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. Title: Bethel's history, in photos Author: Staff Writer Publisher: Poughkeepsie Journal Date: 12/27/09 Rita J. Sheehan, author of Arcadia Publishing's "Bethel," has been the Bethel town clerk for 12 years. For the book she selected images from the town archives, family collections, and professional photographers to showcase the community. Through these images, "Bethel" recalls this town's vibrant past. Bethel is in Sullivan County, 90 miles northwest of New York City. In 1969, Bethel was the site of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair that drew nearly 500,000 people to the town. 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. The Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns and cities across the country. Visit www.arcadiapublishing for more information. Rita J. Sheehan has been the Bethel town clerk for 12 years, a member of the New York State Local Government Records Association, the New York State Town Clerks Association, Orange-Sullivan Town Clerks Association, and the Sullivan County Historical Society. She has selected images from the town archives, family collections, and professional photographers for the best assortment to showcase the community. Used Book in Good Condition