Browse Items (5850 total)

Eber Clough birch and stave mill

Bethel Ex #17.jpg

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The Colonial period settlement of Bethel began with the construction in 1774 by Joseph Twitchell of both a sawmill and gristmill at the foot of Mill Hill (Route 5). Necessities in the founding of most New England towns, these mills were the first…

Bean's Corner village (East Bethel), circa 1900

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Bean's Corner village (East Bethel), circa 1900. Local photographer Irving Kimball captured this classic farm scene only a couple of decades after Bethel reached the peak of its agricultural production. In front of the "English barn" at right, two…

Kimball Block

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The largest commercial structure in Bethel for many years, the Kimball Block stood from 1865 to 1965 at Bethel Hill near the site of the town's new fire station. In the pre-automobile age, this community, and others like it throughout the Nation,…

Log drive

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Logging was an extremely difficult and dangerous task before the advent of mechanized transportation, but furnished a winter's occupation and supplementary income for many Bethel farmers. Stimulated by the development of papermaking facilities in…

Nineteenth century women working

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Women's work in eighteenth and nineteenth century Bethel was often tedious and backbreaking. Few today can imagine the difficulties faced in the never-ending routine of home life during this earlier time.

Bethel Chair Company

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One of this community's largest nineteenth century industries was the Bethel Chair Company, established in 1886. The firm originally restricted itself to the production of Shaker-type rockers, but a variety of styles were eventually introduced. In…

Pleasant Valley Grange No. 136

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Following on the heels of the Farmer's Club movement, the Patrons of Husbandry (Grange) became highly popular throughout northern New England in the 1870s. Such organizations not only provided important social activities for isolated farm…

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The Bethel House advertisement

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The Bethel House was constructed in 1833 as the first of several large wooden hotels facing onto the Bethel Hill Common. Even before the railroad's arrival in 1851, Bethel had established itself as a popular stopping-off place for travelers.

Soiree on the the lawn of "The Howard"

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Bethel evolved into a much-favored inland watering spot for the well-to-do between the Civil War and World War I. In this circa 1900 photograph, a large group of elegantly-attired gentlemen and ladies prepare for a soiree on the lawn of "The…

Anasagunticook House

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One of several medium-sized hotels that catered to the tourist trade in Bethel a century and a half ago, the Anasagunticook House was erected in 1859 by John S. Chapman on an elevated site opposite and a little downriver from West Bethel village. …

Spring Grove Farm

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Long the home of the Valentine family, Spring Grove Farm on the North Road just west of Mayville furnished summer sojourners of the 1880s and 1890s with a quiet retreat that was only a few minutes ride by wagon from the Grand Trunk Railway station. …

Prospect Hotel

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The Prospect Hotel was Bethel's largest nineteenth century hostelry. Begun in 1863, the hotel faced north from a site very near the present Bethel Inn. From its rooftop cupola, five stories above the ground, guests could take in an unobstructed view…

Prospect Hotel "tally-ho coach" (?)

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What may be the former Prospect Hotel "tally-ho coach" appears in front of the recently completed Bethel Inn around 1915. Once utilized to carry travelers throughout the hills of western Maine and northern New Hampshire, such conveyances lingered on…

Jonathan Clark House

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Long associated with the famous 1781 Indian Raid on Bethel and surrounding settlements, the Jonathan Clark House (which was actually built about 1785) was a much-venerated local landmark that finally succumbed to neglect in the 1920s. This ancient…

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Molly Ockett gravestone

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Baptized by the French as "Marie Agathe"—a name that became "Mali Agit" when pronounced with difficulty by the Abenaki—Molly Ockett (the English version) is a legendary figure in Bethel's past. Though she died at Andover, Maine, in 1816, it was not…

Clark S. Edwards house at the 1896 centenary

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The Vernon Street home of General Clark S. Edwards was trimmed in patriotic bunting for the 1896 centenary of Bethel's incorporation as a town. Visible behind the porch roof balustrade, Edwards distinguished himself in several major Civil War…

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Bethel Civil War monument dedication

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The dedication in 1908 of Bethel's Civil War monument gave townspeople yet another opportunity to celebrate and commemorate the past. Fundraising efforts towards the purchase of such a memorial had begun as early as 1866.

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Interview with Ethel Lacourse

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Interview with Ethel Lacourse conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Ethel Lacourse was a member of Norway Grange #45 in Norway, Maine.

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Interview with Raymond Coleman

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Interview with Raymond Coleman conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Raymond Coleman was a member of Oxford Grange #46 in Welchville, Oxford, Maine.

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Interview with Beverly Cameron

Oral History / In-house Use Only

Interview with Beverly Cameron conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Beverly Cameron was a member of Aziscohos Grange #402 in Wilson's Mills, Lincoln, Maine.

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Interview with Stanley Brown

Oral History / In-house Use Only

Interview with Stanley Brown conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Stanley Brown was a member of Bear Mountain Grange # 62 in South Waterford, Maine.

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Interview with Pauline Applin

Oral History / In-house Use Only

Interview with Pauline Applin conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Pauline Applin was a member of Pleasant Valley Grange #136 in West Bethel, Maine.

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Interview with Wendell Easter

Oral History / In-house Use Only

Interview with Wendell Easter conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Wendell Easter was a member of Rumford Grange #115 in Rumford, Maine.

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Interview with Maxine Roak

Oral History / In-house Use Only

Interview with Maxine Roak conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Maxine Roak was a member of Waterford Grange #469 in Waterford, Maine.

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Interview with Earl Andrews

Oral History / In-house Use Only

Interview with Earl Andrews conducted by Dianne Ballon for the Oxford Country Grange Tour Project.

Earl Andrews was a member of West Paris Grange #298 in West Paris, Maine.

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