Lars Ingier

Ingier was born in Ullensaker as the son of military officer Hans Christophersøn Ingier and Anne Schulstad.[1] The Ingier family hailed from the ancient Ullensaker farm Ingier, known from the Middle Ages as Ingigjærdi.[2] In 1792 he married Gjertrud Maren Juel. He died at Stubljan in Aker in 1828.[1]

Ingier graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy, with the rank of Premier Lieutenant. He then abandoned the military career and started a career in road construction.[1] From the 1780s he was appointed road manager (Norwegian: generalveimester) of the Diocese of Akershus, which covered most of Eastern Norway at the time.[3] Among his road projects were the King's road through Krokskogen and a new road passing the mountain at Holmestrand. He is credited for having introduced right-hand driving in Norway, by issuing posters in 1807, and this principle was included in the Road Traffic Regulation Acts of 1824 and 1851.[1]

In 1799 he acquired the farms Stubljan and Hvitebjørn from his wife's aunt Maren Juel, and the family settled at Stubljan.[1] At his estate Ingier was running four saw mills, a corn mill, a niter mill and a powder mill.[2] His wife was related to leading Christiania families, and Stubljan became the site for parties for the city's social elite.[1] While running the activities at his estate, he retained his position as road manager. During the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809 he was in command of a pioneer unit in Østfold, responsible for technical support. He was promoted to the rank Lieutenant Colonel (Norwegian: oberstløytnant) in 1809.[1]

Ingier was decorated as a Knight of the Swedish Order of the Sword in 1818.[1] The Ingierstrand seaside resort in Oppegård, originally part of Stubljan and acquired by Oslo Municipality in 1936, is named after the Ingier family.[4]