ten years it had passed 20 Swedish cities in population. The city attracted immigrants, a slight majority from the Jamtish countryside, though still with a high number of settlers from Southern Sweden. While �stersund was in its most intense state of growth popular movements emerged among the inhabitants. In J�mtland and H�rjedalen the free minded Good Templar movement (a part of the temperance movement) came to dominate completely. In 1883, 700 of the city's total population of 3 000 were organized Good Templars. The greatest symbol of the movements grandeur was the Order House constructed 1885 in the city,�stersunds-Goodtemplars-Ordenshus. When one of the most prominent leaders, Joseph Malins, visited the city he announced that it was the world's largest order house.
Many of the leading people behind the popular movements in �stersund saw industrialization as a significant threat towards the native districts and the old village and farmer community. The work from the movements made the city and its centre-right governance extremely rejective towards industries. Instead they wanted to portray �stersund as a centre of out-door activities, culture, education and tourism. Industries were not allowed to threaten the good environment, and the social history traditions.
In 1917 when the Great War was fought on the continent and with the February revolution in Russia, starting the Russian Revolution also affected �stersund. Rationing led to lack of supplies and a revolution was feared. Some of the citizens, primarily soldiers, went on hunger strikes and at the first of May that year 4 000 demonstrators gathered in front of the city hall demanding lower prices on milk and wood. The year after the Spanish flu spread like wildfire across the world. The city doctor in �stersund noted that "�stersund ought without objection have been more haunted by the flu than any other Swedish city", which is why �stersund was referred to by locals as spanska sjukans
