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C−History
History · Bethany

Bethany dates to 1909, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 18% of U.S. towns · #101 of 131 in Oklahoma. What drives it

Most of Bethany was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1967. Its Register listing is the Lake Overholser Bridge. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1927 on, and the census since 1920.

1909founded
1on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Bethany’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Bethany began

When was Bethany founded?

1909

Bethany dates its founding to 1909 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 485 in 19202020 census: 20,831117 years

How historic is Bethany?

C−

More historic than 18% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1913.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Bethany’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bethany is more historic than 18% of U.S. towns, #101 of 131 in Oklahoma. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bethany’s overall grade.
Founding era1909, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 19404.0% of homes (±1.0) · typical OK town 7.0% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register1 listing, 0.5 per 10,000 residents · typical OK town 5.9 · U.S. 2.4C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 18%
NewerOlder
Oklahoma towns of 2,500+ (131)Ahead of 23%

Oklahoma towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oklahoma town has 5.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bethany’s 0.5 sits near the middle of its state (38% of Oklahoma towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±1.0 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1909.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Bethany’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bethany’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bethany’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo4 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old view66 Motel and Cafe, R.R. Rogers owner (N…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Bethany came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bethany.

Read it all →

Bethany was founded July 28, 1909 as a community where members of the Church of the Nazarene, an evangelical Christian movement that developed from Holiness churches, could practice their religious beliefs without interference by non-members. The town was named after the biblical place of Bethany. The community quickly founded Oklahoma Holiness College (now known as Southern Nazarene University, SNU). Two other institutions were soon established, the Oklahoma Orphanage (now the Children's Center, a medical facility) operated by Mattie Mallory, and the Nazarene Rescue Home for unwed mothers.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Bethany, 1909 to 1985

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1909
    FoundingBethany is established
  3. 1913Post officeThe Bethany post office opens
  4. 1917Born hereAllie Reynolds is born here
  5. 1924BuiltLake Overholser Bridge is built
  6. 1930Born hereTommy Collins is born here
  7. 1963Born hereKevin L. Ward is born here
  8. 1966On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1985Born hereChris Chamberlain is born here
By decade

Bethany, decade by decade

Date unknown4 to date
66 Motel and Cafe, R.R. Rogers owner (NBY 437003)Date?66 Motel and Cafe, R.R. Rogers owner (NBY 437003)Lakeview Courts (NBY 426257)Date?Lakeview Courts (NBY 426257)Lakeview Courts (NBY 426258)Date?Lakeview Courts (NBY 426258)ROCKWELL AVEDate?ROCKWELL AVE
Today8 recent
Lake overholser bridge 032017Lake overholser bridge 03Lake overholser bridge 022017Lake overholser bridge 02Lake overholser bridge 012017Lake overholser bridge 01Downtown Bethany - December 17, 20172017Downtown Bethany - December 17, 2017NW 39TH EXPWY (BETHANY CITY SIGN)2014NW 39TH EXPWY (BETHANY CITY SIGN)Senator David Holt at Bethany, OK Parade July 4 20112011Senator David Holt at Bethany, OK Parade July 4 2011David Holt July 4 2011 (1)2011David Holt July 4 2011 (1)FEMA - 8052 - Photograph by Bob McMillan taken on 05-11-2003 in Oklahoma2003FEMA - 8052 - Photograph by Bob McMillan taken on 05-…
On the map

Bethany on the map, 1966 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bethany. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Bethany on the 1966 USGS mapBethany on the 1975 USGS mapBethany on the 1986 USGS mapBethany on the 1995 USGS map1966Bethany sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bethany.

Every building

Bethany, building by building, 1927

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Bethany fire insurance map, 1927, sheet 11927Sheet 1 of 7
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

66 Motel and Cafe, R.R. Rogers owner (NBY 437003)
Retake this view66 Motel and Cafe, R.R. Rogers owner (NBY 437003)

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Bethany’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Bethany

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2004
Lake Overholser Bridge
Lake Overholser Bridge, built 1924
Structures

Architectural styles listings

Mixed Truss Bridge1
Lake Overholser BridgeMixed Truss Bridge · Built 1924

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Bethany, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,000192019401960198020002020Peak: 22,694

Between 485 and 22,694 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bethany’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Bethany

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Allie ReynoldsNative American baseball player · b. 1917
Tommy CollinsAmerican musician · b. 1930
C
Chris ChamberlainAmerican football player · b. 1985
K
Kevin L. WardAmerican politician in Oklahoma · b. 1963
Mike KelleyAmerican politician
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Warr AcresIts storyD−

Questions about Bethany’s history

What year was Bethany founded?

In 1909, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bethany’s post office opened in 1913, and the census of 1920 counted 485 people here.

How does Bethany rank for history?

Bethany is more historic than 18% of U.S. towns, #101 of 131 in Oklahoma. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Bethany?

One place: the Lake Overholser Bridge (listed 2004).

How old are the homes in Bethany?

4% of Bethany’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 7.0% for an Oklahoma town; the median home was built in 1967.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.