[5] European settlement of Harrison County began circa 1838, although the land was not surveyed and opened for entry until 1842.

[6][7] In June 1845, John S. Allen was appointed to survey the town into lots and offer the same for sale.

Although built as a residence, it was primarily used to store the first stock of goods brought to the community.

The railroad influenced the economy and environment of the community until the early 1980s, when the last train pulled out of the Bethany Depot and the tracks were removed.

Transportation was an important industry to the community and the population grew to its greatest level around the turn of the century when over 24,000 persons lived in Harrison County.

Industry played a vital role in Bethany's growth starting with Colonel C.L.

Jennings who erected the first steam mill around 1854 in the northwest part of town; it produced both lumber and flour.

For several years, only a few retail shops existed and development and growth of the town was slow but by 1855, Bethany was known as one of the best trading places in Northwest Missouri.

The first tenant in the industrial park was Calhoun Manufacturing, making agriculture machinery.

The 120,000 square foot building was purchased by the home grown Bethany business Gumdrop Books following Pamida's closure.

Later additions to the park include Superior Waste, and Tri-State Carports, which opened for business in 2001.

The 1990s were a period of aggressive growth, especially within the service industry with the addition of several motels and restaurants.

Through the years, development continued and included the construction of a lake in 1935 to serve the water needs of the community.

The Harrison County Lake was completed in 1994 and provides a third source of water for the community.

Numerous other utilities were upgraded from 1930 to 1970 including the construction of a water tower in 1989 to serve growth along the north side of town.

The sales tax also funded the reconstruction of Main Street from Highway 69 to the square.