Bethlehem, Indiana
| Bethlehem | |
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| Unincorporated community | |
The Abbott-Holloway Farm
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 Clark County's location in Indiana |
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 Bethlehem
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| Coordinates: 38°32′21″N 85°25′14″W / 38.53917°N 85.42056°WCoordinates: 38°32′21″N 85°25′14″W / 38.53917°N 85.42056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Clark |
| Township | Bethlehem |
| Elevation | 469 ft (143 m) |
| ZIP code | 47162 |
| FIPS code | 18-05104 |
| GNIS feature ID | 430971 |
Bethlehem is an unincorporated community in Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana, United States, twenty-five miles up the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. It was platted in 1812 and according to WPA records was presumably named for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Its first office was established on March 6, 1816. The community's post office is popular around Christmas with those wanting to have a Bethlehem postmark on Christmas letters and cards.
Much of Bethlehem's history was destroyed by the Ohio River flood of 1937. What is known is that prior to its formation, the land which would become Bethlehem was owned by Colonel John Armstrong, who had been the commander of Fort Finney (located in present-day Jeffersonville, Indiana). The first settlers arrived at the site in 1805 Armstrong and others, most notably Jonathon Clark and William Plaskett, platted the community in 1812. It was laid out in 124 lots in a rectangular manner. Armstrong named it after Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he was born.
Early in its history, Bethlehem was blessed with a steamboat and ferry landing, and with its road to New Washington and Lexington, Indiana Bethlehem became a major transportation center. The economy of Bethlehem in the antebellum era focused on farming, shopping, and trade. By 1833, 300 individuals lived in the community.
Many of Bethlehem's early buildings, including a canning factory, gristmill, and sawmill, have been destroyed; particularly by fire and tornado. The main house of the Abbott-Holloway Farm is one of only three buildings before 1840 that still stands.
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Wikipedia