The town of Bethel was established on March 27, 1809, by an Act of Legislature. Previously it was part of the Lumberland Territory. Later a section of it became the Town of Cochecton and some of that is now the Town of Delaware.

According to historical accounts, the first log cabin was built by the Adam Pintler family in 1798, between what are now White Lake and the village of Bethel.

About the same time, Chauncey and Graham Hurd and Nomian Judson came to the area, later called the Hurd Settlement. Graham Hurd and Judson spent their first winter in an aperture between two sections of ledge which they roofed with poles and bark. It was probably the first solar home in the town. It opened to the South and in the cold of winter with snow on the ground, was quite cozy. In a short time, the Fultons (cousins of the inventor, Robert Fulton), followed by the Frasers, settled in the east section.

The early settlers were predominantly Scotsmen, English, and Holland Dutch, as indicated by such names as Stewart, Fraser, Hurd, Pintler, Whitlock, VanKeuren, and VanVactor.

From 1805-1810, several settlements were made in different parts of the town. The main ones were Fraser Settlement, Briscoe, North White Lake, and Stephensville. The latter two are now Kauneonga Lake and Swan Lake.

With the completion of the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike, now 17B, in 1810, hamlets sprouted along and near its route: Mongaup Mill (now Valley), Black Lake, Moscoe, White Lake, and Bethel.

The people who came to Bethel were religious as evidenced by the Worship Societies they formed and the church buildings which were built early in the settling.

They were also industrious and enterprising. Immediately, farm land was cleared and businesses started. From the first there was a need for saw mills and grist mills. They were followed by tanneries. One man, John K. Beekman, built all three on White Lake, plus a linen and woolen mill.

In the mid-1800's, the hotel era began. The Mansion House in White Lake was built in 1847, by David Kinne and kept in the Kinne family until the 1930s and is still in use. In summer it's a religious colony.

Most of the hotels were developed from farm houses which grew to accommodate more and more vacationers. At first these were owned and patronized by gentiles, but probably about 1912, Jews began to be represented, too. Soon they were moving in as year-round residents and making their place in community life.

In 1928, A.N. Smallwood started a summer colony of log cabins on land that had been farmed. It was quite self-contained and had its own security system. There was an outdoor theater, post office, barber and beauty shop, grocery stores, community center, motel, and private lake.

Following World War II, homes began to be winterized and inhabited in the winter, so that it developed into a combination of summer resort and year-round residency. In time, the post office and lake were all that remained until a grocery store opened in 1998.

In the late 1950's, a summer home community was started on White Lake where the popular West Shore Hotel had once stood. Some of these have become year-round homes.

The backbone of the Bethel Township has always been its year-round residents, many of whom are descendants of the early settlers. Over the years, they've maintained a local government and established businesses, schools, and post offices. In keeping with the name Bethel, they've built houses of worship to fulfill the spiritual needs of Protestant, Catholic, and Hebrew congregations.

One enterprising group, the Mothers of Bethel, affectionately dubbed The Mob, was instrumental in financing a volunteer ambulance corps and the building to house it. Through their efforts, a well-equipped medical building was also constructed. It was designed to attract a much-needed physician. Unable to keep one, this became the new town hall. However, finally, there is a doctor establishing her practice in White Lake.

To follow the progression of history to the present, we must make mention of the other volunteer service organizations like the fire companies and the Lions Club, which render important services to the population. There are probably 15-20 other organizations as well, but space prevents naming them all.

There's been the centralization of schools, the establishment of the Sullivan County Airport and Woodstock.

Several types of farms: dairy, produce, and egg production, are flourishing. Of course, there are the service stations, ice cream shops, and other small businesses. The largest general store, at present, is Vassmers' in White Lake, which has been in that family since 1901.

Source:
Frank V. Schwarz, Historian
Lumberland: A Gem with Many Facets
Bicentennial Pamphlet, 1998