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"Fire, Fire, Fire!
I have pleasure in stating that I shall soon make arrangements, for the purpose of disposing of the Dry Goods saved from the Fire of the 24th ult. The Goods are in excellent condition and will be sold At and Less than Cost, for Cash. They are principally this Spring's purchases, and consist of Staples which everybody requires. I expect to see the "old familiar faces," and a good many new ones - and that, ere many weeks, the last "remnant" will have disappeared.
D. James George, Bradford, July 2, 1862."

Ad for D.F. Porter, merchant tailor of Bradford in 1909.

Photo was taken near the Bradford Pump House at the junction of the canal and the Holland River near Hwy. 11. The pumps were flown in from Western Canada by the Armed Forces, arranged by Mr. Stoddart. A tractor was used to run the pump. Water was pumped from the flooded land over the dyke and into the canal from where it flowed along the Holland River and into Cook's Bay.

Description : For the past few months, I have had the absolute pleasure of taking a trip down memory lane, by reading "Governor Simcoe Slept Here: The Legacy of West Gwillimbury." I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to those who generously volunteered their time to compile and publish this historical account of the Township of West Gwillimbury. The historical data give the readers a good view of how the Township got its origin. Just as an individual family or farm can't stand alone, neither can a Township, without the intermingling of the small hamlets. It is so interesting to read how places like Pine Hill and Ham's Corners derived their names, just to mention a few. Many of those with whom I have spoken referred to the book as "only about the Township," making it of no interest to Bradford residents. I disagree. Bradford figures prominently in the book, for it was the source of industry and market for many of the rural farms in the surrounding community. Bradford was also the hot spot for social gatherings. Trips from the hamlets into Bradford on Saturday evenings were a weekly highlight for many families.

Advertisement for Dr. James Allen's practice on Holland Street. See the Related Description for a view of his storefront.

Advertisement for Dr. James Allen's practice on Barrie Street.

Advertisement of Dr. William H. Porter, Surgeon Dentist of Bradford.

Advertisement of Dr. S. Dellenbaugh's services as a travelling physician.

A proposed drainage scheme to relocate the drainage canals in the Holland Marsh will cost an estimated $8.7 million. This sum is too great for the Marsh farmers alone so they are attempting to extend the assessment area to 65,000 acres of upland property in Bradford West Gwillimbury, King Township, New Tecumseth, Newmarket, East Gwillimbury, and Caledon but this idea has been met with legal challenges. Due to the legal fees surrounding this the Holland Marsh Drainage Committee has asked the province for $2 million in extraordinary funding for the scheme. After being completed in 1930 the 17.5 miles of canals that ring the Holland Marsh have been dredged several times, and after Hurricane Hazel were even widened and deepened. Although, recent studies show that the canal is almost filled in at certain points. Studies have also shown that due to south canal being filled in so much the north canal is handling four times the flow of the south canal. Relocation of the canal is the preferred solution to this problem.

Advertisement of Driffill's Hardware, Book, Stationary, and Fancy Goods House.