NEW BEDFORD — Back before the American Revolutionary War, New Bedford wasactually partof Old Dartmouth in a section called Bedford Village.When it came time to incorporate the area in 1787 the name Bedford was already taken, whenBedford, Massachusetts, wasincorporated58 years earlier.Hence, “New” Bedford was born.
Enough for the history lesson.
Thisgot Curious SouthCoast towondering about other NewBedfordsthat might exist across the country.
We know that there are other Whalers, so naturally we needed to investigate where the other New Bedfords are.
Surprisingly, there are only fourothers that bear the name NewBedford.
New Bedford, Pennsylvania
The little townof New Bedford,Pennsylvania, is so small you could walk across itsince it’s only 2.5 miles wide. It's one of the communities where literally everyone knows your name. The population is 857 according to the 2021census.There areonly nine streets in the town and two don’t even havenames butare simply designated as T717 andT932.
Students go to school innearbyWilmington.
The town is located in the far western part of the state and shakes hands with neighboring Ohio. The town is located within Lawrence County which has a population of 85,083.
New Bedford, Ohio
New Bedford, Ohio, is considered an unincorporated community and part of Coshocton County.
“So I visited yesterday, and at least four of the local stores were closed for a wedding or other event that was being attended,” said Landon Troyer, who lives in the area. The Standard-Times found Troyer through Twitter. Troyer said the town is mostly populated by Amishfamilies. In referencing the book, "New Bedford Then & Now" by Doyle Yoder and Eileen Yoder, he said the original plot for New Bedford was laid out in March 1825 by John Gonser and it consisted of 55 lots.
In the early days, New Bedford, Ohio, was known for its saloons. The locals preferred to call them taverns. There was also lots of fighting in the town square, the book noted.
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Today’s New Bedford, Ohio consists of two feed mills and at least 14 businesses such as New Bedford Sportsmen Supply, New Bedford Harness & Boot, New Bedford Feed & Supply Co., and New Bedford Country Store.
While Troyer was in the town recently, he took some pictures for the Standard-Times to use in this story.
New Bedford, Illinois
This New Bedford is a small village in Bureau County, Illinois andthis one reportedly has ties to New Bedford, Massachusetts. It lies eight miles south of Tampico in Bureau County.
According to Reminiscences of Bureau County, 1872 by N. Matson and Past and Present of Bureau County, 1906 transcribed by Nancy Piper, the village was named by settlers from New Bedford, Massachusetts and was originally called Winnebago. The post office for Winnebago was established June 12, 1844, and was changed to New Bedford July 31, 1855.
The population was 75 at the time of the 2010 census, down from 95 in 2000. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Two tornadoes briefly touched down in New Bedford, Illinois on June 22, 2016, at 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.Each lasted less than half a mile, and the winds peaked at 65 mph for both tornadoes.
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The more things change, the more they stay the same. In doing online research about New Bedford, Illinois, a photo was found taken in 1910 of the New Bedford Department Store. The cement step that ran across the front of the store is still there today.
New Bedford, New Jersey
Thinking of New Jersey usually brings to mind images of cities, factories, and oil refinery smokestacks visible along I-95. This New Bedford is anything but.
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It's not even a town — barely a village.
This place is so small, it's considered an unincorporated community located within Wall Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It covers109 acres in area and as of 2019 had a population of 63.
Trying to find its precise location on a map can prove challenging. It's more or less a land parcel and maps put the center in a Wall Township baseball field. There is a New Bedford Road that passes nearby.
Standard-Times digital producer Linda Roycan be reached at lroy@s-t.com. You can follow her on Twitter at@LindaRoy_SCT. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times.
