Bethel

Officially incorporated as a town in 1855, Bethel's recorded history stretches back to its earliest settlement as part of Danbury in 1684. Hat manufacturing represented its premier industry for nearly two centuries, and the ever-changing number of shops and factories employed most of the area's populace. Roughly equidistant from New York City and Hartford and located along the Metro-North Railroad line and US Interstate 84, its convenient access, lively downtown, and modern educational park have attracted continued development. Growing from a population of 1,711 people in 1860 to one of 20,358 in 2020, Bethel has undergone tremendous change and yet still retains much of its small-town New England appeal.

Since the release of Images of America: Bethel in 1996, many rare photographs not included in that publication have been discovered. Town historian Patrick Tierney Wild has researched these finds utilizing contemporary accounts, archival records, private collections, and the holdings of the Bethel Historical Society to bring to life people, places, and events once thought forgotten. All author royalties received for the book will be donated to the Bethel Historical Society to assist it in preserving the town's heritage.