driving permit for Jamtland. He took his friend Pickulell from Sundsvall in the retrieval of the car. Pickulell worked as a salesman and you can dig that both doers saw the benefit of the automobile in which they were sitting on the train to Stockholm. Now they were out on a road trip together.

They started the brand  new car by hand  and headed north from Stockholm. They talked, waved and enjoyed up to Uppsala, where they were stopped. They were fined by the police.
-Why?
– But I wrote initially, remember.
– Because it was a car, of course.

They were stopped in Gävle as well. Fines.
Then  Gnarp. Fines
In Gnarp ran the Sheriff around the car and scolded. Now the boys were  tired of cops. Pickulell stepped out of the car and walked up to the cop. He handed over a business card and said, verbatim.
– “Commisarie sue but commisarie scold not.”
In Swedish in 2015:
-Hey you. Throw me them damn citations and stop whining.

Then he went and sat in the car and called authoritatively his friend at the wheel.
– “Drive  Berglind.”
The police had to jump out of the way when the car started and began to move forward.

I Hotel Knaust picture from 1902. Recent and super classy Sundsvall after the fire in 1888
In Sundsvall they went into the Hotel Knaust and ate.

Meanwhile, the street was blocked where the car was. Not by fences but by the people. Now the police came in handy. They had to contact the law to disperse the crowds so they could drive on.

 

When they saw the road  to North City mountain, Wille shifted down and then pulled the two up on top with the pedal to the metal just to show that it could.
-First Hillclimb?

Newly eaten and happy they turned westward into the forests going  home but in Indal it was a patrol again. New police. New fines. They began to feel the journey now. It had taken several days. Dark, cold it was and the road was a muddy history with three tracks. One for each wheel and one for the horse in the middle.

Home at last they  could sum up the trip. The car was dirty but had gone like clockwork. And all fines. What was it?
– There were 40 krones total.

In today’s money of 1500 dollars
-It was well worth it  smiled Wilhelm Berglind home in Fors, turned off the engine and put out the kerosene lamps.

Wilhelm soon got permission to drive in Ångermanland, too, and more cars came  along the coast when the large timber districts flourished with its timber magnates, parties, screeners and export ports.

In 1908  Wilhelm Berglind  called together a few like-minded people in the diocese town of Harnosand to establish bylaws and form a board. One of Sweden’s first automobile clubs had seen the light. The merchant, industrialist, power plant owner and car enthusiasts, he also held Bispgårdens fleet tourist hotel before his hourglass ran out in 1939. Wilhelm Berglind died 64 years old.

 Recorded by his son Nils Berglind Bispgården April 6, 1971 which also has deceased .

Saved by Håkan Österås (TV)
Revision and expansion in 2015: Lars-Åke Krantz (right) Härnösand Worldkustom Magazine  

The car guy Wilhelm Berg Lind’s family estate is still around  and what to you think the great entrepreneurs and car guys place is named?
– It’s called America. 

 

Of course, Worldkustom is humble due to Nils Berg Lind’s assertion that the car club that was formed in 1908 in Härnösand was one of the first.

Royal Automobile Club KAK was formed, for example in 1903. Swedish Motor Club SMK was founded in 1907. We are grateful to receive corrections and information in the form of comments below.
– It only make a good story even better.

Lars Krantz