Bradford, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Bradford is the primary country urban area of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario
, in Canada
. It overlooks a beautiful and prosperous farming community, known as The Holland Marsh
, located on the Holland River
that flows into Lake Simcoe
. Within the municipal boundaries are a number of smaller communities, including: Bond Head, Dunkerron, Green Valley, Pinkerton, Fisher's Corners, Newton Robinson, Coulson and Deerhurst.
first Surveyor General of British North America, who passed this way on an exploration from Toronto to Balsam Lake, by way of Lake Simcoe, in 1791
For several years the Holland River and Lake Simcoe
provided the only means of transportation. Holland Landing was the northern terminus of Yonge Street. The military route to Georgian Bay during the war of 1812
, crossed Lake Simcoe to Kempenfelt Bay
, then by the Nine Mile Portage to Willow Creek and the Nottawasaga River
. The Penetanguishene Road built between 1814–1815, from Kempenfelt Bay, provided an alternate route to Georgian Bay
, however, early settlers also used this route to get to the frontier of Simcoe County, bypassing the areas of West Gwillimbury and Essa townships.
The first settlers to cross the Holland River arriving in the fall of 1819, were three Irishmen-James Wallace, Lewis Algeo and Robert Armstrong. This was about the same time as the Auld Kirk Scotch Settlement
was established, however, the pioneers of West Gwillimbury were mostly Protestants from Northern Ireland.
The new settlers sent a petition to the province of Upper Canada
early in 1824, stating they were separated from the settlements of Yonge Street, by an impassable swamp. On January 24 the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
made a grant for the first main road in West Gwillimbury (4 Geo. 1V., chap 29). The contract for the first Corduroy road across the Holland Marsh, was completed by Robert Armstrong and his sons in the fall of 1825. Connecting with other contactors sections and the previously constructed road from Kempenfelt Bay, the road became known as Penetanguishene Road. Later Yonge Street, now, Simcoe County Road 4.
The original road (Bridge Street) did not curve onto Holland Street, but continued straight to what is now Scanlon Ave. near Colborne Street, from there the road continued north while another road led southwest to the Scottish settlement. It was at this junction that the settlement was first established. William Milloy, formerly of Coulson’s Corners, built a small log tavern there in the fall of 1829. Other businessmen included James Drury, merchant; James Campbell, shoemaker and Thomas Driffel, blacksmith. John Peacock, an old soldier from London, England, had settled as a merchant and became the first postmaster in 1835.
was built through the town. The train station was constructed by the Grand Trunk Railway
and later used by the CNR
. Bradford was incorporated as a town in 1960.
The Downtown Core has survived two fires. The first, on May 23, 1871, destroyed upwards of one hundred homes including all of the business part of the village except two hotels being consumed. However, a new downtown area arose where most buildings were made of brick. Today many of the buildings still exist and make up the downtown core. The second fire was in the 1960s with damage only to the northwest corner of the intersection at Highway 11 and Highway 88.
One of its famous historical landmarks that still operates to this day is the Village Inn Hotel.
In 1824 entrepreneurs John Thorpe and Mark Scanlon obtained a government grant for the construction of a grist mill on a stream north of the settlement, although the partnership was dissolved about 1832, Scanlon built two sawmill
s in that vicinity. Water power being the only means of motive power
at the time, as many as six mills were located on Scanlon Creek at one time. The family of Thomas Maconchy, one of the early settlers of Gilford, built a sawmill in Bradford at the bridge over the Holland River, in 1840. It was the first mill at that location.
When the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway was constructed, it was said to be through an almost continuous forest
for most of the distance from Toronto to Barrie. Sometime after the line opened, Toronto lumber merchant Thompson Smith put up a large sawmill on the river near the Bradford station. First evidence of Smith in the village was 1862 when his partner James Durham cut the Holland River bridge in two, while driving logs
to the mill.
Thompson Smith's mill was the second largest in the area, next to the Sage mill at Bell Ewart. Smith added a second mill at Bradford, as well as contracting with Durham's mill in Barrie. Only a decade after the arrival of the railway at Lake Simcoe, pine for the mills was running low. In 1867 H. W. Sage persuaded Thompson Smith to join with him in the formation of the Rama Timber Transport Company
, to supply Lake Simcoe mills with timber
. With logs coming from as distant as Head Lake
, Smith put up a third mill, south of the Holland River bridge in 1869.
Following an example set by American lumberman Henry W. Sage
, Thompson Smith established a number of mills at Cheboygan, Michigan
.
In 1923, William Henry Day began the drainage system that turned the wetlands of the Holland Marsh into arable land, which now consists of thousands of acres where fresh vegetables are grown.
Census lists the population of Bradford West Gwillimbury (the local census unit) as 24,039.
Bradford West Gwillimbury has people from many different backgrounds ranging from Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, and Ukraine. The overwhelming majority of Bradford's residents are White.
Elementary schools include:
Fred C. Cook Public School
Bradford Public School
W.H. Day Elementary School
Fieldcrest Elementary School
Sir William Osler Public School
Hon. Earl Rowe Public School
St. Charles Catholic School
St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic School
Marie of the Incarnation Catholic School
Mother Teresa Catholic School
There are no university or college campuses in Bradford.
(now, County Road 4) and 88 (now, County Road 88). County Road 88 intersects with Ontario's Highway 400, a limited-interchange multi-lane major thoroughfare that connects to Toronto in the south and "cottage country" in the north. This portion of Highway 11 is one of the few connecting routes between Highway 404 to the east and the 400 to the west, creating considerable through traffic. It can be tough to drive through the town on long weekends.
Public transit in Bradford is very limited. GO Transit
has bus routes that connect the town to Barrie and Newmarket, and Bradford also has a station on GO Transit's commuter train network. The GO Train service had its first inaugural run through Bradford in 1982. At the time, the commuter train went as far north as Barrie. Over the years the service to Barrie was stopped. This caused Bradford to be a terminus for the commuter trains to Toronto. However, the City of Barrie purchased the rail line north of Bradford with the hope of reintroducing rail service to Barrie. GO Train service resumed as of December 2007 to the city of Barrie.
Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario
Bradford West Gwillimbury, a town in south-central Ontario, in the County of Simcoe in the Greater Toronto Area on the Holland River. West Gwillimbury takes its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, née Gwillim....
, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It overlooks a beautiful and prosperous farming community, known as The Holland Marsh
Holland Marsh
The Holland Marsh is a wetland and agricultural area north of Toronto, Ontario. It lies entirely within the valley of the Holland River, stretching from the northern edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine near Schomberg to the river mouth at Cook's Bay, Lake Simcoe. In its entirety it comprises about or...
, located on the Holland River
Holland River
The Holland River is a river in Ontario, Canada that drains the Holland River watershed into Cook's Bay, the southern extremity of Lake Simcoe. It is named after Captain Samuel Holland, , Dutch born first Surveyor General of British North America. The river flows generally north, and its...
that flows into Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
. Within the municipal boundaries are a number of smaller communities, including: Bond Head, Dunkerron, Green Valley, Pinkerton, Fisher's Corners, Newton Robinson, Coulson and Deerhurst.
History
The eastern boundary of Bradford is the Holland River, named for Samuel HollandSamuel Holland
Samuel Johannes Holland was a Royal Engineer and first Surveyor General of British North America.-Life in the Netherlands:...
first Surveyor General of British North America, who passed this way on an exploration from Toronto to Balsam Lake, by way of Lake Simcoe, in 1791
For several years the Holland River and Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
provided the only means of transportation. Holland Landing was the northern terminus of Yonge Street. The military route to Georgian Bay during the war of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, crossed Lake Simcoe to Kempenfelt Bay
Kempenfelt Bay
Kempenfelt Bay is a 14.5 km long bay that leads into the Canadian city of Barrie, Ontario. It is as deep as 30 m in places, and is connected to the larger Lake Simcoe...
, then by the Nine Mile Portage to Willow Creek and the Nottawasaga River
Nottawasaga River
The Nottawasaga River is a river in southern Ontario, Canada. Its headwaters are located on the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine. It flows through the Minesing Swamp, recognized as a wetland of international significance , and empties into Nottawasaga Bay, an inlet of Georgian Bay, at...
. The Penetanguishene Road built between 1814–1815, from Kempenfelt Bay, provided an alternate route to Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
, however, early settlers also used this route to get to the frontier of Simcoe County, bypassing the areas of West Gwillimbury and Essa townships.
The first settlers to cross the Holland River arriving in the fall of 1819, were three Irishmen-James Wallace, Lewis Algeo and Robert Armstrong. This was about the same time as the Auld Kirk Scotch Settlement
Auld Kirk Scotch Settlement
The Auld Kirk Scotch Settlement is a historic settlement located in the former township of West Gwillimbury . It is located on the 6th Line, west of the 10th Sideroad, street number 3380. The church is one of several old Presbyterian churches that merged to form St...
was established, however, the pioneers of West Gwillimbury were mostly Protestants from Northern Ireland.
The new settlers sent a petition to the province of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
early in 1824, stating they were separated from the settlements of Yonge Street, by an impassable swamp. On January 24 the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was the elected legislature for the province of Upper Canada and functioned as the province's lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada...
made a grant for the first main road in West Gwillimbury (4 Geo. 1V., chap 29). The contract for the first Corduroy road across the Holland Marsh, was completed by Robert Armstrong and his sons in the fall of 1825. Connecting with other contactors sections and the previously constructed road from Kempenfelt Bay, the road became known as Penetanguishene Road. Later Yonge Street, now, Simcoe County Road 4.
The original road (Bridge Street) did not curve onto Holland Street, but continued straight to what is now Scanlon Ave. near Colborne Street, from there the road continued north while another road led southwest to the Scottish settlement. It was at this junction that the settlement was first established. William Milloy, formerly of Coulson’s Corners, built a small log tavern there in the fall of 1829. Other businessmen included James Drury, merchant; James Campbell, shoemaker and Thomas Driffel, blacksmith. John Peacock, an old soldier from London, England, had settled as a merchant and became the first postmaster in 1835.
Bradford becomes a town
Bradford was incorporated as a Village in 1857, with a population of about 1,000 people. Only a few years prior to this, the Northern Railway of CanadaNorthern Railway of Canada
The Northern Railway of Canada was a historical Canadian railway located in the province of Ontario. It was eventually acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway, and is therefore a predecessor to the modern Canadian National Railway.- Early history :...
was built through the town. The train station was constructed by the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
and later used by the CNR
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
. Bradford was incorporated as a town in 1960.
The Downtown Core has survived two fires. The first, on May 23, 1871, destroyed upwards of one hundred homes including all of the business part of the village except two hotels being consumed. However, a new downtown area arose where most buildings were made of brick. Today many of the buildings still exist and make up the downtown core. The second fire was in the 1960s with damage only to the northwest corner of the intersection at Highway 11 and Highway 88.
One of its famous historical landmarks that still operates to this day is the Village Inn Hotel.
Early industry
The village of Bradford was established to supply the agricultural interests of its surrounding area, for a brief period in the mid-19th century, lumbering was a major industry, as trees had to be removed in order to commence farming.In 1824 entrepreneurs John Thorpe and Mark Scanlon obtained a government grant for the construction of a grist mill on a stream north of the settlement, although the partnership was dissolved about 1832, Scanlon built two sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s in that vicinity. Water power being the only means of motive power
Motive power
In thermodynamics, motive power is an agency, as water or steam, used to impart motion. Generally, motive power is defined as a natural agent, as water, steam, wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion to machinery; a motor; a mover. The term may also define something, as a locomotive or a...
at the time, as many as six mills were located on Scanlon Creek at one time. The family of Thomas Maconchy, one of the early settlers of Gilford, built a sawmill in Bradford at the bridge over the Holland River, in 1840. It was the first mill at that location.
When the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway was constructed, it was said to be through an almost continuous forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
for most of the distance from Toronto to Barrie. Sometime after the line opened, Toronto lumber merchant Thompson Smith put up a large sawmill on the river near the Bradford station. First evidence of Smith in the village was 1862 when his partner James Durham cut the Holland River bridge in two, while driving logs
Log driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...
to the mill.
Thompson Smith's mill was the second largest in the area, next to the Sage mill at Bell Ewart. Smith added a second mill at Bradford, as well as contracting with Durham's mill in Barrie. Only a decade after the arrival of the railway at Lake Simcoe, pine for the mills was running low. In 1867 H. W. Sage persuaded Thompson Smith to join with him in the formation of the Rama Timber Transport Company
Rama Timber Transport Company
The Rama Timber Transport Company was a Canadian canal and railway company that was incorporated in 1868 to construct and operate the Black River & Lake St...
, to supply Lake Simcoe mills with timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
. With logs coming from as distant as Head Lake
Head Lake, Ontario
Head Lake is a community located in the city of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada, on Head Lake between Uphill and Norland ....
, Smith put up a third mill, south of the Holland River bridge in 1869.
Following an example set by American lumberman Henry W. Sage
Henry W. Sage
Henry W. Sage was a wealthy New York State businessman, philanthropist, and early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University....
, Thompson Smith established a number of mills at Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
.
In 1923, William Henry Day began the drainage system that turned the wetlands of the Holland Marsh into arable land, which now consists of thousands of acres where fresh vegetables are grown.
Demographics
The 2006 Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
Census lists the population of Bradford West Gwillimbury (the local census unit) as 24,039.
Bradford West Gwillimbury has people from many different backgrounds ranging from Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, and Ukraine. The overwhelming majority of Bradford's residents are White.
Education
There are 12 schools in the town, including two secondary schools:- Bradford District High SchoolBradford District High SchoolBradford District High School is a public, English-language secondary school located in Bradford, Ontario. It is managed by the Simcoe County District School Board...
(Public) - Holy Trinity High SchoolHoly Trinity High School (Bradford)Holy Trinity High School is a small Catholic high school in Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1985, at which time the "school" was spread over several buildings in Bradford...
(Catholic).
Elementary schools include:
Fred C. Cook Public School
Bradford Public School
W.H. Day Elementary School
Fieldcrest Elementary School
Sir William Osler Public School
Hon. Earl Rowe Public School
St. Charles Catholic School
St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic School
Marie of the Incarnation Catholic School
Mother Teresa Catholic School
There are no university or college campuses in Bradford.
Notable people
- Karleen BradfordKarleen BradfordKarleen Bradford is a Canadian children's author.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bradford moved to Argentina as a child. She returned to Canada to attend university, and after graduation, she spent 34 years in different parts of the world as a Foreign Service Officer.Published Books*A Year for Growing -...
, (born December 16, 1936) Canadian children's author - Denise Garrido, Miss Earth CanadaMiss earth canadaMiss Earth Canada is a beauty pageant held annually in search of the most beautiful and environmental-friendly woman in Canada. It is the official preliminary to the Miss Earth pageant...
2008 and Miss World CanadaMiss World CanadaThe Miss World Canada contest is an beauty pageant, held mostly annually in various incarnations and with several different names since 1957, to select Canada's representative to the Miss World contest. The Canadian franchise was currently owned by Upstage This! Productions, based in Vancouver,...
2010 - Mike KilkennyMike KilkennyMichael David Kilkenny is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Born in Bradford, Ontario, Canada, the left-hander was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before the 1964 season. He played for the Tigers , Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres , and Cleveland Indians...
, major league baseball player - Brandon MashinterBrandon MashinterBrandon Mashinter is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. Mashinter signed as a free agent with San Jose on March 3rd, 2009. He played in his first career NHL game on December 29th, 2010 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN vs. the Minnesota...
, AHL/NHL hockey player with the Worcester SharksWorcester SharksThe Worcester Sharks are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . The franchise is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and play their home games at the DCU Center in Downtown Worcester. The Sharks and the city of Worcester hosted the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic.-History:On...
and San Jose SharksSan Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
Transportation
Bradford's downtown core is situated at the intersection of former Highway 11Highway 11 (Ontario)
King's Highway 11 is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. At , it is the second longest highway in the province after Highway 17. Highway 11 begins at Highway 400 in Barrie, and arches through northern Ontario, around Lake Superior, to the Ontario–Minnesota border...
(now, County Road 4) and 88 (now, County Road 88). County Road 88 intersects with Ontario's Highway 400, a limited-interchange multi-lane major thoroughfare that connects to Toronto in the south and "cottage country" in the north. This portion of Highway 11 is one of the few connecting routes between Highway 404 to the east and the 400 to the west, creating considerable through traffic. It can be tough to drive through the town on long weekends.
Public transit in Bradford is very limited. GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
has bus routes that connect the town to Barrie and Newmarket, and Bradford also has a station on GO Transit's commuter train network. The GO Train service had its first inaugural run through Bradford in 1982. At the time, the commuter train went as far north as Barrie. Over the years the service to Barrie was stopped. This caused Bradford to be a terminus for the commuter trains to Toronto. However, the City of Barrie purchased the rail line north of Bradford with the hope of reintroducing rail service to Barrie. GO Train service resumed as of December 2007 to the city of Barrie.