"Agriculture Minister William Newman was on hand last Wednesday with cattle owner John Devins for a special service. The men were celebrating the first time an imported breed of cattle has been sent back to its country of origin. John Devins' Charolais bull, Jericho, has been sold to French cattlemen for $19,000."

Bradford Witness newspaper article from 1974 about the closing of Ritchie's Patent Medicines. The business before being Ritchie's was W. L. Campbell's Drugstore. "During the 57 years it was in the Campbell name, the pharmacy also shared its quarters with William's father's lumber and grain business, as well as the doctor's office of his brother Lewis."

Metal pin featuring Bradford's vegetable industry.

Metal pin highlighting Bradford's vegetable industry.

A photograph of six Bradford business men, c. 1865. William L. Campbell (Grain Dealer) is on the top left in back row. He was sent to Bradford by his Newmarket employer in 1862 to open a grain and lumber business.

A photograph of seven Bradford business men, c. 1870. William L. Campbell (Grain Dealer) is on the top left in back row. He was sent to Bradford by his Newmarket employer in 1862 to open a grain and lumber business.

"On the eve of his 92nd birthday, Tuesday, Bill Ruffett told the story of the booming ice industry of yesteryear. Bell Ewart - "I started on the ice when I was 12 yeards old. Father had rented the old hotel on the south side of the dock of 1897 for one dollar a month. After the old sawmill had burned down, the hotel went out of business. I remember well tearing out the bar. It was then I started to lead a horse on an ice plow for 50 cents a day for the Belle Ewart Ice Company. It was the only ice company there then and was across the road from my home where Sheppard's Marina is today. I remember the winter of 1906 was very mild and the big lake never froze over until nearly spring. The railroad was still here, you see, from the era of meeting the Lake Simcoe excursion boats. It was then ice companies from Jackson's Point came here, partly because of the railroad. Their only transportation there, for ice to Toronto, was by street car. I had anywhere from 60 to 80 men working for me at one time, all farmer's boys."

"There weren't many empty parking spots in Cookstown this weekend when 6,000 people came to see the annual display of steam and antique gas machines. Tim Smith of Maple, said his father's steam powered car was "not hard to drive if you've never driven anything else". The extra pedals confuse experienced gas car drivers. Brian Burns, director of the show, says steam power went out of style in 1928. Gas tractors were introduced in 1900 but they weren't very reliable. When the wrinkles were taken out of the gas tractor, farmers began to give up their steam machines. Gas was much more convenient."

Scows leaving to cut hay on the marsh.