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"Mr. Ken. Keith, manager of the local Dominion Store, announces plans that Dominion Stores, Limited have completed for a chain-wide store staff contest." ...

"Mystery, beyond the understanding of the closest friends of the family, surrounds the horrifying tragedy of the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. F.W. ("Bud") Stephenson in their home above the Bradford Bakery, in which business the former was a partner, sometime about midnight on Saturday. ..."

"In order to wind up the estate of the late F.W. ("Bud") Stephenson, it is important and necessary that all accounts owing to Bradford Bakery be paid at this time. Will all persons who owe an account to Bradford Bakery please arrange the same with the undersigned as soon as possible.
Dated at Bradford this 30th day of January, 1940.
Evans & Evans,
Solicitors for Bradford Bakery and Estate of F.W. Stephenson, Deceased."

"Clerk Forced at Gun-Point to Open Cash Register -- Street Row Distracts Attention of Passerby."

Article describing a robbery at the Model Bakery on Holland Street.

"Council Hears Veterans' Delegation - Consider Fixing Up Town hall Basement As Banquet Room

The April meeting of the Village Council was held in the Council Chamber on Friday evening las with reeve Evans and Councillors Compton, Evans and Wood in attendance. Bills and accounts were passed for payment as follows ...

Messrs. A.O. Davey and Geo. Morton, representing the Veterans, suggested to Council that the town erect a new municipal building on the site of the present fire hall property to accommodate the village Clerk's office, police office, Utilities office and warehouse, fire hall, gaol, etc., on the first floor, with the second floor to be designated as a memorial and recreation quarters for the Veterans." ...

"Richard James Neilly, who has been a resident of Aurora for the past fourteen years, died suddenly on Tuesday, November 14 at his late residence in town. Born in Gilford, Mr. Neilly received his public school education there and later attended Bradford high school. For twenty-eight years he was the manager and buyer for the Victoria Mercantile Company, Victoria Harbour, Ontario. Moving to Drayton in 1929 he conducted a general store and later retired, moving to Aurora in 1936. Mr. Neilly was a member of the former Methodist Church and later the United Church and was also a part master of the Victoria Lodge, A.F. & A.M. for Victoria Harbour. The funeral service was conducted be Rev. H. Howey on Thursday at Thompson Funeral Home. Interment was at Coulson's Hills cemetery. The pallbearers were three cousins, William Baynes, Barrie, Wilfred Wood, Deerhurst, and Roy Kneeshaw, Bradford; and three members of the Aurora United Church, Frank Hughes, Tom Swindle, and Alex Bell. Surviving are his widow, the former Rose Baker; three sons, Homer of Ottawa, Harold of the Western University, London, and Earl of Aurora; one daughter Vivian of Aurora; four sisters, Cassie, Addie, Jennie, of Toronto, and Annie of Norland. A brother, Wesley, paid the supreme sacrifice in World War I."

Newspaper article about a fire at W. H. Thornton's mill and machinery.

Event date: November 11, 1953
Event date: Death

Description: One of the happiest occasions in Mr. William C. Davey's life was the 50th anniversary of the forming of the Hunt Club which bore his name, the Davey Hunt Club. The half-century mark in that club was reached in 1947 and the anniversary was marked by an honorary banquet for the veteran head of the club. At that time many thought the ambition to reach the fifty years as an active member of the club had spurred the elderly man to keep going, but 1948 found him back in camp as he has been each intervening year. Last Wednesday, November 11, a message came from the hunt camp, located near Burwash, Mileage 98, that the Club's leader would hunt no more. Among his most cherished friends, including his own sons, and amid the scenes he had always enjoyed, the old man suffered a heart seizure and passed on within a few minutes. He was in his 90th year." ...

"Fire leveled five stores, and the dwellings above them last Wednesday afternoon. The alarm sounded at 1:10 o'clock and destroyed were Harry's Meat Market, the Model Bakery, Evan's Men's and Boy's Wear, Breen's Refrigeration Service and the Bradford 5?? to $1.00 Store. Mrs. Bannerman, owner of the latter store, who had her apartment over the store also lost her home, as did those residing in the rooms upstairs over the bakery and the men's and boy's wear store. The tenants upstairs in this building were Mr. and Mrs. Ward and their children, 4-year-old son Graham, and 3-month-old twins; Mr. and Mrs. Van Der Donke, and Mrs. Olive Evans the mother of D. Arthur Evans, owner of the building in which their quarters were located. They lost everything. Mrs. Evans, who was in the restaurant, got her purse but that was all.

Wednesday being a holiday in Bradford, it would appear that the fire gained considerable headway before being discovered, because almost immediately after the alarm billowing clouds of smoke marked the scene and this smoke spread very rapidly through the buildings. So quickly did this smoke spread that re-entry to the buildings was almost impossible, and practically nothing was saved by the occupants of the buildings. They were fortunate that the fire occurred at an hour when they were awake and thus alert to make good their escape.

The fire was noted by a waitress in the Model Bakery restaurant, when smoke became very noticeable. Finding the phone out of order, Mrs. Floyd McDonnell rushed to the street to give the alarm. She called to a man, who ran to the Queen's Hotel from where Russ. Tupling, who was talking to Eddie McEvoy, turned in the alarm. The impression seems to be that the fire started in the meat shop, but smoke poured so quickly from all three buildings - the meat shop, the bakery and the mens wear - and excitement was so great, everyone seems to be confused.

Bradford firemen were on the scene within a couple of minutes of the sounding of the alarm and made a terrific fight to check the fire, but the meat market, the bakery and the mens wear stores were so quickly engulfed in flames that very early in the fire the fire-fighters knew that the entire section was doomed and that the best they could hope to do was to stop the fire's progress at the brick walls at the west and east ends of the fire - Evans & Evans law office building and the Bank of Commerce. Holland street, in that section, was darkened by the think smoke and, but for the fact that roofs were snow covered, the danger to buildings on the south side of Holland street was great. A window in Bradford Bargain House broke as a result of the heat. Then the wind veered, carrying the danger away from Evans & Evans law offices, but making the fight to save the Bank of Commerce more desperate. Until the Bradford 5?? to $1 building toppled many thought the bank was doomed, and had it gone there is no guessing where the fire would have ended. Smoke by that time was dense along Barrie street and burning materials were falling on the roofs on the east side of that street.

Calls for assistance were sent to neighbouring firemen and their response was prompt.

To name those who stood by, lending assistance in their own way, through the long hours of the afternoon, the evening and the night, would be risky, in that someone would be overlooked,but the locals who provided a continuous service of hot coffee and sandwiches, as did the Salvation Army, gave a tremendous service, making it possible for the firemen to stay on their job throughout the long hours of cold.

Very early in the fire, the explosions of ammunition in Evan's Men's and Boy's Wear stores, added to the excitement.

The only standing object, in that entire section of the Holland street north block between Evans & Evans law office building and the Bank of Commerce, today is the oven which was at the rear of the bakery. It alone "marks the spot". All else is a blackened mess, in a dark hole, beside the street. The loss is complete."

"While not disparaging the splendid service and fine co-operation of the firemen from neighbouring municipalities, in the battle to save Bradford from more extensive damage from fire last Wednesday, the brunt of the long hours of the fight, and the strain of responsibility, fell upon the home brigade, and their magnificent effort and success merits the gratitude of every Bradford property owner." ...