Kulturstigen 14 & 15
Slagnäs 1940s and 1950s
With the inland railway passing through the village, there was an increasing influx of people and many new activities. Belief in the future and the potential to run small businesses seemed limitless. The vast majority was very successful until the late 1950’s, when mainly the young people of the village started to relocate.
The center of the village, the four-way junction, also became the focal point for most of the small businesses. Here is a list based on that intersection:
Malåvägen left side approx. 50 m from the intersection; Löfmark - Brännström's café and rubber workshop. Owners Rune Burman and G Vestin.
Malåvägen left side, last house; Caramel production by Mrs. Nyberg
Malåvägen right side; Bus company. Owners Hugo and Vendla Gustavsson.
Sorselevägen, left side, approx. 50 m from the intersection; Kiosk. Owner Anny Tallberg
Sorselevägen, left side, approx. 100 m from the intersection; Carpentry built and operated by Karl Juting, Äke Lindfors and Henning Lundgren. A fire destroyed the carpentry at the end of the 1940’s.
A new house was built on the same property and housed a shoemaker, shoe shop and café. Owner: Gunnar Norberg.
Sorselevägen last house on the left; Catering service, room rental and the first library area in the village (1930’s-1940’s). Owners Siri and Manfred Sundström.
Sorselevägen right side (currently Forsmarks); Berglunds Varuhus 1954-1970. Sale of TV’s, household appliances, dishes, etc.
Sorselevägen right side (currently Forslunds); Gulf gas station and car repair shop. Owners Vanja and Karl Juting.
Sorselevägen right side; Bicycle workshop. Owner Gondy Jonsson
Sorselevägen right side (last activity); Ore dock for handling ore from Bolden's mines in Adak and Laisvall.
Arjeplogsvägen, left side (currently Utterström); Private company in the early 1930’s by Konrad Nilsson from Bergnäsudden. He sold the business to Sjöberg. From the late 1950’s to 1989 it was owned by Axel Utterström.
Arjeplogsvägen, left side (currently Lindstedts); 1st village blacksmith. Owner Valter Olin.
Arjeplogsvägen left side; Carpentry, built by Botvid Hansson and Bertil Holmgren. Current owner Anders Burman
Arjeplogsvägen on the right (in the fire station); Mechanical workshop moved in the early 1960’s and is now on the north side. Owner: Hilbert Löfmark.
Arjeplogsvägen on the right (currently Långbergs); Beda's café and inn, 1930’s-1940’s. Owner Beda Renberg
Arjeplogsvägen right side (currently Tjintokk); Milly’s Café and guesthouse, from 1945.
Arvidsjaurvägen left side (currently Gustavssons); House with tailoring, owner Sigvard Sjödin, later ESSO petrol station; Owners Mildred and Rune Bergström. (House destroyed by fire in the late 1960’s).
Arvidsjaurvägen right side; Forge, built in 1936. Owner Erland Nordqvist 1945-1980.
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Village county affiliation and roads
When the border line was drawn between the districts of Norrbotten and Västerbotten in 1868, the border was drawn from Mount Arrassåive in the west to Gorrokselet in the east - at least that was the plan. But the smoke fire that was supposed to lead the surveyor on Arrassåive disappeared completely from the sudden mist over Slagnäsforsen. The border line went too far to the north and some of the installations of Slagnäs ended up to be in the Västerbotten district.
An example of how it turned out: Milly Wallström's café and guesthouse's main building belonged to the BD district (Norrbotten) and the outbuilding belonged to the AC district (Västerbotten).
The village was divided and one half belonged to the district of Norrbotten whilst the other half belonged to the district of Västerbotten until 1955- then the entire village became part of the district of Norrbotten.
Streets
Most of the street works started around 1935 as so-called AK* -works and were completed by:
"Miljonvägen" ("Millionroad") Slagnäs - Arjeplog 1936
Malåvägen around 1940.
Slagnäs - Buresjön 1941-42 (the road Buresjön - Sorsele already existed earlier)
Arvidsjaurvägen was completed in autumn 1942 when the road bridge over the Slagnäsforsen was inaugurated.
(The Avaviken - Arvidsjaur section already existed before)
* (AK = Statens Arbetslöshetskommission - state unemployment commission -, active 1914-1940. See AMS)