Iron Route
The Region's Historical Iron and Metalworking Network
Orisberg Ironworks
The Orisberg Ironworks was established in 1676 and is considered the oldest ironworks in Ostrobothnia. Its original operations were based on processing iron ore, but the local supply of ore proved insufficient. Raw materials had to be transported from elsewhere, making production both expensive and challenging.
Over the centuries, the ironworks passed through several owners and gradually evolved from an industrial production site into a manor estate and agricultural centre. Industrial operations had largely ceased by the turn of the 20th century. Today, the area is home to a summer café and a campsite. Among its unique features are the neoclassical octagonal wooden church designed by C.L. Engel and the open bell tower with Doric columns situated on a small peninsula in Lake Kotilampi.
Orisberg – Finnish Bible Society
Östermyra Ironworks
The Östermyra Ironworks was founded by Abraham Falander in 1798 and remained in operation until the 1850s. Today, the former ironworks forms part of the historic Törnävä Manor area, which includes the manor on the eastern bank of the river and the Powder Park nature reserve on the western bank.
In 1825, Finland's first gunpowder factory was established at Östermyra through a collaboration between the Wasastjerna family and the Finnish state. The ironworks formed part of the wider network of ironworks in Ostrobothnia, where iron production and processing were key industries from the 17th to the 19th centuries.
RKY – Site information
History of the Wasastjerna family in Seinäjoki
Kimo Ironworks
The Kimo Ironworks was an ironworks located in Jepua and Oravais. It was established in 1703 along the Oravais River, which flows from Lake Röykasjärvi to the Gulf of Bothnia through a series of rapids.
Operations were divided between three separate sites along the river, with a fourth facility – the blast furnace – located approximately eight kilometres from the lowest ironworks. At the Upper Works (Övre hammaren), on the shore of Lake Röykasjärvi, the water power was regulated by a natural stone dam, which is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in Finland.
Vähäkyrö – Home of the Tinsmiths
One of the most important groups of craftsmen within the region's historical metalworking network were the tinsmiths of Vähäkyrö. They produced everyday household items from thin sheet metal, including coffee pots, buckets, trays and many other domestic utensils. Although the tinsmiths were not directly connected to any single ironworks, their craft formed part of the same regional metalworking network in which mines, ironworks, blacksmiths and craftsmen complemented one another.
The Witting mines formed part of the wider iron economy of Ostrobothnia. At the ironworks, ore was refined into iron, which was then used in local craftsmen's workshops.
You may also be interested in
Ritari Local Heritage Museum Ritarin kotimuseo – Historian havinaa Ylistaron asemalla
Videos about the history of the region
Tammisunnuntai 1918 | Yle Areena
Memories of Seinäjoki – Kevari-Witting (YouTube)
Memories of Seinäjoki – Väärennettyä rahaa (Vimeo)
Memories of Seinäjoki – Syyttömänä mestattu (YouTube)
Memories of Seinäjoki – Ylistaron kirkonsilta & Kaukolan lossi (YouTube)
Memories of Seinäjoki – Lohna ja hoijakka (YouTube)
