Effects on Economy, Population


Middle Intervale Meetinghouse, Bethel, ca. 1970

Middle Intervale Meetinghouse, Bethel, ca. 1970
Item 101082   info
Bethel Historical Society

Economic hardship, the end of the war, and other events prompted many to migrate to other parts of the nation. In 1860, Bethel had a population of 2,523 and 474 households that averaged five individuals per home. Twenty-eight soldiers lost their lives during the war, but after the war, only 53 veterans continued to live in Bethel, with 100 moving elsewhere in Maine or out of state.

Bethel's population slowly declined. The next three censuses showed a population of 2,268 in 1870, 2,077 in 1880, and 1,835 in 1900.

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