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Chapter 5 - Selbu today Selbu has only once in history had more than five thousand inhabitants. That was in 1865 when it numbered five thousand and seventy-two. Just these years to come are characterised by the emigration to America. This includes the founders of Sons of Norway. "Vart det heller trongt på gara så mått innkvenn fårrå ut"- "When the homes became small, somebody had to move out", quoted freely from the Selbu Song. This valley did not have arable land to feed everybody and there was not room enough for the large families to grow up. Today the inhabitants number four thousand one hundred. Twenty years ago there were four hundred less. This probably indicates that Selbu is developing in the right direction- Roads are being developed, and is possible to work in Trondheim, around seventy kilometre away. Contrary to many other communities in Norway, Selbu is able to maintain its spread living pattern. When our founders left Selbu, people were living all around Selbusjoen. Today, a few of the small farms are being abandoned, but the communities still are alive. This is owed much to the fact that the local politicians have maintained a decentralised schoolsystem, which in turn has made it possible to maintain other activities in the area. Trade and industry have changed in character throughout the last years. From being a typical farming and lumbering district, the activity is spread on several branches today. Selbu is the largest forest county in South Troendelag, , and carpentry is still the main branch. Technological industry is of importance and employs nearly one hundred persons. Incidentally this created some difficulties in the trade between Norway and the USA a few years ago in relation to GATT. Selbu has developed into a modern society during the last decade. Here you will find all the necessary service institutions like health centre, nurseries and kindergartens, centre for elderly, community centre, bank, sportshall, swimming-pool and other offers to the inhabitants. Selbu has extended the offer to children to be able to go to school in Selbu up to the age of eighteen. Additionally, Peder Morset Folkehøgskole was opened in 1976, a high-school integrating healthy and retarded student in one joint school. Selbu was greatly involved during the German invasion in 1940. Books are published about the action near Garbage Bo (Bridge), and also about the Morset family. The resistance was remarkable, and this made the German Forces especially alert against the inhabitants of this isolated community. Tourists visiting Selbu, describes Selbu as a beautiful place. The farms and built-up areas are nicely framed around the lake. The growing tourism has justified the opening of two hotels of high standards. The tourist-boat Joevra was set afloat in the summer of 1994, and carried over four thousand passengers during a few short summermonths. Selbu is widely known for its rich cultural life. Song, music, sports, theatre and concerts are in such abundance that you should think there were more than 4000 people living here. A new arrangement is the Selbu Festival, gathering more than 10 000 enthusiasts of accordion-music on the beautiful Aarsoeya (island) where the river Nea joins the Selbu lake. Selbu has also got s world champion in cross-country skiing and biathlon in 1985 and 1991 respectively. Grete Ingeborg Nykkelmo is her name, and Selbu almost turned over by happiness when she won. It is impossible to finish these lines without mentioning the world famous Selbustrikking (knitting). Approximately onehundred and fourty years ago a young girl invented knitting using two colours. This made it possible to make patterns, an art the Selbu women has utilised at full extent. In the course of time caps, gloves and socks in thousands and thousands were knitted . This was the largest export article during the first part of this century, and a lot of women could make some extra money. During the 1970s and 80s depression came and knitting came stopped. But from 1985 on the knitting has been industrialised to knitting fashionwear in old patterns. Today the factory employs close to twenty, and has established large marker. Selbu Knitting is the great identity maker for Selbu. We are proud of and in love with our homeplace. I started this report by wondering whether life was made up by chance or by destiny even if it does not look like it. Maybe there are some common denominators between how the Selbu Community and Sons of Norway had developed......Maybe has man of same heritage and environment been the driving force for a positive development of both.....Maybe men of equal heritage are carrying the same ideas however far away from each other...... I will finish the story here. Maybe you also will start thinking maybe.......and start wondering about small or more distinctive co-incidences.
A verse from "Selbu-soginn" gives us the necessary inspiration. Vart det heller trongt på gara (If it was rather crowded
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