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Bedford County, Pennsylvania
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Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,577. The county seat is Bedford. The county is part of the Southwest region of the commonwealth.
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 the French and Indian War, or the Seven 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 of Fort Duquesne in Allegheny County, on the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, English colonists built a road between the fort (which was renamed as Fort Pitt) to the newly built Fort Bedford in Raystown. 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 now Route 30. When the Pennsylvania Turnpike was built, this interstate toll road became the main highway through Bedford County.
Bedford County was created on March 9, 1771, from part of Cumberland County and named in honor of Fort Bedford. The 1767 Mason–Dixon line had stabilized the southern border with Maryland. In the aftermath of the American 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. Finally Fulton County was created on April 19, 1850, from part of Bedford County, setting the county at its current boundaries.
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Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,577. The county seat is Bedford. The county is part of the Southwest region of the commonwealth.
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 the French and Indian War, or the Seven 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 of Fort Duquesne in Allegheny County, on the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, English colonists built a road between the fort (which was renamed as Fort Pitt) to the newly built Fort Bedford in Raystown. 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 now Route 30. When the Pennsylvania Turnpike was built, this interstate toll road became the main highway through Bedford County.
Bedford County was created on March 9, 1771, from part of Cumberland County and named in honor of Fort Bedford. The 1767 Mason–Dixon line had stabilized the southern border with Maryland. In the aftermath of the American 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. Finally Fulton County was created on April 19, 1850, from part of Bedford County, setting the county at its current boundaries.
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