Bethel, Vermont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bethel, Vermont
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Town
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Old mill buildings in Bethel, Vermont
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Location in Windsor County and the state of Vermont.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Vermont |
| County | Windsor |
| Chartered | 1779 (Vermont) |
| Communities |
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| Area | |
| • Total | 45.4 sq mi (117.7 km2) |
| • Land | 45.2 sq mi (117.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 573 ft (256 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,942 |
| • Density | 42.734/sq mi (16.500/km2) |
| • Households | 817 |
| • Families | 548 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
05032 (Bethel)
05060 (Randolph) |
| Area code(s) | 802 |
| FIPS code | 50-05800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1462043 |
Bethel is a town located in Windsor County, Vermont, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,942 people lived there. The town includes several smaller areas like Bethel village, East Bethel, and Lympus.
Bethel is famous for its special white granite. This stone was used to build important places like Washington Union Station and the National Museum of Natural History. Bethel was the very first town created by the independent Republic of Vermont in 1779. It was named after the Biblical village of Bethel.
Contents
Exploring Bethel's Location
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Bethel covers a total area of about 117.7 square kilometers (45.4 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Major roads like Interstate 89 and Vermont Route 12 pass through Bethel. The Vermonter train, run by Amtrak, also goes through the town every day. However, the train does not stop in Bethel. The closest train stations are in Randolph to the north and White River Junction to the southeast.
Why is it Called Bethel?
The name Bethel comes from an interesting story. One of the town's founders, Dudley Chase, was exploring the area with his team. They camped near a group of large, mossy rocks. Chase said sleeping on the rocks was the best sleep he had ever had. It reminded him of a story from the Bible where a person named Jacob slept on a stone pillow. In that story, Jacob named the place "Beth-el," which means "House of God." Chase's friends were so impressed that they decided to name the new town Bethel.
People of Bethel
Over the years, the number of people living in Bethel has changed. Here's how the population has grown:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 473 | — | |
| 1800 | 913 | 93.0% | |
| 1810 | 1,041 | 14.0% | |
| 1820 | 1,318 | 26.6% | |
| 1830 | 1,667 | 26.5% | |
| 1840 | 1,886 | 13.1% | |
| 1850 | 1,730 | −8.3% | |
| 1860 | 1,834 | 6.0% | |
| 1870 | 1,817 | −0.9% | |
| 1880 | 1,693 | −6.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,448 | −14.5% | |
| 1900 | 1,611 | 11.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,943 | 20.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,782 | −8.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,650 | −7.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,477 | −10.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,534 | 3.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,356 | −11.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,347 | −0.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,715 | 27.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,866 | 8.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,968 | 5.5% | |
| 2010 | 2,030 | 3.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,942 | −4.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 1,968 people living in Bethel. About 30.8% of the homes had children under 18. The average age of people in town was 39 years old.
Learning in Bethel
Younger students in Bethel, from Pre-K to 5th grade, go to Bethel Elementary School.
In 2017, the towns of Bethel and South Royalton decided to combine their school districts. This created the White River Unified School District. Now, students in grades 6-8 attend White River Valley Middle School, which is on the Bethel School campus. High school students (grades 9-12) go to White River Valley High School.
Bethel is also part of a larger school group called the White River Valley Supervisory Union. This group helps schools in several nearby towns.
Making Bethel Better
Since 2016, the town of Bethel has been working to make its downtown area more lively.
- Every fall, they have a "Bethel Better Block" event. This event brings people downtown with temporary shops and street art. It helps build a stronger community.
- In the winter, Bethel offers "Bethel University." This is a fun program where people in the community can teach and learn new things from each other.
- In 2017, the Vermont Arts Council gave Bethel a special grant. This money helped fund three art projects in the community. These projects included a mural of a trout, lamp post banners designed by a local artist, and cool sculpture benches.
Famous People from Bethel
Several notable people have connections to Bethel:
- Harry Burrell: A baseball player who pitched and played right field in Major League Baseball. He was born in Bethel.
- Richard McCormack: A member of the Vermont Senate, which is part of Vermont's government.
- Pat Putnam: Another baseball player who played first base in Major League Baseball. He was also born in Bethel.
- Heinie Stafford: A baseball pitcher and a legislator in Vermont.
- Stephen Thomas: He received a Medal of Honor for his brave actions during the Civil War.
- Larry Townsend: A legislator from Vermont.
- Kirk White: An author and lecturer, and also a legislator in Vermont.
Bethel's Weather
Bethel has a type of weather called a humid continental climate. This means it has big differences in temperature throughout the year. Summers are usually warm to hot, and often humid. Winters are cold, and sometimes very cold.
See also
In Spanish: Bethel (Vermont) para niños
