Bethel’s first settlers logged, farmed, sawed timber and built houses and barns. By the 19th century, though, they wanted more: the services and amenities of a town. Doctors, shopkeepers, lawyers and tradesmen began to establish themselves on Bethel Hill. Owners of small mills and factories joined them, and in 1851 the railroad came to town, bringing with it a boom in manufacturing and tourism. By the late 19th century Bethel was an economic hub for its region and a major tourist destination offering scenic views of the surrounding White Mountains, health-giving springs, hunting and fishing, New England hospitality in large summer hotels, and, at the turn of the 20th century, world-renowned opera singers and a clinic for the treatment of those with nervous disorders. The historic buildings and landscape of Bethel Hill village can help us picture all this today. Free (donations accepted). FMI 207-824-2908.