 He made a lasting mark in the region, as he organized settling in the Målselvdalen valley, in what would later become the municipalities of Målselv and Bardu.Farmers from the Gudbrand Valley and Østerdalen moved north mainly between 1791 and 1800, and Jens Holmboe helped about forty families with supplies and funding.Topographically, Målselvdalen was and is similar to Østerdalen.