Eckhoff 1791-1891 lieutenant-colonel)
The following may have taken place on Saturday 29 July 1896:
The artists J. C. Dahl and M. W. Eckhoff traveled through Vinje on their way to Sogn.
While Eckhoff was drawing his water-color, J. C. Dahl walked around and looked for a birch that he that he could sketch.
Later that Saturday, about 6 p.m. Eckhoff and Dahl approached Stalheim. There IC Dahl made another sketch for the painting "Stalheim" which can be found in Nasjonalgalleriet (National Gallery) in Oslo.
More than 50 years later the old "lensmann" (sherif) Lars O. Vinje (1815-1885) to the farm "Lilletun" (to the left behind the church). He wanted to chat with old Anders Lillethun (1809-1886). The son of Anders, Lars (1860-1944), prepaired to cut down an old birch. "Please don't do that, the birch is so wonderfull", said the old "lensmann". The old Anders said presumably, "That birch painted great artist Dahl in the year of my fathers death, I was 17 years at that time. The birch is still standing there in year 2000.