The large, two-sorey structure located on the east side at 319 Simcoe Road was the home of George Peterman, his wife Sarah (Leopard) and his children (Ernest, Melville, Gurnard, Bertrand, Ila, Norma and Doris) many years ago. He bought Lowery farm (on the south side of Simcoe Road to the 6th Concession, south boundary of Bradford, and north side of the road to the Kneeshaw farm). George raised cows and farmed. Ila and Doris delivered milk (produced by cows on their farm) to Bradford by horse and wagon twice a day. There was a large barn just west and south of the house and road. A milk house was once attached to the woodshed at the back end of the house. Ernie worked on the marsh haying, labored drilling the town well, and then worked for Collings in the marsh. Mell laboured and worked with marsh vegetables and owned marsh land. Gurnard laboured. Bert, a good sportsman, left the farm after finishing school. (1, 2)

Clearing the land to build the Peterman Dairy Farm. Pigs are in the foreground.

An ad for Cousins dairy in Bradford, c. 1933. Appeared in the Bradford Witness.

The Cronan Dairy Farm in 1950 - The family continues to farm to this day. The barn was built in 1934 and first used by Joseph and Gertie Cronan's family.

A glass milk bottle from Acme Dairy Limited.

A metal and wood ice cream scoop, used to make it easier to serve ice cream.

Photograph of Ila Peterman at the Peterman Dairy Farm.

"Remember when milk used to be delivered this way? Herbert Fraser used to do the rounds for the entire town of Bradford back in the 1940s and 50s until about 1956. His daughter, Mrs. Doris Church, who submitted these photos, recalls that her father would get up at 2 a.m. to feed the horse and load the wagon. The dairy in town at that time, Cousins (south of the Royal Bank, now Ingoglia's), provided all the dairy products for Bradford. In winter, before the town plowed any of the roads, the sleigh would be pressed into service, Mrs. Church said. Mrs. Carol Lund, Mrs. Church's daughter, is the little girl in the photo."

Load record book for milk delivery in the 1930s.

Fresh milk was stored in these 8 gallon milk cans, cooled in a water vat and then set out on a milk stand waiting for the milk truck.