Bedford in the 1890s

*Thanks to the Historical Society for this photograph of a Bedford baseball team in 1891. Do you recognize any of the players? Courtesy image*

By Brian Oughlihan, reprinted from the Bedford Historical Society newsletter The Preservationist

In past Preservationist newsletters, we looked at how life was in Bedford in the 1860’s, 1870’s and 1880’s. We will take a look at the 1890’s, some changes that had occurred and a glimpse of what life was like in Bedford.

By the end of the decade in 1900, the population had grown to 1208, with 116 new people either born here or moving to Bedford. The 1890’s had 220 births recorded and 195 deaths.

A few Bedford highlights in the 1890s included:

The Union School (now Town Center) was dedicated on Dec 31, 1891, and opened in 1892, with 4 schoolrooms and 8 teachers. In 1890, teachers’ salaries ranged from $7.50 to $10.00 a week
The Bedford High School graduating class of 1891 was: Frederick A Laws, M. Alice Piper, Jennie N. Murray, M. Lenore Flint.
In 1890, Bedford had 3 college graduates: Francis Warren Bacon from Harvard; Annie M. Smith from Wellesley; and Bessie S. Sampson from Mount Holyoke.
Bedford Lumber and Manufacturing was chartered in May 1891 and was the largest employer ever in town to that date
History of the Town of Bedford was published in 1891 by Abram English Brown
Bedford Historical Society was founded in 1893 by A.E. Brown and others
Other Books by A.E. Brown published during the 1890s: Glimpses of old New England life: Legends of old Bedford, 1892; Bedford Old Families, 1892; Flag of the Minute Men, April 19, 1775, Its Origin and History, 1894; Beneath Old Roof Trees, 1896; Beside Old Hearthstones, 1897; John Hancock – His Book, 1898
During the 1890s George R. Blinn was President of the Bedford Library and Lottie May Corey was the Librarian
In the late 1890s the Parker Brothers moved from Boston to Mill St. (Old Billerica Road) and purchased 350 acres of land and 8 houses.

A selection of Bedford images from the 1890s

The old Mead place in 1891 – Now Hanscom Field

Things going on elsewhere in the 1890s included:

1890 – Idaho and Wyoming were admitted to the Union.
1893 – Grover Cleveland became President for the second time.
1894 – John and Will Kellogg invented Corn Flakes.
1896 – Henry Ford built his first car; Gold was discovered in the Yukon; and Utah was admitted to the Union.
1897 – William McKinley was elected president.
1898 – Spanish-American War