History abounds at Bedford Springs

By: WJAC Web Staff BEDFORD, Pa. -- Bedford is a town that is loaded with history. It played a major role in the Whiskey Rebellion and the first President of the United States, George Washington, spent a lot of time in the area during his presidency. But a few minutes south of the borough sits another spot where a lot of presidents have spent some time. The location is now known as the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, or just Bedford Springs, as it's known by those in the area. People started coming to the Bedford Springs in the mid-1700s because of reported healing powers in the water, according to Bedford Springs Historian Bill Defibaugh. "They came because they heard of the healing waters of the Bedford Springs," Defibaugh said. "If you were sick, and you knew there was no medicine that could help you, you'd try anything." Defibaugh said there were five medicinal springs at the resort area, and they were used to treat all kinds of ailments. People would gather and set up tents in the valley to be near the springs. Defibaugh has a special connection to Bedford Springs, as his family help to build it. "My folks had a tavern. It was called the Defibaugh Tavern," Defibaugh said. The Bedford Springs was founded by Dr. John Anderson and carted some guests off to the tavern to stay and to eat. An old ledger shows some of the famous names who stayed there, including James Vanderbilt and Andrew Carnegie. By the 1800s people needed an escape from the industrialized cities and came to Bedford to relax. "During that period, many presidents would come, vice-presidents, congressmen, and what have you," Defibaugh said. "We're very close to Washington [D.C.], so they would just come for visits. They came not because they were sick, but just to have a good time." No president spent more time at Bedford Springs than James Buchanan. The resort ended up getting the name as his summer White House, Defibaugh said. Buchanan received the first Trans-Atlantic telegraph while in the lobby of the Bedford Springs in 1858. It was from Queen Victoria. In the 1940s the federal government took over operations of the Bedford Springs. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt turned it into a naval radio school. "It was being used as a hotel, but they wanted to vacate everybody and have a school here, a radio school," Defibaugh said. "From 1942 to 1945 they graduated 7,000 sailors with their license in radio." A few years later it was used as an internment camp for Japanese prisoners of war. "It was like a semi-guarded prison. All around the hotel they had fences up with barbed wire and guards," Defibaugh said. When the war in Japan ended, the prison closed and the Bedford Springs became a hotel again. A few years later, the hotel would end up closing. "Because of finances, they shut it down. In [1987] it stayed empty for 20 years," Defibaugh said. "Then they opened it again, thanks to the new owners in 2007." People from all over the country once again are traveling to enjoy the peaceful serenity of the mountains and the springs. As much as the resort is a place to relax, it's a living tribute to history. Defibaugh said there are pictures of the old Defibaugh Tavern. The old kitchen's been preserved, and the tools used to construct the buildings are housed in glass cases. Defibaugh donated most of the old furniture that is scattered throughout the resort. "I followed the history all my life," Defibaugh said. "My kids enjoy the Bedford Springs. They come here to eat on Fridays."