Tama-Linn County IA Archives Biographies.....Bradshaw, Centenary B. 1839 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 9, 2007, 7:59 pm Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1896) CAPTAIN CENTENARY B. BRADSHAW was born at Richmond, Jefferson county, Ohio, December 26, 1839, the eldest of two sons born to Rev. Harvey and Susan (Sullivan) Bradshaw. Both his parents were born in 1810, his father in Connecticut and his mother in Pennsylvania. Rev. Harvey Bradshaw spent his life in the service of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He joined the Pittsburg Conference of that church in 1833, serving as an itinerant minister until 1858, when he took a transfer to the Upper Iowa Conference and located at Mt. Vernon. The succeeding three years were spent in ministerial labors and as agent for Cornell College, but his services were of short duration, his death occurring in November, 1861. He was a man of great usefulness to the church and his early demise was greatly deplored. His wife survived him twelve years and died at the home of Captain Bradshaw in Toledo, Iowa, in June, 1873. The subject of this sketch received his elementary education in the common schools of his native State. In April, i860, he entered Cornell College at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he pursued a classical course for two years, but the call of his country seemed paramount to personal affairs, and he left the college and its life work. Naturally endowed with a robust constitution, and above all an excellent memory, he soon developed into one of the leading lawyers of Toledo, where he first engaged in practice. The fact that he has remained here continuously in practice since March, 1867, is unquestioned evidence that his legal services are appreciated. He first formed a law partnership with G. R. Struble, which continued until Mr. Struble's appointment as judge of the State circuit court in 1870. He was then alone in practice for about one year, when he formed a partnership with his brother, Homer Bradshaw, and they practiced together about seven years, or until the brother's removal to Ida Grove, Iowa, where he is now in practice. A business partnership was then formed with W. H. Stivers, which continued until 1881, since which time Captain Bradshaw has been alone in practice. In December, 1867, our subject was united in marriage, at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, with Miss Mary A. Hayslett, a native of Linn county, Iowa, and a most estimable and accomplished lady. She was a daughter of William and Elizabeth Hayslett, early settlers of Linn county, Iowa. Mrs. Bradshaw received a classical education at Cornell College, graduating in June, 1864. Captain and Mrs. Bradshaw became the parents of two children, Alice and Charles. Both are graduates of the Toledo high school, and the former is employed in the honorable profession of a teacher in the public schools of the State. Charles is a student in the Iowa College of Law at Des Moines. After twenty-five years of happy wedded life our subject was called to mourn the death of the companion of his early manhood, and the children were bereft of a mother's tender care. This sad event occurred on the 25th of June, 1892. Since the mother's death the burden of household supervision has fallen upon Miss Alice, the family still occupying the old home of former and more happy years. Captain Bradshaw is not a politician or an office-seeker in any sense, yet, in a quiet way he wields a wonderful influence within the ranks of Democracy, and has been honored by his party. His early political affiliations were with the Republican party, which he left on account of the impeachment of President Johnson, and by reason of his disapproval of the reconstruction policy of the Republicans. He is a careful and exact reader and is well informed upon current topics, both in political and other lines. Possessing a fine professional library and long years of close application to his chosen profession, it is not strange that he is recognized as a leading member of the Tama county bar. In recognition of his ability he was in 1885 appointed County Attorney of Tama county by a Republican board of supervisors, serving in 1885-6. In 1892 he was elected to the same. Again, in 1894, he was the choice of his party for the same office, though he went down in the avalanche which swamped all Democratic nominees, having twenty-four votes less than his Republican competitor. Captain Bradshaw is a gentleman of unassuming manners, quiet and unobtrusive, genial and companionable, though diffident about his personal acchievements. In religious affairs he is liberal and tolerant, respecting honest Christianity and despising the hypocrite. He has never been connected with any secret orders except the G. A. R. Such, in brief, is the outline of a character sketch of a man well worthy of representation among the leading citizens of Iowa. Additional Comments: Extracted from: A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IOWA ILLUSTRATED "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants."'—MACAULAY. "Biography is by nature the must universally profitable, universally pleasant, of all things."—CARLYLE "History is only biography on a large scale"—LAMARTINE. CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1896 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/tama/bios/bradshaw112gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/ File size: 5.8 Kb