Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the population was 49,984. The county seat is Bedford. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Robert MacRay opened the first trading post in Raystown (which is now Bedford) on the land that is now Bedford County in 1750. The settlers had a difficult time dealing with raids from Indians and the fighting between the French a...
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Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the population was 49,984. The county seat is Bedford. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Robert MacRay opened the first trading post in Raystown (which is now Bedford) on the land that is now Bedford County in 1750. The settlers had a difficult time dealing with raids from Indians and the fighting between the French and the British.
In 1759, after the capture of Fort Duquesne in Allegheny County, a road was built between the fort (which was renamed to Fort Pitt) to the newly built Fort Bedford in Raystown. The road turned from Indian trails, into "Forbes Road", and still later into the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Bedford County was created on March 9, 1771 from part of Cumberland County and named in honor of the Fort Bedford.
The area quickly increased in population once safety became more established. The land with its lush farmland and woodland became an...
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