Bethel, Indiana

In 1817, James Harlin, from Kentucky, with a large family of children, whose names were Valentine, Elihu, Joshua, John, (who never lived here,) Jacob, Nathan, James, Edith, Polly, Anna. The father, with Jacob, Nathan, and James, settled near the township, in Darke county, Ohio. The other brothers, in 1817, commenced a settlement, known as the " Harlin settlement," now Bethel. John, Nathan, and James reside in low^a. Nathan Elliott, who settled in 1816, where James White now resides, also removed to this settlement in 1817. John Thompson and five sons of Nathan Anderson, John, Joseph, David, Nathan, and Wm. H., settled in the vicinity about the same time. The friends of these settlers constitute a large proportion of the inhabitants of the northeast part of the township ; the Anderson families numbering some ten or twelve.

Passage source: History of Wayne County, Indiana, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time : with Numerous Biographical and Family Sketches, published 1872.

The first Merchant in Whitewater is said to have been John Price. After two or three years he sold the goods to Stephen Elliott, who was on the south-west corner, and by whom the house had been built. Thomas Morton, of Miami, Ohio, had a store in the north-east corner about two years, and built on the corner where Joseph A. Bowen now trades. Elliott sold his goods to John II. Bruce and Jonathan D. Gray. Wm. B. Schenck was here at least as early as 1839, and as late as 1844. T. J. Ferguson & Co., in, 1844. At Bethel, Wm. :\lcFarland appears to have been the first merchant in 1845, on the northeast corner, where are now a grocer}^ and a tavern, ke})t by jSTathan Harlan, and traded several years. Edward Osborn, of Newport, soon after established a store, kept by Joseph Unthank. There were afterward, at different times, John A. Unthank, Walker Yeatraan, Jesse Richards, Jacob & Howard Harlan, Morgan & Henderson. Present merchants - Martin Wiley, dry goods; Xathan Harlan, grocer. Present merchants at AVhitewater - Joseph A. Bowen, north-west corner;

Passage source: History of Wayne County, Indiana, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time : with Numerous Biographical and Family Sketches, published 1872.

The Christian Church at Bethel was formed in August, 1821, under the ministration of John M. Foster. Meetings were first held in the dwelling of Valentine Harlan, afterward in a school-house; next, in a large log meeting-house half a mile east of Bethel, where the grave-yard is, until the present house in Bethel was built. Since the pastorate of Mr. Foster this church has enjoyed the ministerial services of Valentine Harlan, 2d., Eli Harlan, Hosea C. Tillson, Joseph G. Harlan, Hardin Harrison, and Henry Polly, now residing at Union.

Passage source: History of Wayne County, Indiana, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time : with Numerous Biographical and Family Sketches, published 1872.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Franklin Township - it names this place 1 more 1 time.