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       Updated 2008-11-03   

The situation

The small town with surrounding belongs to "Fors församling", the parish of Fors, in the municipality of Ragunda and the region of Jämtland (please look at the map)

Bispgården has growned up at the junction between the higways along the river and the main railway up to the North.

The fine location in the middle, in north-south and east-west and the buildings of many hydroelectric power stations and many enterprising managers have created a industrial small town, unique for "Norrland", the inland in the North of Sweden.

In addition you will find the well known Dead Falls (the Swedish biggest disaster i modern time) on one side and the exotic Thai Pavilion on the other.

Click on the map to enlarge

Gryta i Döda fallet

The name Bispgården

The name Bispgården (not to confuse with Biskopsgården in Gothenburg) is from the  Archbishop's fishing cottage. He was normally living in Uppsala, 400 km from the south. He had been donated a permit of salmon fishing and in 1472 the name "Biskopsgard"was mentioned in a publication for the first time..  

     Salmon

There was many rapids in the river" Indalsälven", which now are built out with three hydroelectric power stations, Svarthålsforsen. Stadsforsen and Hölleforsen, within 10 km from Bispgården.

Before  Vildhussen's good (or bad) fortune when he tried to dig a canal beside the river,  Storforsen was the higest falls (as a 10 floors building)

Ragunda municipality has 9 hydroelectric power station in the river "Indalsälven)-

 The history of  Bispgården and the parish of "Fors"

Probably it was the location at the river and its rapids with salmon,  which attracted the first people to settle down in this area. A grave from the Iron Age (before 1000) is found beside the Stadsforsen Hydro Power Station.

It says, there was agreeements so farmer hands did not need to eat salmon every day..

It is easy to understand that the Swedish Archbishop was choosing this area.

Only 10 km from Bispgården is the old  borderline between Sweden and Norway/Denmark. This area (the region of Jämtland/Jemtland) was belonging to Norway/Denmark until 1645 and is now a region of Sweden.. There are many stories about fights on both sides at this old time.

The main railway upp to the North of Sweden was built and Bispgården got the railway station 1885. The railway was very imporant for the growth of the area. 

The border stone near the river and the Meå falls.

The old Tourist Hotel visited by King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Thailand) 1897

Almost all service was built up around the railway station. There you could find hotel and shops and it was a meeting point for people in the area.

The old tourist Hotel became wellknown after the visit of the King Chulalongkorn from Siam (Thailand) 1897,. He was recommended the journey by the Swedish king Oskar II and was having lunch at the hotel in July 19th with his entourage of 35 people. The hotel was burning 1905 and a new one was built up. 

Now you can find

a modern hotel  built 1995 l (Hotel Indalsleden) and

a modern conference building  (Älggårdsberget Konferens)

In the parish of Fors there were 1600 persons leaving at this time..

"Skogsskolan" (a college of forestry) was moved to Bispgården in 1898

It was later on called  Norra Skoginstitutet (NSI). The forrestry education discontinued 1997 and the buildings became used by "Mitthögskolan" (Midt University) until 2001.. Nowadays you can find a modern conference establishment there owned by the municipality of Ragunda ( Älggårdsberget Konferens)

Älggårdsberget Konferens - a modern conference establihment

Industries at Bispgården

It begans with a small prodauction of nails at the stream Järån.1856. Bispgården is now a unique industrial small town in the inland of Norrland (the North of Sweden) with   600 employed on  small industries.

Among the company we can mention  Zepro (Z-lyftens Produktion AB), Samhall, Fors Industrier and Kjellbergs Plast..

Upper secondary school

- brought in lines with the industries

To make it more easy to the company to recruit qualified employers to the industries, there is a "gymnasieskola" (upper secondary school) in Bispgården,  Bispgårdens Tekniska Skola (BTS), nowadays called Ragunda Gymnasieskola.

Picture will be placed later

Picture will be placed later

Hydroelectric power stations

In 1940-1950 there were built three hydroelectric power stations within 10 km.  Bispården is now a centre for the administration and many rivers are steered from this centre of "Vattenfall"

Tourism

Most people visiting our municiplity are coming from the coast and Bispgården has been the most visited place and has two of the most wellknown sites within 8 km. That's why you can find three petrol stations, many restaurants (especially in the summer), hotels,  holiday villages, youth hostel, together with more than 300 beds.

Among our sights you will find

1. The Thai Pailion at Utanede, with the King's sceptre by gold - the only one outside Thailand. It was built 1998 (delayed one year) to the memory of King Chulalongkorn's journey through this area 1897. He was recommended this journey by our Swedish king Oskar II, who had visited  the Dead Falls and was going this route from the river harbour at Utanede to Sundsvall some years earlier.

2. The Dead Falls is the result of the Swedish biggest nature disaster inmodern time.  1796 there was about 1000 million cubic meter water breaking through a gravel ridge. Magnus Huss, called "Vildhussen" had been asked to dig a canal beside "Storforsen"´, a 35 m high waterfall, to let the timber go down and the salmon to go up  the river. Probably he did not know that the whole ridge was consisted of gravel and all rushed down the river. It was night and no one was killed, but everything along the river followed the big stream to the sea. At the delta you now can find Sundsvall Airport.

"Vildhussen" hismself  drowned by an exident or by someone who wanted to kill him (no one knows) in the river a year later and he is buried at the old church at Liden.

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An outdoor theater with the only rotating granstnad in Sweden is at the ä Dead Falls.  Teatrar och folklustspel återfinns under Events

3. Other sights

• The Newly repaired Suspension bridge over the river Indalsälven

• Järkvissle Troll Village, etc

Kung Chulalongkorn's Memorial Building, at Utanede, Bispgården

Anneke van't

Hof

Pictures

The tourist information in Bispgården is at the entrance of Hotel Indalsleden, Hallvägen 3, SE-840 73 Bispgården, the whole year.

In the summer even at the entrance of the Thai Pavilion, Utanede and at the Dead Falls.

Updated:    2008-11-03

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