Rita J. Sheehan Bethel

Annotation

The town of Bethel is located in Sullivan County, 90 miles northwest of New York City. Bethel was established on March 27, 1809, and the first hotel in the county opened in the hamlet of White Lake in 1846. Hundreds of hotels were to follow, from the Arlington to the Woodlawn Villa. During the silver and golden ages, White Lake became fashionable, and many people flocked to the clean water of the lake, fresh mountain air, and grand hotels. The tanneries, gristmills, and sawmills were prosperous during the 1800s. In 1969, Bethel was the site of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair that drew nearly 500,000 people to the town. Through vintage images, Bethel recalls this town's vibrant past.