Newspaper, Profile of Damon G. Bradford, LaSalle Parish La. Copied by: Tia Morris Masters Submitted by: Kathy LeMay Kelly, P.O. Box 219, Trout, La. 71371 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal Wednesday, August 4, 1999, Section B, Page 11 Thank You to the Times -Signal for allowing the following to be added to the Archives. A Times-Signal Feature..."Citizen Profile" A very Special Salute ‘Helping my neighbor' has been motto for Urania man "People ought to be able to look at you life, look at the way you act and the things you do, and judge you accordingly," states this week's Citizen Profiler Damon G. Bradford, "I hope when they look at my life they see a man who is honest, hard-working, and tried my best to help my fellow neighbor." Helping his fellow neighbor was achieved many times by this Urania resident of nearly 50 years - over 20 of which were spent as Urania's Mayor. "I've tried my best to always do what was right and what was best for Urania (while Mayor)," he said. "We tried to do many things, some were successful and some were not, but we always tried." Mr. Bradford is considered b many as one of the pioneer residents of Urania, who worked in the lumber plant under all three owners: Urania Lumber Company, Georgia Pacific, and Louisiana Pacific. He was born on January 16, 1913, in Clarks. His father, James G. Bradford and mother, Sara E. Bradford, were originally from Missouri, but moved to Clarks when the paper mill opened their in the early 1900's. "When the Louisiana Central Lumber Company opened in Clarks, many of its officials and employees came from Missouri to work there," he said, "there are still many Missouri descendants living in Clarks today." In 1927, two major events occurred in the lumber plant town of Clarks: first was the great flood of 1927, and second was the great fire of the Louisiana Central Lumber Company. "It's kind of ironic to have both at the same time, but hat is exactly what happened," Mr. Bradford said. "I remember standing on top of our home near the plant watching it burn with all the flood waters around it." "I was using a water hose to wet our roof down because the fire was so hot it was igniting homes near the plant," he said. "We always said that if we could just get some of that (flood) water on the plant it could have been saved. But that just wasn't possible." After the mill burned and the waters subsided, Louisiana Central sold out to International Paper Company. Also during this time, Mr. Bradford's father became very ill. The illness eventually claimed his father's life in 1928, while Mr. Bradford was in high school. "After the mill burned, our family moved back to Missouri and just about a year later my father died," he said. "We lived in the town of Licking, Missouri for maybe two years total." One of the things he remembers about Licking was the only Ford dealership in the town. It was owned by Sidney and Dewy Amyx. "I always thought about what a coincidence it was that the Amyx'z were in that town the same time I was, and years later we would be in the same parish as well," Mr. Bradford said. "I guess they moved to Jena sometime after I left Licking." He moved back to Clarks and there he finished high school at Clarks High School. He then attended Louisiana tech University for three years, although he did not graduate. "I've always regretted the fact that I didn't finish college," he said, "but you've got to remember, a nickel was a nickel back then." So, around 1934, he returned to Clarks and got a job at the now International Paper Company's lumber mill, as assistant cashier and time keeper. In 1940, Mr. Bradford married Helen Chapman of Clarks, and just three years later, as he would put it, "Uncle Sam came calling." "They shipped me to St. Petersburg, Florida, as part of the Air Corp., and from there I was selected for officer candidate school in Miami Beach," he said. "I graduated in the second class ever of this newly created air corp. Group, which would soon become the Air Force after the branches were split." For the next two years I went to Aerial Gunnery School in Fort Myers, Florida, and then I was stationed in Hawaii," he said with a smile. "I really had it hard." In 1947, Mr. Bradford was discharged from the service after requiring the rank of Captain in the United State Air Force. Upon his release, he returned to Clarks to take back his position of assistant cashier and timekeeper at the paper mill. "It wasn't too long after that and they sold out," he said, "In 1952, I moved to Urania and became the assistant Cashier/timekeeper/assistant manager for the Urania Lumber Company. In 1968, Urania Lumber Company sold out to Georgia Pacific. "I still remember a man by the name of Art West, who was over Georgia Pacific's newly acquired Urania plant," he said, "He (West) drove up on the old 165 and just north of Urania he said ‘that's where we're going to build a new plywood plant." The site chosen those 30 years ago is still the site of the now Louisiana Pacific plywood plant, now on La. Hwy. 125. Several years after Georgia Pacific bought the plant, the government decided that GP couldn't buy anymore plants so they created a spin-off company - Louisiana Pacific - and stayed in business, according to Bradford. It was for Louisiana Pacific, that Bradford eventually retired from in 1977, under the then mandatory 65, age limit of retirement. Mr. Bradford's political career was also tied in with his life-long association with the lumber yards. Back when Urania was first incorporated in 1969, Quinten Hardtner, who was a major force in Urania, had the honor of appointing the first mayor and town council that could serve until the first election could be held about a year later. Mr. Hartner appointed Jack Baucom, a Baptist preacher serving at Urania First Baptist Church, as Urania's first Mayor. Baucom was re-elected in 1974 as mayor, and Mr. Bradford was elected to serve on the town council. Shortly thereafter, Baucom resigned as mayor and a special election was held to fill his position. Mr. Bradford ran unopposed and was elected as Urania's second mayor, a position he would hold for some 20 years. "I think I got along with most people fairly well," he said, "I never got upset, I just rolled with the flow." Of course, during all this time, he and his wife raised one son, Damon Bradford, Jr., who is now a distinguished Paradontist who lives in Monroe. Mr. Bradford is especially proud of his three granddaughters, one who is currently at LSU in Medical School, one who is a junior at La. Tech in PreMed, and another who is a sophmore at Neville High School. Mr. Bradford and his wife (who passed away in 1993), joined Urania First Baptist Church in 1952 when they moved to the town, and he still attends there today. He also lives in the same house that they moved into in 1952. "I often think about all the changes that have taken place in our world and wonder what's going to happen if things keep going the way they are," he said. "One good thing that I see happening though, is the fact that young people are more interested today about things of the world than they used to be." And what advice does he give to young people who are now taking a more active role in the parish: "Don't do anything that you would be ashamed of if everybody knew it." Mr. Bradford says that people should be able to judge you by the way that you live, the way that you act, and the way that you treat you fellow neighbor. Urania citizens from every age and every facet of life know Damon Bradford as someone who has nothing to be ashamed of and his achievements of helping his fellow neighbor are unparalleled. "I've enjoyed my life and enjoyed all of my old friends, many of which are gone now," he said, "i don't think there is a finer place on the earth than this town of Urania." We salute this week's Citizen Profile, Damon Bradford, a citizen's citizen, and the role he has had in the many people's lives of the lumber mill town of Urania.