Crenshaw County AlArchives Biographies.....Bradley, Joseph W. November 1852 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 18, 2004, 10:34 am

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
     JOSEPH W. BRADLEY, general merchant and lumberman of Bradleyton was born at
Arcadia, Montgomery county, Ala., in November, 1852. He is a son of Durham and
Elizabeth (Le Fiore) Bradley, natives of South Carolina, but who when young
removed to Alabama, where they were brought up in the woods among the Indians
without the advantages of an education. After marriage Mr. Bradley settled in
the woods in Montgomery county, where he still resides, and is one of the oldest
settlers of the county now living. He followed tanning and shoe-making many
years, but later turned his attention to farming. He served some time in the
late war. His father, John Bradley, came from South Carolina about 1828,
settling in what is now Crenshaw county, where he died only a few years ago,
aged nearly one hundred years. His wife died when Joseph W. was a boy.
Grandfather Le Flore died in South Carolina, and his widow and her two children
came to Alabama at an early day. The mother of Joseph W. Bradley reared a large
family of children and died in 1865. He was the third of this family, and when
his mother died, being then fourteen years old, left home and began life for
himself. He spent a few years with his uncle, J. W. Le Fiore, then went to
Escambia county, where he married and lived twelve years and where he engaged in
the timber business. Afterward he returned to Arcadia and engaged in
merchandising in company with his brother, W. E., for two years. He then built a
water mill a few miles west of where Bradleyton now is, where he established a
post office called Bradleyton. This mill he operated until the railroad was
built, when he moved to the railroad, engaged in merchandising and built a good
steam saw mill, gin and grist mill, all of which he still operates, and with
success. His saw mill is one of the best paying mills in the county. He employs
twelve men all the time and does an annual mercantile business of $30,000. He
owns about 1,500 acres of land from which his saw-mill is supplied. He is one of
the most energetic, through-going and progressive business men in the county and
it is to these qualities that his success is due. He was the first railroad
agent at Bradleyton and has been postmaster ever since the post office was
established. He was married in 1875 to Martha, daughter of William and Mary
Forshee, natives of Escambia county, where they spent all their lives. Mr.
Forshee was a timber man. He was all through the war and was captured and
imprisoned for some time. Mrs. Bradley was born in Escambia county and has one
daughter. Her grandfather, Samuel McGowan, and his wife are, perhaps, the oldest
couple in southern Alabama and are living in Escambia county and are nearly one
hundred years old. They were among the first settlers of that county. Mr.
McGowan was one of the wealthy men of the county, and has given his children a
good education and a good start in life. Mrs. Bradley is a member of the
Christian church. Mr. Bradley is a member of Helicon lodge, No. 201, at Lapine,
F. & A. M.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 770-771
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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