Short History of Bethel

Bethel was settled on the site of a small Indian Village. There were no towns in Pitt County before the American Revolutionary War. In 1774, a crossroad of the Tarboro-Williamston Road and the Halifax Road to Greenville was established in the Bethel area near the Medley Chapel Methodist Church. The crossroads were the beginning of Bethel.

In 1840, the U.S. Postal Department established a post office at the crossroads in Bethel with bi-weekly mail service to Greenville. The Postal Department called the office "Bethel" after the Bethel United Methodist Church established in 1814.

Prior to the Civil War there were no railroads in Pitt County. The first built in the county came through Bethel. People from Greenville used to have to come to Bethel to "catch the trains".

The Town of Bethel was incorporated December 18, 1873. The first census population was 127, the last census population was 1,749 in 2003

In 1902, Bethel was the first town to vote taxes for a public school to be established. This school was the first in Pitt County to lengthen its term from 5 months to 8 months. Earlier, Bethel was known for the educational worth of its famed Bethel Academy. Bethel has always been progressive in educational matters.

Bethel is primarily a farm center with a variety of other businesses. The oldest, continuous business is M.O. Blount & Sons, which is locally owned. It was established in 1877.

Bethel was at one time one of the largest Irish potato markets in the state and until recent years was the second largest market of sweet potatoes in the state. There was also a substantial cucumber market in the area.

Through thrift and enterprise, Bethel has gained the reputation of a wealthy town. It's exceptional residential areas substantiate this claim. At one time, Bethel was reported to have ranked second to Farmville as having the highest per capita income in North Carolina.