Fort Bedford was one of a series of British Army outposts leading west from Carlisle to the Forks of the Ohio, which had been claimed by the French, who had constructed Fort Duquesne to control fur trading in the Ohio Valley and along the Mississippi River.

During the American Revolutionary War, Fort Bedford served as a refuge for settlers fleeing raids by Indigenous groups.

The British Army had already abandoned the fort in 1766, following the conclusion of Pontiac's Rebellion, whereas Smith's raid occurred in 1769.

During the raid, a group of men attacked a pack train, seizing weapons and other goods intended for trade.

These men were imprisoned, prompting Smith and his followers to attack the fort, which was guarded only by local settlers.

The uprising escalated, leading Washington to act decisively to ensure that federal laws were upheld.

One historian later remarked, "It was at Bedford that the new federal government was finally to establish itself as sovereign in its own time and place.

The resort offered several types of mineral springs and attracted visitors seeking cures for various ailments.

President James Buchanan used Bedford Springs as his "summer White House," and it was there that he received the first trans-Atlantic cable message from Queen Victoria on August 17, 1858.

Notable guests of the Bedford Springs and Chalybeate Springs hotels included Presidents William Henry Harrison, James Polk, Zachary Taylor, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Benjamin Harrison, as well as Thaddeus Stevens and other notable figures.

U.S. Route 220 is a four-lane north-south highway that bypasses Bedford to the west and becomes Interstate 99 just north of town where it crosses the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The event includes many vendors, touring of the fort, the Children's Theater, pony rides, and an antique car show.

This program lasts for about four months where nominees from all of the high schools in the area compete and participate in various events in hopes of winning the scholarship money.

[16] Alongside a classic midway of rides, games, and food vendors are a multitude of 4-H-sponsored events (including animal shows and livestock auctions), automobile racing, demolition derbies, and a petting zoo.

[17] The automobile racing and demolition derbies take place at the Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway, adjacent to the remainder of the Fair.

Bedford has both Walmart REI distribution centers and JLG Inc. due to its close location to major highways and cities.