Bedford is a town in central Westchester County in New York State that was founded in December of 1680.  The town originated on a three square mile tract of land that a group of Puritans from Connecticut purchased from Chief Katonah, known as the Hopp Ground.  Katonah and several other Indians traded the land for coats, blankets, cloth, and wampum.

In 1697, the town of Bedford was actually designated as a part of Connecticut, with its boundaries set as a six mile square, but in 1700, King William III of England issued a decree that made Bedford a part of New York.  The town of Bedford served as Westchester County’s county seat during the American Revolution, as well.  When the town was burned on July 11, 1779, Bedford and White Plains began to alternate as the location of the county government until 1870.

The oldest building in Westchester County is the Courthouse in Bedford Village, which was built in 1787 and renovated as recently as the 1960’s.  The Cross River Reservoir is a lake located in the northeast part of town, and the Byram Lake Reservoir is smaller, situated in the south.  The New Croton Reservoir is on the western town line.  Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah are three hamlets within the town that are unincorporated.