Bedford Welcome Center’s Festival of Trees

“Festival of Trees at the Bedford Area Welcome Center is an annual event that takes place around the end of November through the first week of January. “Christmas Through The Decades” is the theme for this year. The event will feature trees that are decorated by local businesses and organizations. Visitors are encouraged to come by the Welcome Center and vote for their favorite tree(s) for only $1.00/vote. At the conclusion of the event, all proceeds will benefit the charitable organizations designated by the businesses. There are no winners and no losers of this event, everyone has an equal opportunity to raise money for their selected charity and they will keep whatever amount they raise. The Festival of Trees is a festive family friendly event to celebrate the season while helping causes important to the community.” –Bedford Welcome Center

We dedicated our Christmas tree to the many boys and girls, faculty, and families that once called The Counter Ridge School their own. Counter Ridge began in 1919 as a primitive segregated schoolhouse. In 1959, local architect Stanhope Johnson built the brick and mortar building that still stands today. The Counter Ridge School desegregated in 1969 and eventually became the Big Island Primary School. When the Big Island Elementary School was built, the old Counter Ridge School and grounds were purchased by local beloved Doctor, Doc McCabe. It stands today as an Arts & Cultural Center, dedicated to

‘The Art of Living and The Living Arts.’

Photographs for this display were taken from the book, Bedford Black History 250 Years, by Annie S. Pollard

Published by The Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library. Copyright May 2015

This desk is original to the Counter Ridge School.

The Sedalia Center is currently collecting photographs and other memorabilia to add to the Counter Ridge History Room located at the center. If you would like to share any artifacts or stories from your time at The Counter Ridge School, please call Linda Scott at 434-299-5080 or email office@sedaliacenter.org

Visitors can donate a dollar ($1.00) and vote for the tree of their choice. The dollars voted for the Counter Ridge Tree will go to the Sedalia Center once the display is over. Sedalia is in critical shape financially this year, so please take some time, bring some kids to see the trees (There are at least 20. It’s festive and fun to see them all together.), and lay a dollar down for Sedalia’s Counter Ridge History Project.

Our tree is very different from the others, and has a homemade, happy presence that none of the others possess.