Searching for Eggen, Jens Christian

Jens Christian (Kristian) Eggen is a Norwegian who first moved from the Trondheim-area (Namdalen?) to Kirkenes in the very north of Norway. A few years later he left Norway (1865?), heading for the US. I don't know anything else about him, but he gave name to a place near Kirkenes called Namdalen. I just wonder who was he, why didn't he just travel to the US instead of taking the tour to Kirkenes first? (that was a journey which took at least six weeks by boat at that time) Is there any family out there?