Kimball Block, Bethel, ca. 1870
Item 101080 info
Bethel Historical Society
The Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad arrived in Bethel March 10, 1851.
First proposed in 1844 by Andover native John Alfred Poor as a way of boosting Portland's dwindling mercantile trade and providing a winter link to the sea for Montreal to the north, the railroad brought great economic benefits to the dozens of small New England towns scattered along the line.
Communication and transportation changed the way Bethel was involved in, and influenced by the war, and tourism continued to help the industry become a source of fluid commerce.
Item 4 of 5
