Map of Bethel village, Missouri

Bethel is a village in Shelby County, Missouri, United States. The population was 135 at the 2020 census.

Bethel village overview:
Name:	Bethel village
LSAD Code:	47
LSAD Description:	village (suffix)
State:	Missouri
County:	Shelby County
Elevation:	715 ft (218 m)
Total Area:	0.14 sq mi (0.36 km²)
Land Area:	0.14 sq mi (0.36 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	135
Population Density:	978.26/sq mi (377.82/km²)
ZIP code:	63434
Area code:	660
FIPS code:	2905104
GNISfeature ID:	0714027

Online Interactive Map

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Bethel online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Bethel location map. Where is Bethel village?

Bethel location on the U.S. Map. Where is Bethel village. — Bethel location on the U.S. Map.

Bethel location on the Missouri map. Where is Bethel village. — Location of Bethel in Missouri.

History

Bethel was founded as a Bible utopian colony in 1844 by Dr William Keil (1811–1877), a Prussian-born preacher. He and his followers, who were almost exclusively German immigrants to America, believed that the Book of Acts required that Christians hold all property and means of production in common and they organized their Colony accordingly. Traditionally male work was communally performed; however, traditionally female work was still individualized and performed in single family households.

By 1850, the Bethel Colony had a population of 500; by 1860, 600. It owned thousands of sheep, cattle and horses, and had over 3,500 acres under cultivation. It was the commercial center of the region. However, the construction of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad threatened Dr. Keil’s theocracy. In 1855, he led his some of his followers westward over the Oregon Trail, to eventually settle Aurora, Oregon and form the Aurora Colony. Other wagon trains followed in subsequent years. The remainder of the Bethel Colony retained their communal ownership of property and shared means of production until three years after his death in 1877. In 1880, the property was divided among the remaining members, thus ending Missouri’s most successful communal experiment.

The Bethel Historic District, bounded by Liberty, King, 1st, and 4th Streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. At least twenty of the buildings constructed by the Bethel Colony are still extant. These houses are on exhibit to visitors and to the public.

Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are nearby Elim and Hebron.