Li
The Li farm was once one of the biggest farms in Etnedal,
located in the middle of the valley, on the east side of the
Etna river, bordering Kringli farm to the north and Byfuglien
farm to the south. To the east Li shared its border with Torpa
in Nordre Land.
Mikjel Sørlie suggests that Li was settled around 400 or
500 AD. Although there is archeological evidence that suggests
that people were here around the birth of Christ. This was
probably one of the first settlements in the valley. As was
with the other farms, Li was abandoned during the Black Death
when the people fled or died out. Li was also the first farm
that was resettled after the Black Death.
We do know that there were people at Li as early as 1593.
Østen Johannesson was at Li early on and could have been the
original settler after the Black Death. Oluf Østenson was
a farmer here in 1667 and is the last leaseholder we know
of at Li. Halvor Knutson Byfelie purchased Li together with
Kringli in 1682 from Lauritz Lauritzen. His son, Ole Halvorson,
took over in 1692.
The Li farm has, like Kringli and Byfuglien, been divided
many times through the centuries. All the cotterfarms (husmannsplassene)
belonging to Li, like Øverlisbygda, have been independent
farm units for the past 100 years. The same with the mountain
farms, like Svilosen, Garin, Listølen; these, too, are independent
farm units now.
Different families live on those farms today, although they
might be descendants of the early settlers. Bøverstuen was
part of the Li farm. On the Li farm was a school, a post office,
shops and a house of prayer. Subfarms are: Four units of Øverli,
two units of Skåren, Mæhlum, Bøverstuen, Flatmarken, Kompen,
Rundberg, Sjurud, Garastølen.
Source: Gard og Bygde i Etnedal Book B, pages 250-251
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