Abandoned Record
About Bethel
Bethel is a former community in Clay County, Illinois, United States. Bethel was located in Songer Township, along a railroad line north of Greendale.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Bethel, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.
Map
Where Bethel is
Historic maps
5 historic USGS maps cover Bethel
Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.
- 1952 Xenia sheet, 1:62,500 · GeoTIFF download
- 1958 Belleville sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1962 Belleville sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1968 Xenia sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1986 Olney sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
Before you go
- Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
- Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
- Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.
Nearby
Other sites near Bethel
Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Illinois index.
- Sailor Springs18.2 mi E · Clay
- Piankashawtown37.1 mi SE · Edwards
- Wanborough39.3 mi SE · Edwards
Sources
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Bethel, Illinois": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q4897817.
- USGS GNIS 1747712.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).