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"Firefighters battle stubborn 7-hour blaze which ripped through industrial complex last Friday afternoon

On April 28, 1988 at approximately 2:20 p.m., a major fire broke out in an industrial complex on Bridge Street (Hwy. 11) in the Town of Bradford, which necessitated the closing of Hwy. 11 both northbound and southbound for a period of six hours." ...

Segment on the front page of the final issue of Bradford Today. It reads:
"This is the final issue of Bradford West Gwillimbury Today.
Given the economic times and the advertising support the Today is receiving, publisher Simcoe-York Printing & Publishing has decided to cease publication.
We opened the paper in order to fill a gap left when the Gazette folded.
After a year of publication, Today is still not profitable and Simcoe_york decided that it was time to pull out and wish the Bradford West Gwillimbury Times well in its efforts.
To those who welcomed us and supported us. We thank you."

Photograph of the VIA Rail train passing through Bradford. The Bradford Fertilizer Co. Ltd. is still behind the tracks at this time.

Article of brief history on the Great Fire of Bradford (1871). Scanned from a donation of the Bradford Today supplement to the Bradford Witness.

Clipping of the 1988 industrial fire in Bradford from the Era Banner. Contains two articles on the fire.

Photograph of the remains of the Thompson's Hardware business sign. See Related Descriptions to see the business in the early 1900s.

This structure is located at 11 Barrie Street. (1)

The cement brick building (with an arch) that is located at 17 Barrie St. is not the original structure at this site. Originally, there was a large frame building (used to shelter horses, a stage coach, buggies, cutters, etc.) that was part of a livery stable owned by Dave Ogilvie many years ago. It was destroyed by fire shortly after Dave bought it and the building seen in the photo is a smaller replacement. Dave also ran a stage coach line (later a taxi service) to Newmarket to meet the Metropolitan street car. Travelling salesmen would use this stage line to bring their wares and samples to town. They would stay at the Queen’s Hotel, where they would take orders from customers. They then used the stage coach and livery to go to Middletown, Bond Head, Newton Robinson, Beeton, Cookstown, Fennell’s Corner and then back home. Dave also hauled mail from the train station to the local post office, as well as to Bond Head. When automobiles replaced horses, the stables were removed from the building and people rented storage there for their vehicles. In time, Dave added a small office, toilets and gas pumps. After he died, Gordon and Mac ran the business until it was sold to Fred Gregory. Fred ran a car repair shop and employed a mechanic. Fred had a rental apartment built upstairs. It had outside stairs to the laneway. When Fred got sick he rented the building to Ray O’Neil who later bought it. Ray sold the building to the European Bakery in 1994. (1, 2)

The one-storey building with a flat roof located at 21 Barrie St. has been used by many businesses over the years. Tommy Lautonee owned the blacksmith and carriage factory once situated in this structure. George Geddes was the blacksmith there until late in 1937. There was a stable door at the south end of the building and two sets of windows running along the front. There was also a large door going to the rear where there was a stall for shoeing uncooperative horses and a large flat stone circle with a hole in the middle (for pestling steel rims on wheels). In later years, the Bradford Witness (owned by Stewart and Ina McKenzie) moved from Holland St. to this structure. The newspaper also ran a printing shop here. Harvey Marks was a typesetter. Frank Edney and Fallis also helped. After Stewart passed away, Ina ran the business until she retired. (1, 2)

The one-storey building with a flat roof located at 23 Barrie St. (as seen in the photo) replaces the round, metal building originally found on this site. It was an implement store and later the home of a pop business moved here by Keenty O’Keife (?) and run by Dave Smith (who helped deliver in and around the county). The building became a Chinese restaurant owned by Jack Pong around 1938. He ran it until after WWII (when he moved to Holland Street). (1, 2)