Bethany, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Bethany, Texas, and Louisiana is a community on the Louisiana
and Texas
state lines on U.S. Highway 79.
, was originally known as Vernon, but the name was changed to Bethany around 1849 when a post office was established. In the 1840s the town had a log store, a tavern, a water-powered grain mill, and a tannery
.
In 1860, the post office was relocated to Caddo Parish
, Louisiana.
After the American Civil War
, Bethany began to decline, and by the late 1890s the local school had only nine students. The development of the Bethany gas field, which opened in the 1920s, brought a resurgence of the economy, and by the mid-1930s the community had two churches, five stores, an elementary school, and a number of houses. After World War II
, Bethany began to decline again.
In the mid-1960s it supported a church, a community center, and several businesses.
In the early 1990s, Bethany was a dispersed rural community with a church and a few stores. One of the general store
s, the Lickskillet, bisected by the state line. It was built in 1889 by a barkeeper who wanted to take advantage of the differences in state laws; in half of the store drinking was legal, in the other, gambling was legal. Although Bethany's decline lasted until the early 21st century, a second resurgence has taken place since early 2008, when the Haynesville Shale
was discovered, and Bethany like many other area villages was found to be in the heart of the shale. The oil and gas exploration has brought a vital resurgence to Bethany's stores and restaurant.
While Bethany is home to nearly a thousand residents, several families have made their mark over the past century via entrepreneurship, agriculture, and oil and gas exploration. Several members of the Trosper, Broome, Hines, and Darby families still reside in the area. In 2010, Bethany was included in the documentary "Haynesville" which portrayed the affects of the Haynesville shale on residents and the communities of North Louisiana.
some twenty-two miles northeast of Carthage
, Texas.
Bethany is an unincorporated village.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
state lines on U.S. Highway 79.
History
The site was first settled around 1840. The community, which grew up as a stopping point for settlers moving to Texas from the Old SouthOld South
Geographically, Old South is a subregion of the American South, differentiated from the "Deep South" as being the Southern States represented in the original thirteen American colonies, as well as a way of describing the former lifestyle in the Southern United States. Culturally, the term can be...
, was originally known as Vernon, but the name was changed to Bethany around 1849 when a post office was established. In the 1840s the town had a log store, a tavern, a water-powered grain mill, and a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
.
In 1860, the post office was relocated to Caddo Parish
Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Caddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
, Louisiana.
After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Bethany began to decline, and by the late 1890s the local school had only nine students. The development of the Bethany gas field, which opened in the 1920s, brought a resurgence of the economy, and by the mid-1930s the community had two churches, five stores, an elementary school, and a number of houses. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bethany began to decline again.
In the mid-1960s it supported a church, a community center, and several businesses.
In the early 1990s, Bethany was a dispersed rural community with a church and a few stores. One of the general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
s, the Lickskillet, bisected by the state line. It was built in 1889 by a barkeeper who wanted to take advantage of the differences in state laws; in half of the store drinking was legal, in the other, gambling was legal. Although Bethany's decline lasted until the early 21st century, a second resurgence has taken place since early 2008, when the Haynesville Shale
Haynesville Shale
The Haynesville Shale is an informal, popular name for a rock formation that underlies large parts of southwestern Arkansas, northwest Louisiana, and East Texas. It lies depths of 10,500 to 13,000 feet below the land’s surface. It is part of a large rock formation, which is known by geologists as...
was discovered, and Bethany like many other area villages was found to be in the heart of the shale. The oil and gas exploration has brought a vital resurgence to Bethany's stores and restaurant.
While Bethany is home to nearly a thousand residents, several families have made their mark over the past century via entrepreneurship, agriculture, and oil and gas exploration. Several members of the Trosper, Broome, Hines, and Darby families still reside in the area. In 2010, Bethany was included in the documentary "Haynesville" which portrayed the affects of the Haynesville shale on residents and the communities of North Louisiana.
Geography
The northern part of Bethany is located in Caddo Parish. The southern portion is in northeastern Panola CountyPanola County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 10,524 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
some twenty-two miles northeast of Carthage
Carthage, Texas
Carthage is a city in Panola County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Panola County, and is situated in East Texas near the Louisiana state line.-Geography:...
, Texas.
Bethany is an unincorporated village.