Engebret Soot was born on May 26, 1786 and grew up on the farm Soot on Mangskogen in Aurskog-Høland. Engebret Soot is known as the father of the Halden Canal. He built locks and canals for transporting boats and timber.
In 1836, 150 years after his birth, a bauta over him was builded at the upper lock chamber in Ørje Sluser. An oval bronze plant with a real portrait of Engebret Soot is mounted on the upper part of the support's smooth - cut front part. Below we find the channel builder's name, year of birth and year of death. Further down are mentioned Soots canal (Grasmokanalen), Otteid canal and Fredrikshalds canal, waterways where Soott, performed canalization work that was very important in his time. It was Fredrikshald's canal company that builded the monument.
