Place of Power

Place of Power. . , Shelter… Food… Light were once supplied to the people of Bedford by capturing the power of the rushing water of Tinker's Creek. Waterfalls are lovely but are inconsistent sources of water power, so a dam was built upstream that diverted water to a millrace through the tunnel still seen today. As early as 1821, sawmills were being used to saw locally harvested trees into lumber for houses and other items. A grist mill built in 1825 ground wheat and corn into flour for breads, muffins and cakes, and as technology changed, rolling mills took its place. Nights in the town became brighter when the Bedford Electric Light Company opened its hydroelectric power plant along the creek in 1892., A few foundations are all that remain of this once-busy industrial area. By the early 1900s, larger, regional plants and mills were supplying lumber, food, and electricity for the area and smaller, local industries disappeared. Paved pathways and flights of stairs represent the latest human use of the land, allowing us to enjoy the beauty of Tinker's Creek Falls., Bedford Electric Light Comany: Photo circa 1902 , Bedford Electric Light Company (briefly named People's Electric Company) on the left, with Gates Roller Mills in the upper center of the picture and the Great Falls of Tinker's Creek to the right of the mills.