The Inland Railway reaches Vilhelmina.
On December 19, 1917, work on the Inland Railway is underway. The tracks are approaching the town of Vilhelmina. A community in southern Lapland that for many is now one of many stops along the Inland Railway. You can see the already completed station building in the background. The workers are laying sleepers on the embankment and the rails are being laid. There are still many miles to go. Snow and cold are no obstacle for the tracks that are working on it. A date has probably been set when the Dorotea-Vilhelmina section will be completed, which has been going on for two years. The Swedish Minister of Civil Affairs and representatives of the Inland Railway were tasked with supervising the construction and made their last inspection just north of Dorotea in 1915.
Solemn celebration.
On February 16, 1918, the Inland Railway was officially completed. The authorities advocated the importance of the railway for the hinterland. To be able to transport forest raw materials and ore, but also to expand the hydroelectric power in the rivers. A church service was held in Vilhelmina Church, which is beautifully situated on a hill with a view of the community. After the service, you walk down to the church town. A wooden building of many church cottages close together, where villagers from outside the community lived during the church holidays. Fires like those in Umeå and Sundsvall also affected Vilhelmina. On September 5, 1921, a fire started in one of the church cottages and the result was that large parts of the church town burned down.