Härnösand

Härnösand developed on Härnön around an older market and harbour near the mouth of the Ångerman River. In 1585 Johan III compelled country merchants and craftsmen to gather there and build a town, bringing an important trading place under closer royal control. Timber houses stretched along the shores, each with its own waterside storehouse. A rowing ferry linked the island town with the mainland until the first bridge was built in 1658.

Merchants traded with Stockholm, Lübeck and Danzig, exporting fish, butter, hides, linen, tar and timber while importing salt, grain and manufactured goods. Fishing remained a major occupation, shared by traders and artisans as well as specialist fishermen. Royal regulation could restrict the town's opportunities: customs duties were imposed in 1622, and in 1636 the northern towns were forbidden to trade with places other than Stockholm. Härnösand's growth consequently depended both on its maritime resources and on changing rules imposed by the Crown.