PIONEER BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
In Bradford Township

  The first venture in merchandising in the  Village of Bradford belongs to J. A .J. Bird,  probably about 1853.   After a brief experiment,  Mr. Bird sold his store to Mrs. Chapman.

  Pooler & Nicholas,  who opened a larger and more pretentious store, was followed by Fritcher & Marinus.  Both these stores carried a line of general merchandise, consisting of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hardware, drugs,  and etc.

  Later stores, sawmills, hotels and other enterprises were established.

  Haskell & Manderville    General  Merchandise Lines

  Mr. Eastman                   General  Merchandise Lines

  Leland & Sample             Clothing and Groceries

  Haskell & Hubbell            Merchant

  A. W. Billings                   Merchant

  Lonson Covey                  Merchant

  E. R. Dickerson also engaged in business during the time when Bradford  had a prosperous outlook,  and he remained for some time after the outlook had vanished,  and after all his competition had retired from business or departed for other fields.

  Andrew Sample                 First Sawmill in year 1854 was erected by Bradford, but only operated a short time.

  Bird brothers  and Haskell & Mitchell    Built two steam mills,   but after a few years were destroyed by fire and never rebuilt.

  George Brunson                 Erected  the famous Brunson House, a stopping place for all stage lines and a favorite resort for emigrants and travelers seeking homes in the boundless West.               

  Daniel Fritcher                    Provided meals for the hungry travelers from his log building.

  George Brunson                   Had the first blacksmith and wagon shop,  of which William Dow, blacksmith and wagon maker,  was foreman.

  Ellis brothers                        Wagon and blacksmith shop

  Peter Perkins                        Wagon and blacksmith shop

  Mr. Herbert                           Saloon,  first in county

  S. H. Haynes                          Physician, arrived in 1855, the  first to locate in Bradford. He belonged to the school of "root and herb" doctors,  a class of practitioners  that was very  popular  to treat maladies peculiar to those times.

  Dr. S. S. Troy                          Regular doctor practitioner opened in 1856 a professional office.

  Troy and Morrison                   Drug business, after Civil War

Source:
History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties (1919) Vol. 1, Chapter 9, Pages 231 and 232
Synopsis of Pages Transcribed by Lookup Person,  Leonard Granger jmclaw221@gmail.com

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