Article features news on garbage collection, the Centennial project of Canada and Bradford's chance at funding, Dr. Jim Evans being chosen for missionary work in the 'former Belgian Congo', and Mike Kilkenny drafted to baseball.
Event Date : Sunday, February 26, 1984 Event Type : Death
Description : A well-known Bradford resident died this past Sunday after suffering a heart attack following a lengthy illness.Eighty-one-year-old Thomas Gardner had been a resident of Bradford since 1918 and was chosen as the town's Citizen of the Year in 1976. Mr. Gardner was born in Newmarket and moved to Bradford with his family at the age of 16. He and his father, Herbert, opened Gardner's Hardware Store on Holland St. and supplied the needs of local residents. When his father died in 1950, Thomas continued the family business. He soon married longtime Bradford resident Rita Cook and had two sons of his own, Donald and John. Don worked with his father at the hardware store until 1962. The store was sold in 1973. Mr. Gardner sat on the Bradford Board of Education for 40 years and was chairman of the board at the time Bradford Public School was built. Other accomplishments included being a member of Bradford town council, elder and active member of the Bradford United Church and superintendent of the Church's Sunday School program for 25 years. He was also president of the Red Cross at the time of Hurricane Hazel. For 30 years, Mr. Gardner was a dedicated member of the Bradford Lions. He leaves behind his wife Rita, sons Don of Simcoe and John of Willowdale, and grandchildren Jim, Dave, Jane and Peter. Funeral service will be held today (Wednesday) at 2 p.m., at the Lathangue & Skwarchuk Funeral Home. Burial will take place at the Newmarket Cemetery.
From the Yesterday section of the Bradford Witness: "Mrs. Earl Bowles submitted this week's photo of the Bradford Methodist Church taken before the First World War. The building still occupies a prominent spot in the town just north of the post office on Barrie Street and has since become the Bradford United Church. The trees which used to shade the street are long gone, but many of the older house along that street, including the church, are in excellent condition."
Bradford United Church is located at 66 Barrie St. The structure in this photo was built in 1865 in the Gothic Revival style. There was an original church built on this site in 1851. The 1½-storey building has a rectangular plan, tall and narrow window openings, and a steeply-pitched, gable roof. The enclosed narthex is a recent addition. It is not considered to be consistent with the original style. Tall, gothic-style, trefoil arched openings light the nave. A round, rose window (with muntins set in the shape of a cross) is set into the gable portion of the façade. These cross-shaped muntins replace the original four-leaf clover muntins. The vergeboard has small, gothic arches. Octagonal pinnacles are found at each of the four corners. These pinnacles were originally topped with ornamental spires. Shallow buttresses extending the full height of the façade divide it into three parts. The trefoil arch and the three-part façade refer to the Trinity. There is brick masonry construction with stucco cladding and a parged, stone foundation. The original dichromatic brick cladding is concealed under the stucco cladding. Originally, the underlying red brick walls had buff-coloured brick buttresses and framing at the door and window openings. According to the 2000 inventory, the building is in good condition with some original features. (1, 3, 4)
"The deluge of rain on Sunday did not deter the descendants of the sturdy Scotch Settlement pioneers from attending the unveiling ceremonies at the Auld Kirk cemetery. A remarkably large crowd, considering weather conditions, was in attendance, and with the speakers sheltered by a large covered truck, and the audience huddled under umbrellas, the program, as arranged was conducted with as much detail as though the sun had shone... Dr. Wilfred Jury, representing the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board, in addressing the gathering, made a suggestion which is likely to make the occasion one which will be followed by further tangible evidence that the residents of the Scotch Settlement, both past and present, and of this district, are keenly interested in preserving records and articles of historic interest for the benefit of this and future generations." ...
