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Kloten’s history is part of the iron industry’s history in Bergslagen, which began as early as the 12th century.
Since the 16th century, Kloten has been inhabited by the so-called ‘svedjefinnar,’ immigrants from Finland who made a living through slash-and-burn farming and the cultivation of a special type of rye, Svedjerågen (hence the name). In return for settling in uninhabited areas, they were granted several years of tax exemption.
Even today, names from this time period persist in places, lakes, and waterways.
History
Towards the end of the 17th century, the first smithy was built, and a few years later, the blast furnace was constructed in Kloten. What connected and enabled the transport of pig iron between the smelters and forges in northern Bergslagen was water. Over the centuries, Klothytteverken was in both Swedish and English ownership, and it was during the English ownership that the railway between Bånghammar and Kloten was built. A faster means of transportation was needed to Frövi, and on December 25, 1875, the 22-kilometer railway was completed.
Most of the traffic was freight, but sporadic passenger train service continued until 1934. By then, the forests had been burned down to charcoal, and iron ore had become more in demand, leading to the relocation of operations and the end of Kloten’s iron industry era.
Today, several buildings remain from this era, although the blast furnace met its fate in 1910.
The station building and locomotive shed, Kloten Manor, and the old school are parts of the lively Kloten we see today. The ruins of Klothyttan are visible, and next to it are the remains of the roasting furnace and the foundations of the charcoal shed. In Kloten Nature Resort, there was an old steam sawmill that was in use until the mid-1900s.
There is nothing left of the railway, but the railway embankment now serves as a beautiful and challenging cycling path.