Boxholm originates from an old factory village named after Arvid Gustavsson Stenbock, who established a manor in the county in the 16th century.  Arvid Gustavsson Stenbock was the brother of widow queen Katarina Stenbock and hence brother-in-law to king Gustav Vasa. He was sent as an envoy to Livonia, first making a stop at Åbo in Åland. During a drinking binge at Åbo castle, royal counsellor Stiernkors supposedly pulled a knife on A.G. Stenbock, who returned the favour by killing him. At the time, this was regarded as manslaughter at the highest social and military level. Stenbock was jailed and had to redeem himself by paying a serious penalty to the sons of the slayed man.

Cruel as this manslaughter was, it did not stand in the way of Stenbock eventually being appointed to various high-rank official positions, finally ending up as the commissary of Östergötland county, where he established Boxholm, named after his coat of arms.

(source: Lars-Olof Larsson - Arvet efter Gustav Vasa)

Swedish history books recall the following about Boxholm Jernbruk, as the iron mill was called in the 18th century. Boxholm Jernbruk, previously namned “the pit”, consisted of three hammers (Gabriels, Beate and Rudae), founded in 1754 and located by Swart-ån river, one half mile from Boxholm. 

In the beginning of the 18th century, baron Gustav Fredrik von Rosen sought a grant to "build a manufacturing hammer with the purpose of producing a variety of useful and desirable manufactured goods made from forged iron bars.” The grant was given in 1727 but no factory was built at the time.

Baron von Rosen was later appointed national councillor and general governor in Finland, and ended up selling the grant to the 22-year old baron Gabriel Adolf Ribbing, who in turn built two hammers by the Svartå river, with several forges being built the following years.

In 1778 the Boxholm manor was sold to the Burén family where the properties were developed further and and maintained during 93 years. In 1782 a permit was given to join all the different forges under one seal, “Bx”, and the inception of the Boxholm factory was a fact. 

(Source: "Boxholm Aktiebolag 1872-1947, minnesskrift utarbetad Elis Wettergren, 1947”)