Birth: 4 May 1756, Lunenburg County, Virginia
Death: 4 May 1829, Bedford County, Virginia
The settler who gave the town of Liberty his land, and Texas his sons. Born on May 4, 1756 and dying May 4 seventy-three years later, Joseph Fuqua led a generally quiet life as a farmer and family man. He is remembered in Bedford today for an outstanding act of generosity he shared with another man who went on to obscurity. Joseph Fuqua and
William Downing donated the 100 acres that became the site of the town established in 1782 as Liberty. He had fought in the Revolutionary War before settling in this area, enlisting Feb.22, 1776 and fighting in the battles of Cowpens and Brandywine. He was discharged in 1778.