Bethel House, Chapman House, Bethel Hill, ca. 1875
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Bethel Historical Society
By Brooke Kelly
During the Civil War era, Bethel became a local hub — influenced by industry and tourism — and developed into a center of wartime commerce.
Mills and large lumber companies presented the town with its first spurt of industrial growth, catching the eyes of non-Bethel natives as well.
As facilities and small economic systems were established, tourism began to grow, in turn helping industry to develop further as the population and number of consumers increased.
Industry and tourism allowed Bethel to grow as the town became both a center of commerce and a community significant to the State of Maine.
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