Editing Bedford, Ohio (section)

==History==
The area that is now Bedford and northeastern Ohio was originally inhabited by Native Americans as early as 11,000 years ago. By 1662 the area was declared a part of the Connecticut Colony through royal charter. Much of the colony's land, which extended to the Pacific Ocean, was ceded to the early U.S. government, but a few million acres west of the border of Pennsylvania became what was known as the Western Reserve.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wrhs.org/about/wrhs-history/|publisher=[[Western Reserve Historical Society]]|access-date=2018-12-27|title=What is the Western Reserve?}}</ref>

Bedford began as part of the [[Connecticut Western Reserve]] in 1797. A large portion of the Western Reserve was sold to the Connecticut Land Company in 1795. Surveying of the land began shortly after and was spearheaded by [[Moses Cleaveland]]. [[Seth Pease]] and [[Amzi Atwater]] surveyed Lot 46, which eventually would become Bedford Township.<ref name="caldwell7">{{cite book |last=Caldwell |first=Janet |date=2012 |title=Images of America: Bedford and Bedford Township|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s18YFVaZDq0C&q=Bedford+and+Bedford+Township|location=Charleston, SC|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|page=7 |isbn=978-0738593692}}</ref> It was surveyed as township 6, range 11.<ref name=Coates>{{cite web|url=http://history.rays-place.com/oh/cuyahoga/bedford.htm|publisher=The American Historical Society Chicago and New York|access-date=2018-12-27|title=History of Bedford, OH - excerpt from A History of Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland|last=Coates |first=William }}</ref>

The first settlers to the area started to arrive in 1813. Early settlers to the region were drawn to Tinkers Creek and the hardwood forests. Waterfalls on [[Tinkers Creek (Cuyahoga River)|Tinkers Creek]] were ideal for mills, which would power local businesses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bedford, Ohio History|url=https://bedfordohiohistory.org/bedford-ohio-history|publisher=Bedford Historical Society|access-date=December 27, 2018}}</ref> The first mill in Bedford Township was built by Adams and Starr in 1815. It was situated at the mouth of Tinkers Creek.<ref>{{cite book |last=Caldwell |first=Janet |date=2012 |title=Images of America: Bedford and Bedford Township|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s18YFVaZDq0C&q=Bedford+and+Bedford+Township|location=Charleston, SC|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|page=10 |isbn=978-0738593692}}</ref> The first official settler to the area was Elijah Nobles. He settled here in 1810 in the western part of the township on one of the 100 lots surveyed.<ref name=Coates />

More settlers followed, including [[Benjamin Franklin Fitch]], who founded the [[Taylor Chair Company]] in 1816. He began making chairs at his home, which was located at Warrensville Center and Libby Roads in present-day [[Maple Heights, Ohio]]. The company did not close until 2012, making it the longest-running manufacturing company in the Western Reserve area. Fitch made chairs that were considered to be better than others because of his use of pre-shrunk wood that prevented creaking. He is also known for inventing the strap lathe, a tool that would become standard in furniture making.<ref name="TAYLOR CHAIR CO. - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History">{{cite web|title=TAYLOR CHAIR CO. - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History|url= https://case.edu/ech/articles/t/taylor-chair-co|publisher=Case Western Reserve University |access-date=27 December 2018}}</ref>

Bedford Township was officially founded in 1823 and Township 6 was renamed Bedford Township by [[Daniel Benedict]], originally a native of [[Bedford (town), New York|Bedford, New York]].<ref name="caldwell7"/> The original township covered what today includes Bedford, [[Bedford Heights, Ohio|Bedford Heights]], Maple Heights, [[Oakwood, Cuyahoga County, Ohio|Oakwood Village]], and [[Walton Hills, Ohio|Walton Hills]].

In 1834, the First Baptist Church was established to help meet the religious needs of the growing population in the area. The first church in Bedford was the First Baptist Church, founded with just 14 original members at the home of Hezekiah Dunham. In 1893, the church moved into its first dedicated building located on the Bedford Commons. The old First Baptist Church is a stone building done in the [[Late Gothic Revival]] style and was designed by architect [[Jacob Snyder]]. In 1968, the First Baptist Church moved to its present location at the corner of Turney Road and West Glendale Avenue. The old stone church still stands though and is owned by the Bedford Historical Society. It currently serves as a community building and a rental hall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Purpose - Why We are Here|url=http://www.bedfordfirstbaptist.org/history.html|publisher=Bedford First Baptist Church|access-date=27 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1892 Old Baptist Church (Community Building)|url=http://www.bedfordohiohistory.org/build/church.php|publisher=Bedford Historical Society|access-date=9 February 2016}}</ref>

Bedford became an incorporated village on March 15, 1837.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bedfordheights.gov/about-us/history|publisher=City of Bedford Heights|access-date=2018-12-27|title=History of Bedford Heights }}</ref> In 1837, the population of Bedford Township had grown to be 475 people and at that time, the residents petitioned to become the Village of Bedford, which sits at the geographic center of Bedford Township. At this time, [[Hezekiah Dunham]], who was a prominent and wealthy local business man, and his wife, Clarissa Dunham, donated three acres of land for the village to be able to build a public square as well as other public and religious buildings. The deed for the land stated the property was to be "used as a public square forever."<ref name="bedfordohgov-histm" /><ref name="caldwell7"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Caldwell |first=Janet |date=2012 |title=Images of America: Bedford and Bedford Township|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s18YFVaZDq0C&q=Bedford+and+Bedford+Township|location=Charleston, SC|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|page=47 |isbn=978-0738593692}}</ref>

In addition to the falls on [[Tinkers Creek (Cuyahoga River tributary)|Tinkers Creek]] and the abundant forests, transportation helped Bedford to grow. Before the roads were even built, Bedford was situated along the main route between [[Pittsburgh]] and [[Cleveland]] and was an important stagecoach stop. Today this is [[Ohio State Route 14|State Route 14]], which runs through town from the northwest to southeast.<ref name="bedfordohgov-histm" />

Transportation became even more important in the area when the [[Ohio and Erie Canal]] opened in 1827 and the [[Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad]] began in 1852. Both of these helped drive more industry to the area, and by 1840 the population of Bedford was 2,021. Another railroad, the [[Connotton Valley Railroad]], opened in 1881.<ref name="casebedford">{{cite web|url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/b/bedford|publisher=[[Case Western Reserve University]]|access-date=2018-12-27|title=Encyclopedia of Cleveland History - Bedford }}</ref>

In 1927, the Bedford Municipal Hospital was built. The original hospital still stands, though it has been heavily added onto since it was first constructed. It is now operated as a branch of [[University Hospitals of Cleveland]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Caldwell |first=Janet |date=2012 |title=Images of America: Bedford and Bedford Township|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s18YFVaZDq0C&q=Bedford+and+Bedford+Township|location=Charleston, SC|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|page=39 |isbn=978-0738593692}}</ref>

The village of [[Maple Heights, Ohio|Maple Heights]] left Bedford Township in 1915 and in 1932 Maple Heights achieved city status.<ref name="Maple Heights History">{{cite web|title=Maple Heights Splits from Bedford Township|url=http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/ohio/maple-heights|publisher=CityTownInfo.com|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref>

In 1932, the Village of Bedford adopted a city manager government and charger and became the City of Bedford.<ref name="casebedford" /> As the village grew, many industries developed in Bedford and new businesses opened. Some of the important businesses in Bedford were manufacturing companies:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bedfordohiohistory.org/history-of-companies-in-bedford|publisher=Bedford Historical Society|access-date=2018-12-27|title=History of Companies in Bedford }}</ref>

* The [[Marble & Shattuck Chair Company]] operated in Bedford from 1885 to 1894, when it moved to Cleveland. 
* The [[B.L. Marble Chair Co.]] made wooden chairs from 1894. 
* Founded in 1903, the [[Franklin Oil and Gas Company]] made engine oil and similar products. 
* The [[Best Foundry Co.]], founded in 1905 manufactured metal castings, especially stoves.
* The [[McMyler-Interstate Company]], established in 1910, was the largest manufacturer in Bedford. It made the largest crane in the world in 1919.
* Founded in 1922, the [[Walker China Company]] made marbles before manufacturing china. 
* The [[Harper Aircraft Manufacturing Company]] built monoplanes beginning in 1930. 
* In 1938, the [[Lewis Welding and Engineering Corporation]] opened and was an important supplier for the military during World War II.

The first car dealerships opened on Broadway Avenue in the early 1950s and formed the Bedford Automile Dealers Association in 1956, formally creating the first [[Bedford Automile]]. The Bedford Automile Dealers Association was created to not only give the car dealerships in the area a unified voice for working with the city but to also create a group who would actively help to improve the city.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Bedford Automile|url=http://www.bedfordoh.gov/site.cfm/Businesses/BEDFORD-AUTOMILE.cfm|publisher=The Bedford Automile|access-date=11 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123113607/http://bedfordoh.gov/site.cfm/Businesses/BEDFORD-AUTOMILE.cfm|archive-date=2016-01-23|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On February 20, 1951, the northeast corner of Bedford Township broke off from the City of Bedford and incorporated to become the village of [[Bedford Heights, Ohio]]. Bedford Heights achieved city status in 1961.<ref>{{cite book |last=Caldwell |first=Janet |date=2012 |title=Images of America: Bedford and Bedford Township|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s18YFVaZDq0C&q=Bedford+and+Bedford+Township|location=Charleston, SC|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|page=66 |isbn=978-0738593692}}</ref>

On February 20, 2023, an [[2023 Bedford explosion|explosion]] occurred at a I. Schumann & Co. copper alloy plant in Bedford, causing a large fire and catastrophic damage to the facility and numerous cars in a [[Parking lot|lot]] across the street.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Catherine |last2=Scofield |first2=Drew |date=2023-02-20 |title=More than a dozen injured; 1 killed in explosion at metal manufacturing facility near Bedford |url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/firefighters-responding-to-explosion-in-bedford |access-date=2023-02-25 |website=News 5 Cleveland [[WEWS-TV|WEWS]] |language=en}}</ref> According to authorities, 14 people were hospitalized for burn injuries, including a 46 year old factory worker, who later succumbed to them after being [[Hospital admission|admitted]] in [[critical condition]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Levenson |first=Michael |date=2023-02-21 |title=One Dead, a Dozen Injured in Explosion at Ohio Metal Plant |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/us/bedford-metal-fire-explosion.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228055102/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/us/bedford-metal-fire-explosion.html |archive-date=28 February 2023 |access-date=2023-02-25 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>