Näkna/Stens Bruk

Date: 1733 to 1936
Location: Östergötland, Sweden
Surnames/tags: Graver Ekman

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Contents 1 Location 2 The Names 3 History 4 Today 5 Sources

Location

Näkna, later known as Stens and also known as Gravefors, ironworks was situated around the lake Näknen, north of the town of Norrköping in the county of Östergötland.

The Names

Näkna comes from the village Övre Näkna on the northern shores of the lake Näknen, today known as only Näkna.

Stens comes from the estate where the ironworks was established in the beginning of the 19th century.

Gravefors comes from the name of one of the owners; Jacob Graver. Gravefors is the name of the village earlier known as Nedre Näkna on the southern shores of the lake Näknen.

History

• Näkna ironworks started in 1733. A blast furnace was built in 1736 in the northern parts around the lake and in 1741 a trip hammer was built in Hammarbacken on the west side of the lake and wrought iron was the mane production.

• Jacob Graver formed Stens Ironworks in 1763. He owned the area from 1763 to 1779 alongside the sailmaking business at Rodga Manor and Hult Ironworks.

• Carl Ekman, the owner of Finspång Ironworks, bought the business in 1857 and established a new blast furnace at Graverfors in 1860 for the production of canons.

• A trainstation was built at Gravefors in 1867 along the Eastern Main Line. A siding was built to the blast furnace to simplify transportation.

• Red and black granite was found on the western shores when the Main Line railway was built. Quarrying started in 1876 and a masonry and a grinding mill were founded. Over 100 people were employed in the business of quarrying and refining of the granite during the 1890's.

• Boxholms AB bought the whole business in 1913.

• The railway siding was closed down in the 1920's.

• Stens bruk was closed down in 1936.

• The train station was closed and torn down in 1868.

Today

Some of the buildings that belonged to the iron- and mason industry, like the Stens Manor, the grinding mill and the grain mill, are still around to be seen. There are also ruins from other buildings that belonged to the business.

Sources

• Wikipedia on Stens Ironworks, October 19, 2014