According to historians in the 1930's, "in 1750, Robert MacRay, a Scots-Irish immigrant, opened the first trading post in Raystown (which is now Bedford) on the land that is now Bedford County." This information has since been proven incorrect.
John Wray, the trader, established his trading post about two miles east of the site of Fort Bedford around 1740. The trading post, consisting of two or three buildings surrounded by a fence, was called a 'town'. The word 'town' was derived from the Old English 'Tun', which itself was derived from the Old German 'Zaun' meaning a fence or wall. John Wray was not Robert MacRay. The historian John H. P. Adams misread the Act erecting Bedford County out of Cumberland County, on which it was noted that Robert MacRay was one of the four men chosen to 'walk the boundary' and confirm the new county's boundary line. The name 'MacRay' is not a patrynomic of the name 'Wray' meaning that the two are distinct family names and not associated. John H. P. Adams' mistake has been perpetuated, unfortunately.
It should also be noted that the claim has been made that the village of Bedford was originally the village of Raystown. That is incorrect. When Henry Bouquet brought the British Army of General John Forbes into the region, there existed no village on the bluff overlooking the Juniata River, about two miles west of John Wray's trading post.
The early Anglo-American settlers had a difficult time dealing with raids from Native Americans. Native Americans became allied with the French in the North American theater of the war, known as theFrench and Indian War, of theSeven Years' War between those nations in Europe. The trading post of John Wray gave its name to the encampment made by the British Army under General john Forbes, but led in the field by Colonel Henry Bouquet. While Bouquet was having the fort constructed on the bluff overlooking the branch of the Juniata River, it was unnamed and Bouquet wrote all of his letters with some variations as from "camp near Raystown". The fort, has erroneously been said to have been named "Fort Raystown" but it was not named anything until it was named "Fort Bedford" prior to December 1758.
In 1759, after the capture ofFort Duquesne inAllegheny County, on the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, English colonists built a road between the fort (which was renamed asFort Pitt) to the newly builtFort Bedford inRaystown. The English defeated the French in the war and took over their territories in North America east of the Mississippi River. Treaties with the Indians opened more land for future peaceful settlement.
This road followed and improved on ancient Indian trails. In later years it was widened and paved as "Forbes Road"; it is nowRoute 30. When thePennsylvania Turnpike was built, this interstate toll road became the main highway through Bedford County.
Bedford County was created on March 9, 1771, from part ofCumberland County and named in honor of Fort Bedford. The 1767Mason–Dixon line had stabilized the southern border with Maryland. In the aftermath of theAmerican Revolution, the population increased largely due to emigration. Within a lifetime Old Bedford County was greatly reduced from its original boundaries.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, mainly from the north part of Bedford County, plus an addition of territory on the east (Big Valley, Tuscarora Valley) from Cumberland County.Somerset County was created from part of Bedford County on April 17, 1795.Centre was created on February 13, 1800, from parts of Huntingdon, Lycoming, Mifflin, and Northumberland counties.Cambria County was created on March 26, 1804, from parts of Bedford, Huntingdon, and Somerset Counties.Blair County was created on February 26, 1846, from parts of Huntingdon and Bedford Counties. FinallyFulton County was created on April 19, 1850, from part of Bedford County, setting the county at its current boundaries.
The land was developed into lush farms with woodlands. It was developed as a trading center on the way toPittsburgh and farther west of Pennsylvania. In 1794, PresidentGeorge Washington came to the county in response to theWhiskey Rebellion.
In the late 19th century, theBedford Springs Hotel became an important site for wealthy vacationers. It was built near natural springs that had been important to the Native Americans for hundreds of years. During the administration of PresidentJames Buchanan, he moved much of his administration to the hotel, which became the informal summerWhite House.[4] TheU.S. Supreme Court met at the hotel once. It was the only time that the high court met outside of thecapital[citation needed].
During the late 19th century, the county had a population boom, with the number of people doubling between 1870 and 1890.Railroads constructed through the town connected the county with themining industry. The story of theLost Children of the Alleghenies originates fromBlue Knob State Park in the county.
The Raystown Branch of theJuniata River is the main drainage in the northern two-thirds of the county. The river flows to the east through the mountains within the county through several water gaps caused by a group of faults trending east–west through the central part of the county. The river then turns north and flows intoRaystown Lake inHuntingdon County. The southern third of the county is drained by several tributaries of thePotomac River. Both the Potomac and Juniata rivers are part of theChesapeake Bay Watershed.
Several limestone quarries exist in Bedford County, most of which are owned and operated by New Enterprise Stone and Lime Company. Quarry locations include Ashcom, New Paris, Kilcoin, and Sproul.[10]
Two coal fields exist within Bedford County. One is the Broad Top Field in the northeastern corner of the county, and the other is the Georges Creek Field along the southwestern border.[11] Both fields contain bituminous coal. There are abandoned mines in both areas andacid mine drainage is an environmental problem in the Broad Top area, where several fishless streams exist as a result of the discharge from the abandoned mines.[12]
Natural gas fields and storage areas exist in southeastern Bedford County, primarily within foldedDevonian rocks south ofBreezewood. Another deep gas field exists in the vicinity ofBlue Knob on the border withBlair County to the north.[13]
Bedford County is overwhelminglyRepublican, with that party winning the vote of nearly all presidential elections, recently by great margins. In 2016, 2020, and 2024, it wasDonald Trump’s second strongest county in Pennsylvania, only after neighboring Fulton County. The last time it voted for a Democrat in any election was in Bob Casey Jr.'s 2004 State Treasurer landslide.
United States presidential election results for Bedford County, Pennsylvania[15]
As of thecensus[19] of 2010, there were 49,762 people, 20,233 households, and 14,251 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 49 people per square mile (19 people/km2). There were 23,954 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile (8.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.0%White, 0.5%Black orAfrican American, 0.2%Native American, 0.2%Asian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, 0.3% fromother races, and 0.8% from two or more races. 0.9% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 20,233 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% weremarried couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.9 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
Pennsylvania resident students may also attend any of the Commonwealth's 13 public cyber charter schools which provide instruction via computers and the Internet.[21]
The largest borough-owned park in the county is a 77-acre community park inEverett, open to the public and available for events.Mid State Trail andGreat Eastern Trail pass through Everett and Tenley Park.
Map of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red) and Townships (white)
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:cities,boroughs,townships, and, in only one case (Bloomsburg, Columbia County),towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Bedford County:
^"PHMC Historical Markers Search".Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived fromthe original(Searchable database) on March 21, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 25, 2014.
"THE KERNEL OF GREATNESS: An Informal Bicentennial History of Bedford County (Pennsylvania)", by Bedford County Heritage Commission (Author), B/W Illus (Illustrator), 1971, ASIN B000KYDYOE
