The Inhabitants of Tyristuggu

	Ola Mæla. Ca 1900.

According to the census of 1875 a man named Ole Christensen Hitterdal usually called Ola Maela (1826-1912) who owned house no. 398. He was married to Helle Olsdatter Faetten (1814-1884) the house had only one living room and the whole family lived there.

Randi Borgos

Ola and Helle lived in this single room together with their 22 year-old son, a 25 year-old daughter and her son of 4. Ola Maela who was a cobbler and shoemaker, also had his workshop in the room. Helle cooked for weddings and other large occasions, and
Ola was often invited as a fiddler or violin player. The nickname of ‘Maela’ (miller) comes from the fact that Ola grew up at Maelastuggu where the river mill was sited where the large Riisgaarden property is situated today.

	Jon Christensen Hitterdal, Jo-Mæla,

Ola Maela’s brother, Jon Christensen Hitterdal, who was called, Jo-Maela also lived for a period with his brother and family in house no. 398. Jo-Maela was a painter and he had his workshop in a house called Bokk-stuggu on the opposite side of the street.

As already indicated Helle and Ole Christensen Hitterdal had two children, a daughter Olava (1846-1928) she married Anders Olsen Langen from the farm Ovre Asen; they also had a son, Christian (1849-1927) who fathered a large family and purchased the house on Bakkan at the bottom of Dahlbakken. He decided to shorten his name to Dahl and became a well-known fiddler.

In 1908 the house belonging to Ola Maela was purchased by Tyri Jensdatter Myren (1862-1937). Tyri Myren came from the farm with the name of Myren from northern Os in Osterdal. In a letter concerning the purchase of the house Tyri’s neighbour and helper in Os wrote to one of Ola Maela’s children the following words:  ‘As I am unable at the moment to go with Tyri Myren up to Røros and complete the sale of the cottage, which belongs to Ola Maela, I must ask you, from your kindness, to please accompany Tyri instead of me, and complete the purchase, I have seen the cottage, and I think it is suitable for her, and I would appreciate if the contents of the cottage can also be included in the purchase for the same price.’

	Tyri Myren

Tyri Myren was not married and she took work in several of the big houses in the mining town, among others she worked for the teacher, Anders Bergan and the shopkeeper Adolf Holden. She waHouse clothes and baked bread, worked in the cattle Houses and any other available jobs. During her free time she weaved and knitted for Hiorts Stiftelse (Foundation), a working arrangement the Copper Work’s General Manager, Peder Hiort started in order to help the people of the mining town.

In 1927, a curator of the museum visited Tyri Myren’s house in order to take some measurements of the house and make a record of the arrangements inside. The living room was furniHouse with a bed, a chest of drawers, a corner cupboard, a clock, a small drop leaf table an iron stove and a wood storage bin. Lund describes the kitchen in this way, ‘very small, with just enough space for one person between the door and the chimney probably only comfortable in the winter.’

	Tyri Myren

The house was called, Tyristuggu, after her. During the Second World War people from northern Norway who were evacuated from Finmark were the last people to live in the house.