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The Bethel Journals

Bethel Maine History

March 4, 2010

Now in its fifth year

Bethel Maine History -1886 to 1968

The Bethel Journals is a local history website of the Bethel, Maine area that includes Newry, Gilead, Albany, Hastings, Mason, Locke’s Mills, Wilson’s Mills and  the  Androscoggin River valley in Western Maine.  Follow development of life in the Bethel area from 1886 onwards.

A “Journal” is a one year summary of news. See the Index below for profiles of people, places and events.  (This is an on-going project.)

Questions?  Click Contact Me and email your question or comment.

 

The Bethel Journals are compiled by

Donald G. Bennett

P.O. Box 763

Bethel, Maine 04217

207-824-2094

 

 

Bethel—A Millennium Community

Click Photo to enlarge

A Prescott steam car at Poplar Tavern in 1905

William Rogers Chapman—1907

 

Sunday River Cemetery—Newry

Androscoggin River bridge—1869 to 1927

The Bethel Journals - news and history

Donald G. Bennett

PO Box 763

Bethel, Maine 04217

History

News

People

Places

Events

 

Bethel Chair Factory   December 24, 1886

 “The steam was put on the boiler of the chair factory for the first time last Tuesday and everything worked like a charm even if the concern did cost the town of Bethel $8,000. “

 

 

OTHER BETHEL’S

 

Bethel, Vermont, pop. 1,968 Chartered 1779  Bethel, Connecticut, pop. 18,067 seceded from Danbury in 1855

 

Bethel, New York, pop. 4,362, Est. 1809

A Brief History of Sunday River — A look at the history of the Sunday River valley—Riley, Newry and Bethel—hardy settlers to summer vacationers, skiers and the valley of second homes. Read The Boarders ; Locke Mt House and Farm for Sale, 1914

 

 

 Start here!  1886 News -The first year of the  journals.  Introduction to the 1886 Bethel area scene and life along western Androscoggin River valley.

Bethel Water Co 1889 to 1968History of the development of the Chapman Brook water supply system for Bethel Village and Mayville.

Gould Academy  - 1835—Bethel’s new academy held classes in the village pub/wayside inn until its first school was built—a one room affair.  Read more about Daniel Gould, William Bingham II Gym and see how the main academic building looked in 1929—the 1881 school building with a facelift.

The Bethel  Fair— 1891-1934  Every fall, many towns put on large agricultural fairs—local people went to fairs in Andover, South Paris, Lewiston and to the State Fair but not until 1890 and 1891 did Bethel have its own full blown fair and harness racing. 

1962 Bethel Citizen

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bethel’s Corn Canning Factory - established in 1880 by  Wolff & Reessing,  New York importers, primarily interested in sardine canning, sweet corn canning brought a measurable economic benefit as a co-op industry for Bethel area farmers. In 1886, farmers contracted with the company’s agent to plant 225 acres for canning.

1880-1889 Bethel’s corn canning factory ran seasonally on the former Eber Clough property by the upper Mill Brook dam.

1887 —Bethel adopts town school system to replace district schools, notable  citizens Dr. N.T. True and Rev. David Garland die.

 1888 —Corn canning down 75%; Dr. John Gehring marries Marian True Farnsworth; Wild River mill destroyed by fire; public water source explored.

1889  Vote: town to build new corn factory; vote: Bethel to build a lock-up; chair factory rented Rialto Hall; steam boat Rumford to Bethel.  Incorporation: Water Company and Bethel Village; Wyman brothers, Woburn, Mass., A.S. Bean, J.A. Thurston, J.W. Bennett.

1890   Public water in Bethel; corn factory moved; Wild River Lumber Co. formed; Bethel 1890 census: 2,209. John G. Gehring, Horatio Upton

1891 Bethel Fair inaugurated; American Bobbin, Spool and Shuttle Co; Cole Block built; Riverside Trotting Track; Garland Memorial Chapel

1892 County Seat will move; Rumford Falls booms; new Bethel creamery; vote by Australian ballot, Pinckney Burnham died; Timothy A. Chapman of Milwaukee died; Cole Hall dedicated

1893 Vote to approve new location and to build new county buildings; Cole Block for sale; new brick school house approved.

1894    News Summary  & Part 1 of journal

Part 2 of  1894 journal

1895 In South Paris corner stone laying ceremony for new county buildings and courthouse –town’s new weekly newspaper Bethel News debuts in June.  Poplar Tavern adds new club room

1896A major flood, Bethel celebrated its centennial, fire  destroyed the Dr. N.T. True house on Broad Street.  Gehrings move into new home before year’s end.

1897 Bowler buys Bethel News;  all eyes on Maine Music Festival; West Bethel Union Church dedicated.

1931  Bethel in 1931 George Thompson writes a letter to Bethel’s future citizens telling them how it was living in the Bethel of 1931. 

Alumni Assoc– Gould Acad. 1891

Artist Bridge, Sunday River

Aviators, 1931 Flying Field

 

 

1989 - Times are changing

Through most of its history, Bethel's economic base has been farming, wood products and lumbering, and recreation and tourism. Over the years farming has significantly declined and the wood products and lumbering industry has somewhat declined but is presently holding its own. However, the recreation, tourism, and service industries and the educational sectors of our economy have made tremendous gains and we are rapidly becoming dependent on them as the mainstay of the area's economy.

 

Rodney Lynch, Town Manager   1985 –1990

Special Features—1880’s to 1968

Index to The Bethel Journals

R   Railroad Journal  Grand Trunk, Portland to Rumford Falls, Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes RR

Riverside Farms

 

 

Bethel Ski Story—Sunday River and Mt. Abram 1959 and 1960

Swans Corner 1944

Vernon Street Ski Tow 1948

Short Takes  - a chapter of short stories

Bethel Steam Mill—In 1864, Bethel’s most technologically advanced mill

A Brief History of Sunday River

South Bethel—Walker’s Mills territory

Vernon Street Ski Tow1948 Viking Villageby Pete Cunningham.

Read more about Top Hat’s 1947 Grand Opening

Early 1954—Portland to Montreal Canadian National at Bethel Station

1955—Bethel Citizen

Citizen September 2, 1948

June 1, 1939—Bethel Citizen

Annual News Summaries ,

The Bethel Journals

Vernon Street Ski Tow1948 Bethel area skiers formed an outing club to operate a village ski area with rope tow.  “Mt. Vernon” becomes inspiration, training ground for the Sunday River Ski Area opened in 1959.

 Bethel History’s Names in the News

 

 

From 1891 to 1893, Elmer and Fred Cole from East Bethel and Washington, DC, invested high hopes in creating a landmark property on Bethel’s Main Street.  1893’s financial panic blew over the country.  The Coles lost their building but Odeon Hall lived on famously

Poplar Tavern - For decades North Newry’s social center lived here.  The well informed of Portland, Boston, Providence, New York and New Jersey enjoyed summers here as well as the lake travelers and mountain viewers

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Mayville—Farming, recreation, lodging

Mason Farm in Mayville

Monument—Civil War Soldier

 

NTL—National Training Labs, NTL Institute

The Outlook  

Dates and Events in Bethel History

  Chronology from 1622 to 2009.

1796,      Bethel incorporated;  Mass. Gov Sam Adams signed it.

1851,      Railroad comes to Bethel

1927,     1869 covered bridge over Androscoggin  dismantled,  the Phil Chapmans last to cross.

1968,      Bethel abolishes zoning; becomes “Capitol” of new     five town Maine School District  44.

Followed by:  1887    1888   1889  1890  1891

1892   1893   1894   1895  1896   1897  1931

 

Map      Index

Contact Me

Weekly News

Bethel Historical Society

Heating Oil

About the Journals