350th ANNIVERSARY OF HALDEN and the tug TISTA

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Halden 350 Years
Halden’s history is an exciting one. The town was named Frederikshald in 1665 after the Danish king, Frederik III.
Just like Kristiania, which in 1925 changed its name back to Oslo, Frederikshald took back its old name, Halden, in 1928. But the fortress, which so many people have visited, is still called Fredriksten, and it towers above the town.

The old seaport, Halden, emerged as an export port for timber being sent to Holland and England. When Norway was forced to surrender areas to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, Halden became an important border town to Sweden.
In our historically conflict-filled relationship with Sweden, Fredriksten Fortress and the town at the foot of the fortress’s mountain played an important role. Swedish advances were stopped time after time, and when Karl XII fell at the fortress in 1718 it marked the end of the Great Northern War.
The first mechanical industrial company in Norway was opened in Tistedalen in 1815, with Mads Wiel’s cotton spinning mill as one of the first industrial pioneers. During the union with Sweden between 1814 and 1905, Halden also played an important role in the areas in Sweden.
Halden became a significant maritime town with an impressive 133 ships in 1875. Maritime became less important as ships one after one transitioned from sail to steam. Between 1892 and 1998 there were 17 shoe factories in Halden, but the growing imports of cheaply produced shoes from the Far East forced the last factory at Øberg in Tistedalen to close its doors.
There have been several fires in Halden, and one of them was set by the inhabitants of the town to prevent their homes from being taken by the Swedes. The fire of 1826 caused so much damage that much of the town needed to be rebuilt. This has given Halden the uniform appearance it has today.
During the summer, Fredriksten Fortress and Svinesund are the major tourist attractions in Halden Municipality. The popular sing-along program that started on TV2 in 2007 attracts thousands of tourists and creates a buzzing atmosphere during the summer months.
https://www.posten.no/en/stamps-collect ... -350-years

The small vessel on the inside of the quay is the TISTA.

Built-in Fredrikstad at Fredrikstad Mechanical Workshop (yard no 24) on behalf of the Saugbrugsforeningen in Halden, Norway.
05 November 1891 the contract was signed and delivery took place 7 March 1892.
Launched as the TISTA, most probably named after the Tista River.
The building cost 23,000 NKr.

(Not any details on tonnage or dimensions, steam engine maker or hp.)

TISTA is over 130 years old and a jewel. After turning 100, she is protected by the Norwegian law and can now adorn herself with the title "Veteran boat".

What did everyday life really look like in Norway 130 years ago? The 1890s were a time of tremendous progress in science, politics, and the arts. Modern new cars did ride side by side with scared horses, and the union with Sweden was a hot topic. Ibsen, Bjørnson, and Hamsun wrote their works on a continuous basis and in 1893 a young man named Edvard Munch aroused the attention of the citizens with a painting that is called "Scream".
It was at this time that TISTA left the yard to tow barges and logs. The main task was to tow barges with bulk materials from Skipskaia in Halden up to the Saugbrugsforeningen paper mill on the Tista River at Tistedalen.

A special detail about TISTA was that she could lower her chimney to pass under the railway bridge in Halden. Although this was a swing bridge, it was much faster to lower the chimney than to wait for the entire bridge to open.
In 1912, TISTA received her first major overhaul. The tug was now 20 years old and needed a facelift. She was reviewed from mast to keel and many innovations from the industrial revolution came into place.
All this happened while a ship named TITANIC embarked on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

Saugbruksforeningen owned TISTA until 1939. From 1939 to 1974 the tug was owned by Robby Olsen in Halden. Under his ownership, TISTA was converted from steam to a motor ship. In 1953, a Rapp glow head motor was installed in the engine room.
In 1974 TISTA was again taken over by the Saugbrugsforeningen, which then had two other tugs, namely PLUGGEN and FOXEN. Saugbrugsforeningen owned TISTA until 1980. At that time she was no longer needed and she was sold to the Trondheims company Undervannsservice AS. Here, TISTA was used as a diving vessel.
TISTA stayed in Trondheim until 1989 when she was bought back to Østfold by Sponvika Slep og Berging, by Jens Myhren. He used TISTA mostly to tow a barge with excavator and equipment for the people on the Hvaler Islands.

Jens Myhren took out the old Rapp engine and installed a Volvo diesel engine. This engine is what powers TISTA's propeller today.
In 1991, TISTA was sold again. This time from Østfold to Vestfold. In Stavern, she remained there for 5 years until on 18 December 1996, when she returned to Halden.

n the 1997 Cultural Memorial Year, she is chosen by the Haldens as the city's cultural heritage and she is then restored and put into operation. 12 January 1998, the old lady is again in good condition and can finally be launched back in her old waters.
2020 Still around and used as a sightseeing vessel during the summer.

http://www.tugboatlars.se/TISTA.htm http://veteranbaatentista.no/historie.htm
Norway 2015 sg 1902, scott 1764.