Beitstad (municipality)

Summary

Beitstad (Urban East Norwegian: [ˈbæ̂ɪtstɑ]) is a former municipality in what was Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The 201-square-kilometre (78 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The municipality encompassed what is now the northeastern part of the municipality of Steinkjer in Trøndelag county. Beitstad was originally quite large, but by 1964, it included the areas east of the Beitstadsundet and Hjellbotn bay and north of the inner-most parts of the Trondheimsfjorden. The administrative centre was the village of Beitstad where Beitstad Church is located.[3]

Beitstad Municipality
Beitstad kommune
Beitstaden herred  (historic name)
Nord-Trøndelag within Norway
Nord-Trøndelag within Norway
Beitstad within Nord-Trøndelag
Beitstad within Nord-Trøndelag
Coordinates: 64°05′07″N 11°21′41″E / 64.08528°N 11.36139°E / 64.08528; 11.36139
CountryNorway
CountyNord-Trøndelag
DistrictInnherred
Established1 Jan 1838
 • Created asFormannskapsdistrikt
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded bySteinkjer Municipality
Administrative centreBeitstad
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total201 km2 (78 sq mi)
Population
 (1964)
 • Total2,563
 • Density13/km2 (33/sq mi)
DemonymBeitstøing[1]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1727[2]
Data from Statistics Norway

History edit

 
View of Beitstad (c. 1955)

The parish of Bedstaden was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). In 1846, the neighboring municipality of Nummedalseidet to the north was merged with Bedstaden. The spelling was later changed to Beitstad. On 1 January 1904, the northern district of Nummedalseidet (population: 1,368) was separated from Beitstad to create the new municipality of Namdalseid (again, this was the same area that joined Beitstad in 1846). The split left Beitstad with 2,946 inhabitants. On 1 July 1913 another split took place. All of Beitstad located west of the Beitstadsundet strait and Hjellbotn bay (population: 993) was established as the separate municipality of Malm, leaving Beitstad with a population of 1,934.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, a large merger took place: the neighboring municipalities of Beitstad (population: 2,563), Egge (population: 3,476), Kvam (population: 1,245), Ogndal (population: 2,678), Sparbu (population: 4,027), and Stod (population: 1,268) were all merged with the town of Steinkjer (population: 4,325) to form the new municipality of Steinkjer.[4]

Name edit

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Beitstadfjorden (Old Norse: Beitisstǫð). The first element is beitir which was likely the old name for the local Beitstadfjorden. The meaning of this name is uncertain, but it may come from the beita which means "to graze" or "to bite". The last element is stǫð which means "landing place" or "harbour".[3][5] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Bedstaden or Beitstaden. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Beitstad, removing the definite form ending -en.[6]

Government edit

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.[7]

Municipal council edit

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Beitstad was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Beitstad herredsstyre 1960–1963 [8]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:17
Beitstad herredsstyre 1956–1959 [9]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 9
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:17
Beitstad herredsstyre 1952–1955 [10]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:16
Beitstad herredsstyre 1948–1951 [11]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 8
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:16
Beitstad herredsstyre 1945–1947 [12]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:16
Beitstad herredsstyre 1938–1941* [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 7
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:16
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Mayors edit

During the 125-year history of Beitstad municipality, there were a total of 14 men who served as mayor.[14]

  • 1838-1841: Jakob Velde
  • 1842–1845: Henrik Foosnæs
  • 1846–1853: Jakob Velde
  • 1854–1855: Morten Elden
  • 1856–1859: Ole S. Welde
  • 1860–1867: Jakob Velde
  • 1868–1873: Ole S. Welde
  • 1874–1877: Morten Elden
  • 1878–1879: Christoffer Hjelde
  • 1880–1910: Hans Konrad Foosnæs
  • 1911–1913: Odin Kvam
  • 1914–1916: Hans Konrad Foosnæs
  • 1917–1919: Odin Kvam
  • 1920–1925: Edvard Stamnæs
  • 1926–1928: Kristoffer Brækken
  • 1929–1934: Edvard Stamnæs
  • 1935–1940: Henrik Bartnes
  • 1941-1941: Anton Welde
  • 1945-1946: Anton Welde
  • 1947–1947: Odin Rostad
  • 1948–1951: Einar Kvam
  • 1952–1955: Odin Rostad
  • 1956–1958: Einar Kvam
  • 1959–1963: Knut Aas

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (2023-01-26). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  3. ^ a b Rosvold, Knut A., ed. (2018-02-04). "Beitstad". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  4. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  5. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1903). Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Trondhjems amt (in Norwegian) (15 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 232.
  6. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Kristiania, Norge: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 1057–1065. 1917.
  7. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (2022-09-20). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
  8. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  9. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  10. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  14. ^ "Ordførere i Beitstad kommune" (in Norwegian). Steinkjerleksikonet. Retrieved 2018-04-07.