Presented by The Bedford Welcome Center
The Fourth Duke of Bedford, John Russell, gave Bedford its name. In 1754 Bedford County was formed from Lunenburg County and was named for Bedford, who was then Secretary of State for Great Britain during the reign of King George II. Although New London, in Bedford’s eastern section, was the first county seat, the seat was moved to the more centrally located town of Liberty in 1782.
Bedford County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It encompasses 764 square miles of Piedmont Plateau in the Western Central portion of Virginia and is bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west, the James River on its northeast and Smith Mountain Lake to the south. It has rolling, hilly terrain with elevations ranging from 800 to 4200 feet above sea level. ...more
Presented by Virginia Wind
Nestled in west central Virginia and surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west, the James River to the northeast and Smith Mountain Lake to the south, Bedford, VA embodies a true sense of 'small town America'. Upon arrival to this slightly out of the way place, visitors will find an unassuming community filled with many spectacular scenic views, but closer inspection will reveal that the town holds many additional treasures both literally and figuratively.
Bedford is home of the infamous Beale Treasure purported to contain over 30 million dollars worth of gold buried somewhere in the area in the early 1800’s. To this day no one has been able to decipher the cryptogram with the exact location of the treasure. In fact, there is considerable debate as to whether the entire story is a hoax. However, treasure seekers still continue to try to solve the mystery. ...more |
