 In 1805, Luleå only had 947 inhabitants, but in 1865 Luleå succeeded Piteå as the county town in Norrbotten county and now had around 1400 residents.In the 1860s the industries also started taking root in the city.The town has been plagued by fires in 1653, 1657 and in 1887, and
the fire in 1887 was a devastating fire that destroyed most of the town, sparing only a few buildings.