News & Events
Adult Fiddle Camp 2024
Adult Fiddle Camp in Bethel, Missouri Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – Saturday, October 12, 2024 Bethel, Missouri Adult fiddle camp allows fiddlers age 18 and over to study with master fiddlers to learn new tunes, build a network of fiddler friends, and work on...
Bethel Fall Market 2024
Join us in historic downtown Bethel for the Fall Market, September 28-29, 2024. Saturday & Sunday 10am-3pm. Admission $2 adults, children free. Held at 127 N Main St., Bethel, MO 63434 Bethel was founded in 1844 as a communal colony by Wilhelm Keil and his...
Heritage Days
Elementary and home school student groups are invited to join us on Friday, September 27, 2024 for Bethel's annual Heritage Days event to "step back in time" and experience life as it was in a previous century. • • • SCHEDULE: Sept. 27, 2024 | 9:00am to 1:30pm (with a...
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.
