Bethel Maine History - The Bethel Journals

The Bethel Journals Donald G. Bennett, PO Box 763, Bethel, Maine 04217

The Bethel Journals

Bethel Maine History

January 16, 2012

History

News

People

Places

Events

The Cole Brothers, The Cole Block and Odeon Hall

In 1891 Elmer and Fred Cole from East Bethel and Washington, DC, wanted to create a landmark Bethel building.

The Cole’s building survived but hard times dashed their high hopes.

Over its 120 years history it housed two banks, a law office, town news-paper, jewelry store, town offices, meeting hall and auditorium, women’s apparel store, telephone central, and a police station.

Text Box: The Railroad Story Begins in 1851 Grand Trunk R.R. provided the economy’s backbone for Androscoggin Valley towns — Bethel, Gilead, Hastings, Locke Mills, Mason, Albany, Newry. Out went tons and tons of logs, potatoes, corn, livestock, lumber, dowels. In came vacationers. .

It took over 40 years but finally a Civil War Monument

Decades of talk and meetings . Read more

The Skiing Page tells about Bethel’s 1937 winter recreation scene, Vernon Street and Swan’s Corner

When Maine began to focus on its winter recreation potential, Bethel was recognized for its snow and ski trails.

Van Tel & Tel—1903 to 1968

Bethel’s telephone story began in 1889 before New England Telephone Co strung lines into Bethel and set poles along Main Street.

Soon Alphonse Van Den Kerckhoven took over, bought out New England Tel & Tel in Bethel and for over 60 years the Van family was the Bethel telephone system.

Indians in Bethel History

Friendly encounters - 1781 Indian raid - eventually displaced by white English settlers. Indian villages along the Androscoggin no longer existed by 1779; however early settlers met a number of friendly Abenaki who traded with the new arrivals and enjoyed the White Man’s rum.

Bethel’s newspapers

—the first hundred years

A fascinating story about editors Aked Ellingwood, Ernest Bowler, Fred Merrill, David Forbes, Carl Brown, and John Brown . Editor Emeritus John Brown wrote about the people and machinery used in keeping Bethel supplied with local news. Then another article by Gerald Goldstein details the last days of letterpress printing at the Citizen.

Bethel’s “Golden Gate” bridge 1869-1927

It was a two lane affair, a toll bridge for 20 years, however the name “Toll Bridge” stuck with it for its entire life; it connected Bethel Hill and points south with North Bethel, Newry, Upton, Rumford and Hanover.

Bethel Library Association

First organized by a group of Bethel village ladies in 1879, it gained public support from neighboring towns.

How the library association formed is told in a brief account of its early history that follows. Its mission was to acquire and exchange books among the members. Annie Frye and Margaret Tibbetts were the authors early library history.

Bethel Water Company 1889-1968

1888: William E. Skillings, Judge Enoch Foster, Samuel D. Philbrook accompanied by Albert Stanwood of Waterford have been investigating the general possibilities of supplying Bethel Hill with pure water and supply of water in case of fire. They have a natural basin in Chapman Brook about three miles from The Bethel House and one hundred fifty feet above the level of the Common on Bethel Hill. Mr. Stanwood, formerly with the Boston water system, thinks that the supply is sufficient and the intervening ground is suitable for digging and laying pipe.

GOULD ACADEMY

Founded 1836

Leading citizens of Bethel had two goals in mind when they created an academy on Bethel Hill.

First they wanted to provide a high school for Bethel scholars and others interested in furthering their education.

Second, maybe most important, they wanted to attract pupils to Bethel and attract businesses to the Bethel Hill section of the town.

Gould flourishes today in its third life.

Mayville

Mayville is a section of Bethel that was settled by members of the Twitchell, Chapman and Mason families.

Located on the north and northwest side of the Androscoggin River, the name Mayville first began appearing in Oxford County news-papers around 1868.

Read more about Mayville

THE “M” ON WEATHER VANE (ABOVE) STANDS FOR MASON—THREE GENERATIONS OF MASONS ORIGINALLY FROM DUBLIN, NH, LIVED HERE

Story hour in progress

Welcome to

History is yester-day’s news. You may enjoy reading some of the stories introduced on this page or go to the General Index

Be a Reader

It was 1947 : NTL ,

The National Training Laboratories, came to Bethel

Bethel, Maine became known world-wide as the T-Group laboratory. T-Group concepts were explored for improving group functioning and leadership development.

Along the way, the NTL laboratories gave Bethel a great boost to its summer economy

T-Groups probably have given Bethel greater inter-national standing than its wood industry, Gehring Clinic, educational and recreational facilities ever did or ever will.

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