Industry, Tourism, and Commerce


Main Street, Bethel Hill, 1896

Main Street, Bethel Hill, 1896
Item 100629   info
Bethel Historical Society

Tourism in Bethel grew during the Civil War as more overnight facilities were created for wartime visitors.

Summer visitors appeared to be increasing each year and additional facilities, including the three-and-a-half story Chandler House hotel on the common, were being built to accommodate them.

Commerce developed out of industry and tourism. As prosperity extended even to farmers, and as the war continued, consumer prices rose, supporting the Bethel economy and allowing for growth.

Without tourism and industrialization during the Civil War, Bethel would not have been able to establish a successful system of commerce.

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