Editing Bethel, Maine (section)

==History==

An [[Abenaki]] [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] village was once located on the north side of the [[Androscoggin River]], but had been abandoned before its subsequent [[English people|English]] settlement. In 1769, the township was granted as Sudbury-Canada by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] to Josiah Richardson of [[Sudbury, Massachusetts|Sudbury]], [[Massachusetts]] and others (or their heirs) for services at the [[Battle of Quebec (1690)|Battle of Quebec]] in 1690. It was first settled in 1774 when Nathaniel Segar of [[Newton, Massachusetts|Newton]], [[Massachusetts]] started clearing the land.

The [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], however, delayed many grantees from taking up their claims. Only 10 families resided at Sudbury-Canada when it was [[plundering|plundered]] on August 3, 1781, during the last Indian attack in Maine. Two inhabitants, Benjamin Clark and Nathaniel Segar, were abducted and held captive in [[Quebec]] until the war's conclusion, after which the community grew rapidly. On June 10, 1796, Sudbury-Canada Plantation was incorporated as [[Bethel]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bethelmaine.org/pages/index|title=Town of Bethel, Maine|publisher=Town of Bethel, Maine|access-date=August 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819155928/http://www.bethelmaine.org/Pages/index|archive-date=August 19, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> the name taken from the [[Book of Genesis]] and meaning "House of God."<ref name="MAGDE">{{cite book |last= Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums |editor=Doris A. Isaacson |title=Maine: A Guide 'Down East' |year=1970 |publisher=Courier-Gazette, Inc. |location=Rockland, Me | pages = 366 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bethelmaine.org/pages/index|title= Profile for Bethel, Maine, ME|publisher= ePodunk|access-date= August 25, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120819155928/http://www.bethelmaine.org/Pages/index|archive-date= August 19, 2012|url-status= dead}}</ref>

In 1802, a trade road (now [[Maine State Route 26|Route 26]]) was completed from [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] to [[Errol, New Hampshire|Errol]], [[New Hampshire]], passing through Bethel and bringing growth. More settlers and businesses arrived. Crops were planted on fertile intervales and [[meadow]]s formerly cultivated by Indians. Bethel became one of the best [[farming]] towns in the state, especially for [[hay]] and [[potato]]es. In winter, farmers found work [[logging]], with the [[lumber]] cut at [[sawmill]]s operated by [[water power]] from streams. Other manufacturers produced [[flour]], [[leather]] and [[Horse harness|harness]]es, [[furniture]], [[boot]]s and [[shoe]]s, [[carriage]]s, and [[marble]] and [[granite]] work. The Bethel House, a large hotel, was built in 1833.

<gallery>
File:Ferry at West Bethel, ME.jpg|Ferry across the Androscoggin River at West Bethel in 1909
File:The Prospect Hotel, Bethel, ME.jpg|The Prospect Hotel, largest in Bethel, as it appeared in 1909
File:Church Street, Bethel, ME.jpg|Church Street in {{circa|1912}}
File:Main & Church Sts., Bethel, ME.jpg|Main and Church streets in 1913
</gallery>

On March 10, 1851, the [[Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad]] opened to Bethel, carrying [[freight]] and summer tourists eager to escape the noise, heat and pollution of cities. Between the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] and [[World War I]], Bethel was a fashionable summer resort. Several hotels were built facing the common or on Bethel Hill. Begun in 1863, The Prospect Hotel was the largest, with a [[cupola]] from which guests could observe the mountains. [[Tally-ho]] [[coach (carriage)|coaches]] provided tours through [[wilderness]] landscapes of the [[White Mountains (New Hampshire)|White Mountains]] and Maine. Dr. John G. Gehring's famed clinic for [[nervous disorder]]s attracted many wealthy patients. Between 1897 and 1926, a number of figures in the music world{{who|date=September 2020}} performed at the Maine Music Festivals organized by William Rogers Chapman.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} But with the advent of the [[automobile]], tourists were no longer restricted by the limits of train service, but were free to explore. Consequently, many big hotels built near the tracks lost patrons, declined and were eventually torn down. The Prospect Hotel was largely destroyed by fire in 1911.  Although transportation patterns and preferences in vacation accommodations have changed, Bethel remains a tourist destination for its natural setting, history and recreation resources.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}