Bedford, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Bedford is a city in Taylor County
, Iowa
, United States
. The population was 1,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Taylor County
. Lake of Three Fires State Park is located a few miles northeast of Bedford.
rider to deliver the mail on its final leg from Benicia, California
to Oakland, California
on April 23, 1861. Bedford is believed to have operated Bedfords Store and Trading Post in 1848 within the city limits. He moved to California later that year in the California Gold Rush
.
The community was called "Grove" when a post office was established on June 30, 1855. On June 24, 1856 it was changed to Bedford. Other histories have noted possible other sources of the name:
The community was formally established as the county seat of Taylor County by a legislative act in 1853. The town was formally laid out on lots sold on July 4, 1853 (which at the time identified the community as "Bedforde"). According to town legend a barrel of whiskey was placed on the grounds and lots sold for $10 to $20 - although none of the lots were paid for at the time.
The present Taylor County Courthouse
was built in 1893.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,620 people, 691 households, and 422 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,007.2 people per square mile (388.5/km²). There were 769 housing units at an average density of 478.1 per square mile (184.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.15% White, 0.06% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.74% from other races
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
There were 691 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 26.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,125, and the median income for a family was $34,943. Males had a median income of $27,788 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,313. About 10.4% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
Taylor County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 6,317 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,107 housing units, of which 2,679 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Taylor County
Taylor County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 6,317 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,107 housing units, of which 2,679 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. Lake of Three Fires State Park is located a few miles northeast of Bedford.
History
The community is believed to have gotten its name from Thomas J. Bedford who was the first west bound Pony ExpressPony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
rider to deliver the mail on its final leg from Benicia, California
Benicia, California
Benicia is a waterside city in Solano County, California, United States. It was the first city in California to be founded by Anglo-Americans, and served as the state capital for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the San...
to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
on April 23, 1861. Bedford is believed to have operated Bedfords Store and Trading Post in 1848 within the city limits. He moved to California later that year in the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
.
The community was called "Grove" when a post office was established on June 30, 1855. On June 24, 1856 it was changed to Bedford. Other histories have noted possible other sources of the name:
- BedfordBedfordBedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
in England (possible original home of early settlers) - Bedford, IndianaBedford, IndianaAs of the census of 2000, there were 13,768 people, 6,054 households, and 3,644 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,157.1 people per square mile . There were 6,618 housing units at an average density of 556.2 per square mile...
(reputed home of the surveyor) - Bedford, PennsylvaniaBedford, PennsylvaniaBedford is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, west of the State Capital, Harrisburg. It is the county seat of Bedford County. Bedford was established in the mid-18th century. Population counts follow: 1890, 2,242; 1900, 2,167; 1910, 2,385. The population was 3,141 at the 2000...
(reputed home of a "government engineer")
The community was formally established as the county seat of Taylor County by a legislative act in 1853. The town was formally laid out on lots sold on July 4, 1853 (which at the time identified the community as "Bedforde"). According to town legend a barrel of whiskey was placed on the grounds and lots sold for $10 to $20 - although none of the lots were paid for at the time.
The present Taylor County Courthouse
Taylor County Courthouse (Iowa)
The Taylor County Courthouse in Bedford, Iowa, United States was built in 1892. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse was the second building the county has used for court functions and...
was built in 1893.
Geography
Bedford is located at 40°40′6"N 94°43′16"W (40.668317, -94.721092), along the East Fork of the One Hundred and Two RiverOne Hundred and Two River
The One Hundred and Two River is a tributary of the Platte River of Missouri that is approximately long, in northwestern Missouri in the United States, with its source tributaries rising in southwestern Iowa....
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,620 people, 691 households, and 422 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,007.2 people per square mile (388.5/km²). There were 769 housing units at an average density of 478.1 per square mile (184.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.15% White, 0.06% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.74% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
There were 691 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 26.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,125, and the median income for a family was $34,943. Males had a median income of $27,788 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,313. About 10.4% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
Sports
Bedford won the Iowa Class A State Football Championship in 1992.See also
- Lenox Round BarnLenox Round BarnThe Lenox Round Barn is an historical structure that is part of the Taylor County Historical Museum in Bedford, Iowa. It was built in 1905 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999. The building measures 70x50 feet . It features white vertical siding, a large...
, part of the Tayor County Historical Museum and listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.