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The Bethel Journals |
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Bethel Maine History March 4, 2010 Now in its fifth year |
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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.
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The Bethel Journals are compiled by Donald G. Bennett P.O. Box 763 Bethel, Maine 04217 207-824-2094
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Bethel—A Millennium Community |
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A Prescott steam car at Poplar Tavern in 1905 |
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William Rogers Chapman—1907
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Sunday River Cemetery—Newry |
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Androscoggin River bridge—1869 to 1927 |
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The Bethel Journals - news and history Donald G. Bennett PO Box 763 Bethel, Maine 04217 |
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History News People Places Events
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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. “
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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 |
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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
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Start here! 1886 News -The first year of the journals. Introduction to the 1886 Bethel area scene and life along western Androscoggin River valley. |
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Bethel Water Co 1889 to 1968—History of the development of the Chapman Brook water supply system for Bethel Village and Mayville. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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1880-1889 Bethel’s corn canning factory ran seasonally on the former Eber Clough property by the upper Mill Brook dam. |
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1887 —Bethel adopts town school system to replace district schools, notable citizens Dr. N.T. True and Rev. David Garland die. |
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1888 —Corn canning down 75%; Dr. John Gehring marries Marian True Farnsworth; Wild River mill destroyed by fire; public water source explored. |
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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. |
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1890 Public water in Bethel; corn factory moved; Wild River Lumber Co. formed; Bethel 1890 census: 2,209. John G. Gehring, Horatio Upton |
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1891 Bethel Fair inaugurated; American Bobbin, Spool and Shuttle Co; Cole Block built; Riverside Trotting Track; Garland Memorial Chapel |
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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 |
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1893 Vote to approve new location and to build new county buildings; Cole Block for sale; new brick school house approved. |
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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 |
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1896—A 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. |
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1897 Bowler buys Bethel News; all eyes on Maine Music Festival; West Bethel Union Church dedicated. |
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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. |
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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 |
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Special Features—1880’s to 1968 |
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Index to The Bethel Journals |
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S Bethel Ski Story—Sunday River and Mt. Abram 1959 and 1960 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 |
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V Vernon Street Ski Tow—1948 Viking Village—by Pete Cunningham. |
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Read more about Top Hat’s 1947 Grand Opening |
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Early 1954—Portland to Montreal Canadian National at Bethel Station |
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1955—Bethel Citizen |
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Citizen September 2, 1948 |
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June 1, 1939—Bethel Citizen |
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Annual News Summaries , The Bethel Journals |
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Vernon Street Ski Tow—1948 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. |
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Bethel History’s Names in the News
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William R Chapman
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Frank E Hanscom |
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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. |
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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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N NTL—National Training Labs, NTL Institute |
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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. |
