Bedford (town), New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 18,133 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Bedford is in the central part of the county. The town has three unincorporated hamlets: Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah.
The Bedford Free Library is located in Bedford, on the Village Green, and is a member of the Westchester Library System.
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[edit] History
The Town of Bedford was founded on December 23, 1680 when twenty-two Puritans from Stamford, Connecticut purchased a tract of land three miles square known as the "Hopp Ground" from Chief Katonah and several other Indians for coats, blankets, wampum and cloth.
Bedford was made a part of Connecticut in 1697 when a patent fixed the boundaries as a six-mile square and only when King William III of England issued a royal decree in 1700, to settle a boundary dispute, did Bedford became part of New York.
The Town served as the county seat of Westchester County during the American Revolutionary War after the Battle of White Plains until Bedford was burned by the British on July 11, 1779. After the Revolution, Bedford was made one of two seats of County government, alternating with White Plains, until 1870. Westchester County's oldest government building is the Court House in Bedford Village, which was built in 1787 and renovated in the 1960s.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 101.9 km² (39.3 mi²). 96.5 km² (37.2 mi²) of it is land and 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²) of it (5.36%) is water. The town is bordered to the west by Mount Kisco, to the south by Armonk, to the north by Lewisboro, and to the east by Pound Ridge.
[edit] Landmarks
Bedford has a few minor landmarks, most of them centered around the Bedford Green, a small patch of green space at the center of the historical district (along Route 22). There is a small graveyard dating back to the founding of the town; the old one-room stone schoolhouse; and a few colonial-era houses, still lived in, which are kept painted white with black or green shutters. More information on the schoolhouse is available at (914) 234-9271.
Also along Route 22, at Hook Road, there is a large 300+ year old oak tree known as the Bedford Oak.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 18,133 people, 5,731 households, and 4,395 families residing in the town. The population density was 188.0/km² (486.9/mi²). There were 6,020 housing units at an average density of 62.4/km² (161.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.50% White, 7.12% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.98% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.57% of the population.
There were 5,731 households out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $100,053, and the median income for a family was $118,820. Males had a median income of $88,561 versus $47,468 for females. The per capita income for the town was $53,046. About 2.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those of age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities and locations in Bedford
- Bedford Village -- A hamlet in the southeast part of the town, also known as Bedford.
- Bedford Hills -- A hamlet in the
- Cross River Reservoir -- A reservoir in the northern portion of the town.
- Katonah -- A hamlet at the north town line.
[edit] Notable people, past and present
- Billy Baldwin, actor[1]
- Chevy Chase, actor
- Glenn Close, actress
- John Jay, founding father, diplomat, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, co-author of the Federalist Papers
- Ralph Lauren, fashion designer and icon
- Joseph Abboud, fashion designer and author, owns a Bedford Village business, Herringbone
- E.G. Marshall, actor, died in Bedford
- Jennifer O'Neill, actress, who accidentally shot herself at her residence there in the hamlet of Bedford Hills
- Chazz Palminteri, actor[1]
- Theodore Sorensen, aide to President John F. Kennedy, lawyer
- George Soros, investor and successful speculator
- Martha Stewart, well-known home, food, lifestyle, and garden expert
- Donald Trump, real estate
- Loudon Wainwright III, songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor; grew up in Bedford.
- William G. Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, author of Alcoholics Anonymous, one of the last Century's 100 most important people; lived in Bedford from 1941-1971; house is listed on State and National Registries of Historic Places. Open for tours by calling 914-232-4822
- Lois B. Wilson, wife of Bill Wilson, co-founder of Al-Anon family groups, noted one of the most important women in New York State History; lived in Bedford from 1941-1988
- Felicity Huffman Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning American film and television actress.
- Peter Frampton, pop singer of the 70's and early '80's.
- Robert F. Kennedy jr., environmental activist and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b [1] Costaregni, Susie, "The Dish" column, "Christmas concert to help children in Rwanda", The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, December 3, 2006, accessed December 23, 2006
[edit] External links
- Bedford website directory
- Bedford Hills Town Page
- Bedford Village Town Page
- John Jay Homestead State Historic Site web page
- John Jay Homestead, Friends of
- Katonah Town Page
- Municipal profile from Westchester County Web site
- BEDFORD MAGAZINE, the premier magazine for Bedford, Katonah, Pound Ridge
- InTown Westchester Magazine
- The Journal News, the County newspaper
- The historic home of Bill and Lois Wilson
