Best Web Design in Bedford Charter Township, MI (2026)

Web Design for Bedford Charter Township, Michigan

Bedford Charter Township sits in the northwest corner of Calhoun County, mostly north of the Kalamazoo River and the city of Battle Creek, of which it is a suburb. Settled in the 1830s and first called Milton Township, it grew up around a grist mill whose "Bedford Best" and "White Rose" flours made the Village of Bedford a local hub. It should not be confused with the separate Bedford Township in Monroe County near Lake Erie.

AppWT serves Bedford Charter Township and the surrounding Michigan area from Livonia, Michigan.

About Bedford Charter Township

Also known as. Suburb of Battle Creek. Formerly Milton Township.

History. Calhoun County set its boundaries on October 29, 1829, and the first recorded land purchase in the township was made in April 1832. A sawmill was built in 1837, just in time to supply timber for settlers' homes. The township was organized in 1838; originally called Milton Township, it was renamed Bedford, and its first town meeting on April 1, 1838, elected Caleb Kirby supervisor, John Meachem clerk, and Isaac Sutton treasurer. A post office opened in 1840, a Battle Creek-to-Hastings stage and mail route was established in 1842, and herbal and medical doctor Dr. Doane arrived in 1844. A grist mill built in 1855 became the center of activity for the Village of Bedford, known for its "Bedford Best" and "White Rose" flours. The township became a charter township in 1982 in part to protect against further annexation by the city of Battle Creek.

Local economy. Early economy centered on lumber milling, flour milling at the grist mill, and farming. Clay deposits discovered in the late 1870s led to tile manufacturing. Today the township is largely residential and suburban, with its economy closely tied to neighboring Battle Creek. Surrounding orchards and farm stands remain part of the rural-edge character on the township's fringes.

Culture and community. Poet and hymnwriter Eudora Stone Bumstead (1860 to 1892) came from the township. The township contains the unincorporated communities of Bedford (a downtown-development area on M-37 near the township center), Morgan Corners, and Orchard Park, plus the Level Park-Oak Park census area along the Kalamazoo River. Community identity blends its historic milling-village past with modern suburban life on the edge of Battle Creek.

What makes Bedford Charter Township distinct. The township was originally named Milton before being renamed Bedford. Its signature grist mill stood for roughly 159 years before being destroyed by fire on July 8, 2014. The mill's flour brands carried distinctive names, "Bedford Best" and "White Rose." It deliberately became a charter township in 1982 specifically to fend off annexation by Battle Creek.

Bedford Charter Township Landmarks and Local Life

• Site of the historic Bedford grist mill - registered as Michigan Historical Site No. 65 on June 2, 1966
• Bedford Cemetery - established in 1850 on land donated by a Mr. Hutchinson, with entrances on Edmonds and North Bedford Roads
• The Kalamazoo River corridor forming the township's southern edge
• A 2002 township government facility housing local offices