These goods often included wood, butter, animals and horses and were transported by the use of "jekter", a kind of small sailing ship.

[5] The road through Vadheim and up the Ytredalen valley towards Sunnfjord has been an important thoroughfare since time immemorial.

In 1882, Vadheim Hotel was built and the transport of tourists through the village became an important source of income for the farmers.

This was most likely the first power plant in Sogn and Fjordane.In 1906 the Englishman Edgar Ashcroft bought the rights to the waterways and created "Vadheim Elektrochemiske Fabriker" in 1907.

One of the ships she sank was Mount Temple which carried dinosaur fossils destined for the British Museum in London, England.

During World War II, under the name Oldenburg, was used in support of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany.

489 Squadron RNZAF sank Oldenburg at her moorings following an intense strafing and rocket attack.

The incident caused a controversy in Norway after the war when Andersen was charged in court with killing them.

During World War II, the Nazi occupants constructed different types of fortifications in Vadheim.