THE FIRST SETTLER.

Thomas Bradford the Founder of Greene County in Early History

The following interesting sketch of Bloomfield and Greene county’s first settler, Thomas BRADFORD, is furnished by that tireless local historian, W. D. RITTER:

Further back than the town of Bradford, county of Yorkshire, in England, we know nothing of the Bradfords. Whether John and William BRADFORD, who came on the Mayflower and signed the celebrated “compact” at Cape Cod, Nov 11, 1620, came from Yorkshire we don’t know, but have reason to think they did. John was afterwards governor of the colony and gave the order to have the first “Thanksgiving” on the last Thursday of November 1621.

The climate of New England was fatal to many of the colonists. The first governor, CARVER, and half the people died the first winter. A branch of the BRADFORD family removed to North Carolina, where about 1785 our subject, Thomas BRADFORD, was born in Orange County, of that State.

In 1814, he came to Orange county, Indiana (which county got its name for Orange county settlers from North Carolina.) He was advised to return to Carolina until the Indians could be removed from what is now Greene County, which was his destination. This he did, and in 1816 came back to stay.

Three brothers of them came together—the other two settled, lived and died in Daviess County. The sand hill where Tom PATTERSON lives, a mile south of Bloomfield, was his first home. In 1821, he took the legal steps to organize the county of “Greene.” The first court was held at his house, or rather near it, for it was by a large log-heap, on fire, out of doors (court room was large and airy.)

For the next twenty years his life was but the history of the county. Having at first secured the appointment of commissioners to locate the county seat, entertained them at his house, filled the office of sheriff pro tem to notify in regard to electing county officers, had the election held at his own house, filled many of the offices required, gave them their certificates of election, and did so many other things as to the starting into life of the county government that it makes us think of the fact that historians call the Mayflower compact by the eminent name of “Organization.” Associate judges acted with the presiding judge then, and Mr. BRADFORD, held that as well as many other offices for many years. At times it was impossible for the presiding judge to be present, then the associate judges held court without him. The office of associate judge has long been abolished. Mr. BRADFORD lived near Burlington, the old county seat, about twenty years.

Yorkshire, in England, is the home of arts and mechanics—Sheffield has no rival on earth for working in metals. Mr. BRADFORD had the old mechanic blood in him—was a blacksmith of more than common capability. Old persons in all this neighborhood yet remember the skill as a blacksmith of his son, Garrison BRADFORD—it was unequaled.

For sixty years my father and myself have had a hand-vice, seven inches long, that Thomas BRADFORD brought from North Carolina. Not far from 1840 he passed away. Now all of his large family have followed him.

In person, he was the genuine Puritan—short stature, square shoulders, compact chest, figure alert and tapering from shoulders to heels, arm tapering from shoulder to finger-ends, showing him to be just what he was—a man of all-round capability.

His descendants in the county are numerous, all of whom, like himself was, are citizens of usefulness and good repute.

Peace and love to the memory of those who bore the loneliness of the deep, silent woods with courage unspeakable.

THE BLOOMFIELD NEWS, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, Friday, October 15, 1897, Volume XXI, Number 46, Page 5, Column 3 "

Last updated 22.10.2009