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Tax related documents, calculations and documents from Bradford High School, Simcoe County levy documents and tax rates, from 1918-1936. Includes items related to marsh drainage, Bradford High School, etc.

Bradford Account Ledger. Includes: Debentures, fire engine account, factory account, hydro-electric debentures, high school debentures, board of education account, Bradford & West Gwillimbury Drainage Scheme account , Bradford Drainage Scheme account and Holland Street paving account. Runs from early 1900s – 1930s. Has some items glued into it.

The principal's message found inside of the first published yearbook of Bradford District High School for the 1959-60 school year.

An editorial by Grade 13 student Barbara Saint, found inside of the first published yearbook of Bradford District High School for the 1959-60 school year.

Article features news on the debt accrued from the building of Bradford District High School, Essa Township's Music Festival, a local resident's visit to England and wales (Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Fuller and Anne Morris), and information from surrounding townships: Aurora will receive a new federal building, and King Twp established its police force.

"Bradford District High School won the York Simcoe High School Boys Softball Championships for the sixth year in a row. They defeated Dr. G.W. Williams High School in Aurora 4-2 with three innings overtime.
[Back row], Jim Brown, Barry Neilly, Cliff Corner, Jim Lynn, Rick Ellis, Bill Jackson, and coach Don Jarvis.
[Front row], John Scheuremann, Ted Richards, Ian Campbell, Larry Callicragas, and Scott Forbes."

Thomas Wells Opens School

The new Bradford District High School was officially opened by Education Minister Thomas Wells last Tuesday in a ceremony involving dignitaries from the province, the county, and the town of Bradford.

About 400 people braved the cold and blowing snow to attend the event, highlighted by a policy statement from the education minister, a tribute to Bradford resident Tom Gardner, and a key presentation from architects Adamson Associates and contractor C.A. Smith to principal Alex Taylor.

A moment of silence was also observed for Simcoe County Board of Education superintendent of planning Syd Owens who died the previous Sunday of a heart attack.

Trustee Sam Neilly said of Mr. Owens, "He was one of the most important men in the planning and design of this school. His sudden passing leaves us saddened."

Addresses followed by MPP George McCague (Dufferin-Simcoe), West Gwillimbury Reeve John Fennell, Bradford Mayor Roy Gordon, and York-Simcoe MPP Arthur Evans who introduced Mr. Wells.

Principal Alex Taylor gave a brief history of education in the Bradford area, which began in 1852 with the opening of a grammar school in Bond Head.

After the railway was opened to Bradford in 1859, Mr. Taylor said, the growth of Bradford warranted the establishment of a school there, and the grammar school was loaded onto wagons and moved to Bradford.

He joked that it was the first portable in the county.

Another school was built in 1890 which burned two years later, and a new brick school was built in 1893, but it too was destroyed by fire in 1923.

In 1923 Bradford District High School was constructed (now the Fred C. Cook Senior Public School) which served as the high school until last year.

Bradford's 1976 citizen of the year Tom Gardner, a long-time member of the school board before his retirement, was honored by the chairman of the Simcoe County Board of Education, C.W. Brown.

Mr. Brown called Tom Gardner "Mr. Education," and described his life-long efforts on behalf of education in the country.

He then presented Mr. Gardner with a plaque naming the resource centre in the school "The T.H. Gardner Resource Centre."

Mr. Gardner received a standing ovation from the assembly, and called the tribute "the highlight of my life."

Director of Education Jack Ramsay pointed out to Mr. Wells that the pressure would soon be on for the go-ahead to an extension for the new school next year.

He laughed, "We are optimistic that there will be no delay for that since Mr. Wells is present here."

Trustee Sam Neilly told the audience that today was Mr. Ramsay's birthday, and everyone promptly broke into a rendition of Happy Birthday.

The program concluded with a guided tour of the new high school.

The Fred C. Cook Senior Elementary School is located at 75 Queen Street. It is not the original building to be found on this site. That structure was a small, two-room, grammar school from Bond Head that was loaded onto a sled and pulled by horses many years ago to the newly-formed town of Bradford. It was set among the pine trees found on a plot of land between Fletcher and Queen Streets. That structure eventually became the first high school in Bradford. It was destroyed by fire in 1890 and a new school was opened on the same site. It burned as well. The Fred C. Cook Senior Elementary School (as seen in the photo) was erected in its place in 1923 or 1924. It was built in the Colonial Revival style. A four-room wing was built in the rear school yard in 1956 (1960’s?) to alleviate over-crowding.
The main building has 2½ storeys. Its large, simple, rectangular form dominates this site. The structure is set well back from the street on a broad expanse of lawn. This positioning suggests its importance in the community. There are large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights, and a flat roof (probably covered with built-up tar and gravel). The entrance is raised one-half storey above grade level. Stairs lead directly to an over-scaled entrance door framed by white-painted pilasters and a plain, wood entablature above. The double door and transom do not appear to be original. The tall, ‘Venetian” windows (characteristic of the neoclassical style) have pilasters and three-foot ‘lights’. The first and second-storey windows are joined by recessed, wood panels. A white-painted, urn-trimmed, roof balustrade is set into a brick, parapet wall. Thin pilaster strips (set into a continuous ‘sill’ at the ground-floor level) sub-divide the front façade into multiple bays. The building has concrete, masonry construction with brick, masonry cladding, applied wood details, and a concrete foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the building is in excellent condition with many original details.
A new, modern version of the Fred C. Cook Elementary School opened in September, 2013. It is located at 20 Fletcher Street. (1, 3, Bradford District High School’s web site)

"Plans for Bradford's 150th Anniversary are well underway.
The deadline for groups and organizations to register their special Sesquicentennial events for inclusion in the Official calendar is April 1st, and the launch of over a year of celebration takes place May 27th at 3 p.m., with greetings from the Province, a declaration by the Mayor, Birthday cake, raising of the Sesquicentennial Flag, and a tongue-in-cheek skit bu the BDHS Drama Club, re-enacting the incorporation of the Town.
And organizers are already looking for participants for a Sesquicentennial parade, to take place on the afternoon of August 19th, following the same route as the Santa Claus Parade. The theme: 'Bradford Through the Ages.'
Anyone with antique farm equipment, classic or antique cars; representatives of Minor League sports, and hockey alumni of Bradford's historic teams (The Blues, Vasey Jrs., etc); choirs and bands - in fact, any community group, business or organization is invited to participate in this historic event.
The Town is looking for nominations for Parade Marshal. Residents nominate anyone - a local celebrity, sports volunteer, Minister, educator, or former Mayor - for the honorary position. There will also be a contest for Junior Marshal, details to be announced.
Parade application forms are now in the works, and should be available shortly. For more information, to get involved as a Sesquicentennial volunteer or committee member, or to register an official event, contact Joe Lotto at the Recreation Dept."

"Plans for Bradford's 150th Anniversary are well underway. On Tuesday night, in a meeting of Bradford West Gwillimbury Council, Manager of Recreation Nick Warman announced the winner of the Sesquicentennial Logo Contest. Local resident Chris Muncey was presented with a certificate of congratulations, a $100 Gift Certificate for recreation programs, and a copy of the logo..."