Geographical Reports
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Geographical Reports THE EVOLUTION OF UPPER NORRLAND'S PORTS AND LOADING PLACES 1750—1976 Ian G. Lay ton UMEA1981 No 6 Department of Geography University of Umeå ine for read 39 paper study 19 factors features 7 thus played was thus 8 industiral. industrial 9 revolution revolution, 11 America. America, 10 ce be 1 utilized utilized. 8 specificially specifically 13 nineteenth century nineteenth-century 30 two-and-a-quarter two and a quarter 28 permittet permitted THE EVOLUTION OF UPPER NORRLAND'S PORTS AND LOADING PLACES 1750—1976 AKADEMISK AVHANDLING, SOM MED VEDERBÖRLIGT TILLSTÂND AV REKTORSÄMBETET VID UMEÅ UNIVERSITET FÖR VINNANDE AV FILOSOFIE DOKTORSEXAMEN FRAMLÄGGES TILL OFFENTLIG GRANSKNING VID GEOGRAFISKA INSTITUTIONEN, FÖRELÄSNINGSSAL F 1, SÖDRA PAVILJONGERNA, UMEÅ UNIVERSITET, FREDAGEN DEN 10 APRIL 1981, KL 10.00 av IAN G. LAYTON MA Umeå 1981 — Norrlands-tryck i Umeå AB The Evolution of Upper Norrland's Ports and Loading Places 1750-1976. lari G Layton, The Department of Geography, University of Umeå, Sweden. Abstract: Models of port development have hitherto concentrated on landward communications and the organization of maritime space in their explanation of changes in port location and activity. This study demonstrates that the level of economic development in hinterlands together with industrial and marine technology are also significant factors and indeed play leading roles in the process of port evolution. For a deeper understanding of the process of port evolution the case of Upper Norrland's ports has been investigated. An analysis of changes in port distri bution since 1750 reveals two main processes: dispersion followed by concen tration. The growth in the number of ports and loading places prior to 1885 was not regular but stepwise, with two rapid increases related to the relax ation of mercantile restrictions, laissez-faire policies and the diffusion of new industrial activities. The fall in port numbers also corresponds to industrial changes and large-scale rationalizations of industry and transport systems have taken place in association with the economic changes following the two World Wars. The innovation and subsequent decline of new types of forest-based industries appear as a series of waves when their numbers are graphed. Charcoal ironworks, fine-blade water-driven sawmills, steam-powered saws, pulp mills, wallboard factories and paper mills demonstrate the succession of industrial and technological innovations. Clearly, the demand for the products of these industries, their shipping requirements and the physical needs and economics of contemporary transport have been the dominant factors in Upper Norrland's port development. On the basis of these changes, the evolution of the region's port system has been synthesized into the Upper Norrland model. Land communications have nevertheless had an important part to play in sus taining port dominance at the mouths of the major river valleys, which have acted as corridors of penetration. This investigation shows that these gate way ports had achieved significance long before the maximum number of scat tered ports was reached, and it is doubtful whether the situation of a scattering of ports all of a similar status ever existed in reality. Early port dominance was sustained by later transport developments on land and in particular at sea, as river mouths provided the best sites for the construc tion of outports and deep-water terminals. The long-term seaward migration of port activity and facilities has taken place and the Bottenhamn model demonstrates this process at the local level. The study concludes by putting the Upper Norrland and Bottenhamn models into a wider context. The world-wide influence of colonial powers and maritime nations has led to a diffusion of marine technology, and shipping require ments must therefore have, prompted similar port developments throughout the world. Key words: COMMUNICATIONS PATTERNS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EXPORT TRADE, FOREST-BASED INDUSTRIES, HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY, INDUSTRIAL LOCATION, NORTHERN SWEDEN, PORT EVOLUTION, PORTS, TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY. Geographical Reports no 6. Published by the Department of Geography, University of Umeå, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden. ISSN 0349-4683, 358 pages. UMEÂ 1981. GEOGRAPHICAL REPORTS NO 6 Published by The Department of Geography University of Umeå THE EVOLUTION OF UPPER NORRLAND*S PORTS AND LOADING PLACES 1750—1976 IAN G. LAYTON UMEA 1981 Ce n'est qu'avec le passé qu'on fait l'avenir Anatole France Norrlands-Tryck i Umeâ AB Umeå 1981 The Evolution of Upper Norrland's Ports and Loading Places 1750-1976. Ian G Layton, The Department of Geography, University of Umeå, Sweden. Abstract: Models of port development have hitherto concentrated on landward communications and the organization of maritime space in their explanation of changes in port location and activity. This study demonstrates that the level of economic development in hinterlands together with industrial and marine technology are also significant factors and indeed play leading roles in the process of port evolution. For a deeper understanding of the process of port evolution the case of Upper Norrland's ports has been investigated. An analysis of changes in port distri bution since 1750 reveals two main processes: dispersion followed by concen tration. The growth in the number of ports and loading places prior to 1885 was not regular but stepwise, with two rapid increases related to the relax ation of mercantile restrictions, laissez-faire policies and the diffusion of new industrial activities. The fall in port numbers also corresponds to industrial changes and large-scale rationalizations of industry and transport systems have taken place in association with the economic changes following the two World Wars. The innovation and subsequent decline of new types of forest-based industries appear as a series of waves when their numbers are graphed. Charcoal ironworks, fine-blade water-driven sawmills, steam-powered saws, pulp mills, wallboard factories and paper mills demonstrate the succession of industrial and technological innovations. Clearly, the demand for the products of these industries, their shipping requirements and the physical needs and economics of contemporary transport have been the dominant factors in Upper Norrland1s port development. On the basis of these changes, the evolution of the region's port system has been synthesized into the Upper Norrland model. Land communications have nevertheless had an important part to play in sus taining port dominance at the mouths of the major river valleys, which have acted as corridors of penetration. This investigation shows that these gate way ports had achieved significance long before the maximum number of scat tered ports was reached, and it is doubtful whether the situation of a scattering of ports all of a similar status ever existed in reality. Early port dominance was sustained by later transport developments on land and in particular at sea, as river mouths provided the best sites for the construc tion of outports and deep-water terminals. The long-term seaward migration of port activity and facilities has taken place and the Bottenhamn model demonstrates this process at the local level. The paper concludes by putting the Upper Norrland and Bottenhamn models into a wider context. The world-wide influence of colonial powers and maritime nations has led to a diffusion of marine technology, and shipping require ments must therefore have prompted similar port developments throughout the world. Key words: COMMUNICATIONS PATTERNS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EXPORT TRADE, FOREST-BASED INDUSTRIES, HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY, INDUSTRIAL LOCATION, NORTHERN SWEDEN, PORT EVOLUTION, PORTS, TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY. Geographical Reports no 6. Published by the Department of Geography, University of Umeå, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden. ISSN 0349-4683, 358 pages. UMEÄ 1981. iv Preface This study began as part of an interdisciplinary investigation into Norrland's trade and shipping within the Norrlandsprojekt, initiated by Gösta Skoglund (formerly Minister of Transport). Preliminary work was carried out in Umeå during sabbatical leave from Matlock College of Education in the autumn of 1974, assisted by a scholarship from the Swedish Institute. In January 1976 I began full-time research in Umeå, supported initially by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond) and by a postgraduate grant (from Umeå University). Funds were later provided from the Ostkust pro ject, financed by the research foundation Stiftelsen J C Kempes Minne which has also contributed generously to the printing of this thesis. Further, the Swedish Cellulose Company (SCA) helped by sponsoring related research in conjunction with the production of its anniversary publication SCA 50 år (Sundsvall 1979). I wish to express my thanks to all these bodies for their encouragement and financial assistance. I owe further debts of gratitude to the late Professor Harry Thorpe and to Professor W R Mead who, respectively, initiated and fostered my interest in the historical geography of Scandinavia. In Sweden, my tutor Professor Erik Bylund has given much help and encouragement. I am particularly indebted to Ingvar Jonsson for his stimulating discussion and construc tive criticism over the years. Professor John Rice, Nils Häggström, Inez Egerbladh and Mauno Lassila have also contributed their time and expertise. I thank too the many other friends and colleagues who have freely supplied good humour and