Bethel Map
Bethel is a village in Shelby County, Missouri, United States. The population was 121 at the 2000 census.
Bethel was founded in 1844 by Dr William Keil (1811–1877), a Prussian-born preacher who had been a member of the Methodist church. By 1850, Bethel had a population of 650. However, the construction of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad threatened his theocracy. In 1855, he led his followers westward over the Oregon Trail, to eventually settle Aurora, Oregon.
The Bethel Historic District, bounded by Liberty, King, 1st, and 4th Streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Nearby cities include Shelbina, Novelty, Clarence, Hunnewell, La Belle.