News & Events
Bethel School House Project
Bethel recently lost a very important member of the Historic Bethel German Colony Board. Wendeline Brumbaugh served this organization for decades, most recently as Colony Board President and a driving force behind humanities endeavors such as our youth and adult...
Bethel Colony 2026 Events
Mark your calendars and plan to join us for these 2026 events in Historic Bethel! Bethel holds a variety of events each year, giving visitors the opportunity to learn more about our unique history. From local vendors selling their wares at Bethel Market events, to...
Christmas in Bethel 2025
We hope you'll plan to join us on Sunday, December 7th, 2025, for the annual Christmas in Bethel celebration. Free admission. . During the communal years, colonists observed many "fete" days such as Easter, Christmas, New Years, harvest feasts, Independence Day and...
Our History
Membership was about 650 in 1855 when Keil, fearing Bethel too subject to outside influence, led a group west and established Aurora Colony in Oregon. Their expedition over the Oregon Trail is unique for it was conducted as a funeral cortege. Keil’s son, Willie, died before he realized his father’s promise to lead the group and was carried instead in the head wagon in a metal box, alcohol-filled. After six months and over 2000 miles, he was buried at Willapa, Washington.
Keil never returned to Bethel, directing affairs there by letter. When the colonies disbanded, 1879-1881, they held property in common valued at $109,806. Bethel supplied $64,328 of this and owned 4267 acres.
