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Bethel
 Bethel
is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, 40 miles inland from the
Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 400 air
miles west of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 60° 47' N Latitude,
161° 45' W Longitude (Sec. 09, T008N, R071W, Seward Meridian). The
community is located in the Bethel Recording District. The area
encompasses 44 sq. miles of land and 6 sq. miles of water.
Bethel was first established by Yup'ik
Eskimos who called the village "Mumtrekhlogamute," meaning "Smokehouse
People," named for the nearby fish smokehouse. There were 41 people in
Bethel during the 1880 U.S. Census. At that time, it was an Alaska
Commercial Company Trading Post. The Moravian Church established a
mission in the area in 1884. The community was moved to its present
location due to erosion at the prior site. A post office was opened in
1905. Before long, Bethel was serving as a trading, transportation and
distribution center for the region, which attracted Natives from
surrounding villages. Over time, federal and state agencies established
regional offices in Bethel.
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