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Bedford, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Bedford Depot | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates:42°29′26″N71°16′36″W / 42.49056°N 71.27667°W /42.49056; -71.27667 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Middlesex |
| Settled | 1640 |
| Incorporated | 1729 |
| Named after | Bedford, England |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| • Town Manager | Matthew J. Hanson |
| • Select Board |
|
| Area | |
• Total | 13.9 sq mi (35.9 km2) |
| • Land | 13.7 sq mi (35.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 14,383 |
| • Density | 1,050/sq mi (404/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Codes |
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| Area code | 339/781 |
| FIPS code | 25-04615 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619395 |
| Website | www |
Bedford is a town inMiddlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Bedford was 14,161 at the2022 United States census.[1] Bedford is a suburb ofBoston, located about 21 miles (31 km) northwest.
The following compilation comes from Ellen Abrams (1999) based on information from Abram English Brown'sHistory of the Town of Bedford (1891), as well as other sources such asThe Bedford Sampler Bicentennial Edition containing Daisy Pickman Oakley's articles, Bedford Vital Records, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Town Directories, and other publications from the Bedford Historical Society.
The land now within the boundaries of Bedford was first settled by Europeans around 1640. In 1729 it was incorporated from a portion ofConcord (about 2/5 of Bedford) and a portion ofBillerica (about 3/5 of Bedford).
In 1630,John Winthrop andThomas Dudley of theMassachusetts Bay Company arrived aboard theArabella fromYarmouth, England. After a difficult ten-week voyage, they landed on the shores of theNew World, withSalem andBoston Harbor being the Arabella's earliest destinations. In 1637, theGeneral Court of Massachusetts granted some2,200 acres (9 km2) of land, including Huckins Farm[2] land to the first governor, John Winthrop, and to Deputy Governor Thomas Dudley. The following year, the two men agreed to divide the land so that the parcel south of the two large boulders by theConcord River (Brothers Rocks) belonged to Governor Winthrop and north of the Rocks was to belong to Deputy Governor Dudley. Later, Dudley became governor. Dudley's son Rev. Samuel Dudley[3] and Winthrop's daughter Mary were married; thus Brothers Rocks were so named because of this marriage of families.
Governor Winthrop's grandson, Fitz John Winthrop, in 1664, sold1,200 acres (5 km2) of this land (including what is present-day Huckins Farm[4]) toJob Lane (1), a skilled artisan and house builder, in exchange for a house that Lane built for him in Connecticut. (Note: The numbers appended to the names of Lane family members indicate the generation number beginning with Job Lane (1), who immigrated fromMill End, Rickmansworth, England.) Upon his death, he passed all of this land to his son, John Lane (2), who left it to his three sons, John Lane (3), Job Lane (3), and James Lane (3). John Lane and his wife, Catherine (Whiting), lived on the site, and after she died, he married Hannah Abbott. Upon his death in 1763, their son, Samuel Lane, inherited the land now known as Huckins Farm. Some time after Samuel Lane died in 1802, the house was removed and Peter Farmer built the present farmhouse in the 1840s. It is known that Peter and Dorcas Farmer had two children in the late 1820s and 1830s. Later, Banfield succeeded Farmer as the owner.
Samuel W. Huckins, born in 1817, settled on the land about 1870. Huckins was respected for his good judgment and was honored with various offices in town. Mapsc. 1875 indicate that what is now known as Dudley Road was once called Huckins Street. Samuel Huckins lived there until his death in 1892. He had a son, Henry, who was born in 1849, and was living in Bedford in 1910.
In the late 19th century, Dudley Leavitt Pickman, descendant of an oldSalem merchant family,[5] and his wife Ellen fell in love with the land. They bought a substantial parcel (mostly Winthrop's land and a portion of Dudley's grant). Huckins Farm was a part of this purchase. A direct descendant of both Winthrop and Dudley, Pickman bought the land without knowledge of the Winthrop-Dudley grant.[6] He discovered later that he had purchased his ancestors' lands. About 1889, he had theTwo Brothers Rocks inscribed with the names "Dudley" and "Winthrop" as well as the year 1638, as noted in the Bedford Town Report in 1889.[7]
The land was used as a dairy farm and apple orchard, in addition to the fields, pasture land, bog garden, and ponds. Chestnut trees lined the old road between the fields. A portion of Dudley Road was named Chestnut Avenue around that time. Today's Dudley Road and Winthrop Avenue in Bedford, as well as Pickman Drive, are named for these families.
A large portion of the Pickman land, Huckins Farm, was sold to a developer for condominium development in 1987, and other parcels including the large Pickman house (Stearns Farm) were sold to private parties.
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By the rude bridge that arched the flood, their flag to April's breeze unfurled - here once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard 'round the world.
TheBedford flag on display at the Bedford Free Public Library is the oldest known surviving intact battle flag in the United States. It is celebrated for having been the first U.S. flag flown during theAmerican Revolutionary War, as it is believed to have been carried byNathaniel Page's outfit ofMinutemen to theOld North Bridge inConcord for theBattle of Concord on April 19, 1775.
Though the flag previously had a border of silver tassels, the tassels were cut from it to adorn the dress of Page's daughter.
TheLatin motto on the flag, "Vince Aut Morire", means "Conquer or Die."[8]
When Governor Winthrop and his Deputy Thomas Dudley viewed their lands in early 1638, they decided to use two great stones on the eastern bank of the Concord River to divide the property. Winthrop claimed the land to one side of one rock; Dudley claimed the land on the other side of the other rock. They named the rocks "The Two Brothers". Over the years, the two men had many differences; however, they learned to work together and even considered themselves "brothers" by their children's marriage. The rocks have come to symbolize the men's spirit of cooperation and democracy. The Two Brothers Rocks can still be seen near the banks of the Concord River in the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. In 2009 the site was restored for anEagle Scout project in collaboration with theU.S. Fish and Wildlife service, and the Bedford Historic Preservation Commission.[9] The area around the site was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2010 as theTwo Brothers Rocks–Dudley Road Historic District.[10]
Access to the site is possible through the Altmann Conservation Area, named afterMadeleine Altmann and source of much of hervideo art.
The early settlers called this area along the Concord River the "Great River Meadow" because they could harvest hay along the grass banks when the water retreated each summer. Today, this 12-mile (19 km) stretch of freshwater wetlands is a sanctuary for migratory birds and wildlife. Deer, cottontail rabbit, fox, raccoon, muskrat, beaver, weasel and over 200 species of birds may be seen here.
This traditionalsaltbox-style home at 295 North Road dates back to the early 18th century and was built by Job Lane (3), the grandson of one of Bedford's earliest settlers, Job Lane (1), a master carpenter. Job Lane (3) was a church deacon and also a town officer. His son Job Lane (4) was a Minuteman; he was wounded in the battle of Concord. The house and grounds, not far from Huckins Farm, has been restored and is open to the public from 2–4 pm on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, May through October.[11]
Early on the morning of April 19, 1775, an alarm sounded warning the people of Bedford that British soldiers were marching from Boston to Concord. Their captain, Jonathan Willson, told them, "It is a cold breakfast boys, but we'll give them a hot dinner." The Fitch Tavern is located in Bedford center, a little over a mile from Huckins Farm.
The ruins of this old mill over Vine Brook (on Wilson and Old Burlington Road) were added to the national historical register in 2003 (see photo). A 1972 "Bedford Landmark Tour" says, "Site of the Wilson mills dating from about 1685; mills, dam, and pond passed from the Wilson family about 1770 to Oliver Bacon, then bought by Jonas Gleason (1782) and by Simeon Blodgett (1816); through the years, the site was operated as a grist mill, a saw mill, and later a cider mill."[12]
The Elijah Stearns Mansion is located in the heart of Bedford's Historic District and across from Wilson Park at 4 Great Road. Built by Stearns around 1800, it is a fine example ofFederal architecture, which features brick ends, four chimneys and a doorway arched in glass andwrought iron. Acarriage house is attached to the main house, and, until 1895, a structure which was known as The Boston Cash Store also resided on the property. It was the first store in the village at the time. It also became the first post office for the town when Elijah Stearns was appointed postmaster in 1825. Later, in 1867, the building became the Bedford Public Library. The building which housed the store, post office, and library has since been moved to 22 Loomis Street.[13] The home is part of the Bedford Center Historic District which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.[14]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.9 square miles (36 km2), of which 13.7 square miles (35 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.94%, is water. Bedford is approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the coast.
Bedford is a relatively circular town. Its neighbors, clockwise, starting from 12 o'clock, areBillerica,Burlington,Lexington,Lincoln,Concord andCarlisle.
In addition to the Concord River which forms part of the town's borders, theShawsheen River flows through town.Vine Brook flows fromLexington throughBurlington and into the Shawsheen in Bedford. In the 1840s, a largepaper mill was built on Vine Brook that supplied many of the jobs in town.
Bedford has ahot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa under theKöppen climate classification system), with highhumidity andprecipitation year-round.
| Climate data for Bedford, Massachusetts, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) | 75 (24) | 82 (28) | 93 (34) | 96 (36) | 99 (37) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 101 (38) | 88 (31) | 84 (29) | 76 (24) | 102 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.0 (14.4) | 57.8 (14.3) | 67.5 (19.7) | 81.8 (27.7) | 88.8 (31.6) | 91.9 (33.3) | 94.5 (34.7) | 93.0 (33.9) | 89.1 (31.7) | 79.5 (26.4) | 70.0 (21.1) | 62.2 (16.8) | 96.0 (35.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 35.8 (2.1) | 38.7 (3.7) | 46.6 (8.1) | 58.9 (14.9) | 69.8 (21.0) | 77.9 (25.5) | 83.8 (28.8) | 81.9 (27.7) | 74.1 (23.4) | 62.2 (16.8) | 51.3 (10.7) | 40.8 (4.9) | 60.2 (15.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.8 (−2.9) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 36.6 (2.6) | 47.6 (8.7) | 57.8 (14.3) | 66.6 (19.2) | 72.6 (22.6) | 70.9 (21.6) | 63.0 (17.2) | 51.4 (10.8) | 41.4 (5.2) | 32.0 (0.0) | 49.6 (9.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.7 (−7.9) | 18.9 (−7.3) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 36.3 (2.4) | 45.9 (7.7) | 55.4 (13.0) | 61.4 (16.3) | 60.0 (15.6) | 51.8 (11.0) | 40.5 (4.7) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 23.3 (−4.8) | 39.1 (4.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −3.7 (−19.8) | −0.3 (−17.9) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 32.0 (0.0) | 42.0 (5.6) | 50.3 (10.2) | 47.4 (8.6) | 35.7 (2.1) | 25.2 (−3.8) | 16.5 (−8.6) | 4.5 (−15.3) | −5.2 (−20.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) | −15 (−26) | −7 (−22) | 6 (−14) | 26 (−3) | 36 (2) | 42 (6) | 33 (1) | 28 (−2) | 14 (−10) | 7 (−14) | −15 (−26) | −20 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.75 (95) | 3.37 (86) | 4.80 (122) | 3.90 (99) | 3.76 (96) | 4.10 (104) | 3.79 (96) | 3.94 (100) | 3.72 (94) | 4.85 (123) | 4.11 (104) | 4.79 (122) | 48.88 (1,241) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 16.1 (41) | 12.5 (32) | 12.9 (33) | 2.3 (5.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 1.9 (4.8) | 13.2 (34) | 59.0 (150) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 12.9 | 11.2 | 12.8 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 11.8 | 10.6 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 10.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 141.5 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 8.5 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 6.0 | 31.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA[15] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[16] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 523 | — |
| 1800 | 538 | +2.9% |
| 1810 | 592 | +10.0% |
| 1820 | 648 | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 685 | +5.7% |
| 1840 | 929 | +35.6% |
| 1850 | 975 | +5.0% |
| 1860 | 843 | −13.5% |
| 1870 | 849 | +0.7% |
| 1880 | 931 | +9.7% |
| 1890 | 1,092 | +17.3% |
| 1900 | 1,208 | +10.6% |
| 1910 | 1,231 | +1.9% |
| 1920 | 1,362 | +10.6% |
| 1930 | 2,603 | +91.1% |
| 1940 | 3,807 | +46.3% |
| 1950 | 5,234 | +37.5% |
| 1960 | 10,969 | +109.6% |
| 1970 | 13,513 | +23.2% |
| 1980 | 13,067 | −3.3% |
| 1990 | 12,996 | −0.5% |
| 2000 | 12,595 | −3.1% |
| 2010 | 13,320 | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 14,383 | +8.0% |
| 2022* | 14,161 | −1.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] | ||
At the 2022census,[28] there were 14,161 people, 5,540 (2017–2021) households with 2.51 persons per household. Thepopulation density was 1,052.8 inhabitants per square mile (406.5/km2). There were 4,708 housing units in 2020 at an average density of 342.7 per square mile (132.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 72.3%White, 3.2%African American, 0.2%Native American, 18.5%Asian, 0.% fromother races, and 3.6% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.5% of the population.
There were 5,540 (2017–2021) households, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% weremarried couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04.
23.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.
Themedian household income was $87,962 and the median family income was $101,081. Males had a median income of $65,697 and females $45,181. Theper capita income was $39,212. About 1.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
The town uses an opentown meeting as itslegislature. Theexecutive branch consists of aSelect Board who oversee a Town Manager.
Bedford was the home of aConsolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It was the part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States. It has moved to the Lowell area as a result of the Veterans Administrations Cares Mission and is no longer in Bedford.
As part of the Middlesex 21st District, Bedford is represented byKen Gordon in theMassachusetts House of Representatives.
Bedford Public Schools operate Bedford's public school system.[29] It consists of four buildings: Lt. Eleazer Davis Elementary (K–2), Lt. Job Lane Elementary (3–5), John Glenn Middle School (6–8), andBedford High School (9–12).
The on-postK-8 school ofHanscom Air Force Base, a base which is partially located in Bedford, is operated theLincoln School District.[30] Dependents of active duty military living on the base are sent to Bedford High. High school students living on the base who are not dependents of active duty military personnel are sent toLincoln-Sudbury Regional High School of theLincoln-Sudbury Regional School District.[31]
There is aMETCO program, where students from Boston come to the Bedford schools, starting in kindergarten and staying with the class until graduation. Bedford is also part of the school district ofShawsheen Valley Technical High School which is in nearbyBillerica.
The former Center School was deactivated in the 1970s, and is today the Town Center and Recreation Department[32] Nathaniel Page School was similarly deactivated in about 1982 and today is a condominium community. Davis, Lane and Page elementary schools were all k–6 at one time.
John Glenn Middle School (originally called Bedford Junior High School) is named for John Glenn, formerly the Superintendent of Schools in Bedford, not for the U.S. Senator and astronaut. The Davis and Lane (and former Page) schools are named for local officers who took part in theBattle of Concord on April 19, 1775.
Bedford is slightly northwest of the intersection ofI-95 (also known asMA-128) andMA-4/MA-225 (which cross inLexington). Important roads through town includeUS-3 (anexpressway) andMA-62.
The town is served by the62 and 62/76 lines of theMBTA'sbus service. The MBTA operates the Route 351 express bus service, from Alewife; the bus terminates at Oak Park Drive, Bedford Woods, andEMD Serono; this service operates only on the morning and evening weekday rush-hour times and connects to the Red Line at Alewife.
Bedford is served byHanscom Field (IATA:BED,ICAO:KBED), a civilianairport, adjacent toHanscom Air Force Base.
A snowstorm on January 10, 1977, prompted the end of passenger service on the Lexington Branch of theBoston & Maine Railroad (see additional notes underBoston and Lowell Railroad). The line wasembargoed four years later. In 1991, the branch wasrailbanked by the Interstate Commerce Commission. It is now used for theMinuteman Bikeway. In the early 20th century, theMiddlesex & Boston Street Railway line ran generally down Great Road (Routes4 and225), with lines from as far west asHudson running into Lexington and beyond.
Other historic transportation systems through Bedford included the narrow-gaugeBillerica and Bedford Railroad and theMiddlesex Turnpike.
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Municipalities and communities ofMiddlesex County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns |
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| Other villages | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
