Lars Ingier facts for kids

Lars Ingier (born February 15, 1760 – died June 22, 1828) was an important Norwegian figure. He was a military officer, but also a skilled road builder. He owned land and ran several mills.

He is famous for building the "King's Road" through a tough forest area called Krokskogen. He is also known for making Norway switch to right-hand driving. This means cars drive on the right side of the road, just like in many countries today.

Lars Ingier lived with his family at a large estate called Stubljan in Ljan. There, he managed different types of mills, including ones for sawing wood, grinding grain, and even making gunpowder.

Lars Ingier's Early Life

Lars Ingier was born in Ullensaker, a place in Norway. His father, Hans Christophersøn Ingier, was also a military officer. The Ingier family came from a very old farm in Ullensaker. This farm was known as Ingigjærdi way back in the Middle Ages.

In 1792, Lars Ingier married Gjertrud Maren Juel. He passed away at his home, Stubljan, in Aker in 1828.

Building Roads and Making History

Lars Ingier started his career by studying at the Norwegian Military Academy. He became a Premier Lieutenant. However, he soon decided to work on building roads instead of staying in the military.

Becoming a Road Manager

In the 1780s, Lars Ingier became the "general road manager" (Norwegian: generalveimester) for the Akershus area. This area covered most of Eastern Norway at that time. His job was to plan and build new roads.

One of his biggest projects was the King's Road. This road went through the difficult Krokskogen forest. He also built a new road that went over the mountain at Holmestrand.

Introducing Right-Hand Driving

Lars Ingier is given credit for a very important change in Norway. He introduced right-hand driving. This means that vehicles drive on the right side of the road. In 1807, he put up posters to tell people about this new rule. Later, this principle was officially included in Norway's Road Traffic Regulation Acts in 1824 and 1851.

Life at Stubljan Estate

In 1799, Lars Ingier bought two farms, Stubljan and Hvitebjørn. He bought them from his wife's aunt, Maren Juel. His family then moved to live at the Stubljan estate.

Running the Mills

At his large estate, Ingier ran several businesses. He had four saw mills, which cut wood into planks. He also had a corn mill for grinding grain. There was a niter mill and even a powder mill, which made gunpowder.

Lars Ingier's wife was connected to important families in Christiania (which is now Oslo). Because of this, Stubljan became a popular place for parties and gatherings for the city's important people. Even while running all these businesses, he continued his job as the road manager.

Military Service and Recognition

During the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809, Lars Ingier returned to military service. He was in charge of a special "pioneer unit" in Østfold. This unit was responsible for providing technical support to the army. In 1809, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Norwegian: oberstløytnant).

In 1818, Lars Ingier received a special honor. He was made a Knight of the Swedish Order of the Sword. This was a very important award.

The Ingierstrand seaside resort in Oppegård is named after the Ingier family. This area was originally part of the Stubljan estate. The city of Oslo bought it in 1936.