Bethel, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Bethel is a village in Shelby County, Missouri
, United States
. The population was 121 at the 2000 census.
(1811–1877), a Prussia
n-born preacher who had been a member of the Methodist church. By 1850, Bethel had a population of 650. However, the construction of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad threatened his theocracy
. In 1855, he led his followers westward over the Oregon Trail
, to eventually settle Aurora, Oregon
.
The Bethel Historic District
, bounded by Liberty, King, 1st, and 4th Streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1970.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 121 people, 56 households, and 31 families residing in the village. The population density
was 856.5 people per square mile (333.7/km²). There were 77 housing units at an average density of 545.0 per square mile (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.35% White, and 1.65% from two or more races.
There were 56 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 112.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $22,083, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $22,292 versus $21,000 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $13,958. There were no families and 6.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 42.9% of those over 64.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 121 at the 2000 census.
History
Bethel was founded in 1844 by Dr William KeilWilliam Keil
William Keil was the founder of communal religious societies in Bethel, Missouri, and Aurora, Oregon, that he established and led in the nineteenth century....
(1811–1877), a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n-born preacher who had been a member of the Methodist church. By 1850, Bethel had a population of 650. However, the construction of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad threatened his theocracy
Theocracy
Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....
. In 1855, he led his followers westward over the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
, to eventually settle Aurora, Oregon
Aurora, Oregon
Aurora is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It was founded as a religious commune in 1856 by Dr. William Keil who named the settlement after his daughter. The population was 918 at the 2010 census...
.
The Bethel Historic District
Bethel Historic District (Bethel, Missouri)
Bethel Historic District is roughly bounded by Liberty, King, 1st, and 4th Sts. in Bethel, Missouri. Construction of the town, which was for over thirty years a successful experiment in communal living, began in 1844. The leader of the community was a German emigrant, charismatic autocrat Dr....
, bounded by Liberty, King, 1st, and 4th Streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1970.
Geography
Bethel is located at 39°52′38"N 92°1′28"W (39.877205, -92.024433).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 121 people, 56 households, and 31 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 856.5 people per square mile (333.7/km²). There were 77 housing units at an average density of 545.0 per square mile (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.35% White, and 1.65% from two or more races.
There were 56 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 112.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $22,083, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $22,292 versus $21,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $13,958. There were no families and 6.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 42.9% of those over 64.