Bradley Family, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Sandra McLellan, Jan. 2000 Special thanks to Jim Perrin for donating it to the archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ By JIM PERRIN Published in the Ponchatoula Enterprise, 5 Jan 2000 Cal I. Bradley Calvin "Cal" Irelson Bradley was an early political leader of Ponchatoula who was born about 1829 in Mississippi. He moved to the Ponchatoula area by 1855 and was an attorney in this area, which was then the Forth Ward of Livingston Parish. In 1860, Bradley successfully ran for the state legislature from Livingston Parish on a platform of moving the parish seat of government from Springfield to the new railroad town of Ponchatoula. Although the plan to move the courthouse to Ponchatoula was very popular in this area, being approved by a count of 101 in favor to three against, the rest of Livingston Parish was not in favor and the measure lost 648-114. Bradley was appointed mayor of Ponchatoula on July 16, 1861, succeeding Henry Duncan. Bradley was the town's leader during some of the community's darkest days of war and destruction. He was appointed Justice of the Peace for the Fourth Ward on Dec. 23, 1863. after the Civil War, he served as parish judge in the newly created Tangipahoa Parish. Calvin Bradley is thought to have been a son of Luther Bradley , who had settled on Yellow Water Creek by 1823. Luther Bradley, 60, was living in the Wadesboro-Springfield area when the 1850 census was taken. Calvin Bradley married Amanda, born in Mississippi in 1829 and who died in 1913. She is buried in Ponchatoula Cemeter. Calvin and Amanda had several children: William A. Bradley, born about 1853 in Springfield, died May 21, 1944, buried in McComb, Miss.; Julia Louise Bradley, born Nov. 2, 1857, died May 20, 1922, in New Orleans, buried in Ponchatoula Cemetery, married (m.) Millard Fillmore Tucker (1855 - 1924), a former mayor of Ponchatoula. Their children were Beatrice Tucker (1880-1959), m. William Steidtman; Lucille Tucker (1882-1958), m. Micajah S. Harriss; Millard F. Tucker Jr. (1885-1967), m. Carrie Moulliet; Julia Tucker, born 1889; John Bradley Tucker (1890-1944), m. Louis Whitley; Clyde Bradley Tucker, born 1891, m. Ida Hoffman; Hollis E. Tucker (1895-1947), m. Clara Fischer; Lottie D. Tucker (1896-). Lelia Bradley, born Feb. 1, 1860; Mattie Bradley, born about 1862; John Wells Bradley, born Sept. 17, 1867, died Feb. 27, 1952, buried in Ponchatoula Cemetery, married in 1900 to May Bazin (1877-1932), children: Lucille Bradley (1900-1953), m. Joel G. McWilliams; Orris Bradley (1901-1962), m. Raymond J. Nalty; John Winston Bradley (1908-1994), m. Marie Baltzell. Alfred Bradley One of the antebellum leaders of Ponchatoula, it was blue-eyed, auburn haired Alfred Bradley who answered his community's plea for defense against the northern invaders during the Civil War. In 1862, Alfred helped organize a company of Ponchatoula volunteers to serve in the Confederate Army. He was elected captian of the unit, Co. D, 9th Battalion, Louisiana Infantry. This unit served in the Ponchatoula area for a time until being called upon to defend the Confederate stronghold at Port Hudson, north of Baton Rouge, against a Yankee army. Alfred and many of the men in his unit were captured in July, 1863, when Port Hudson surrendered. He spent many long months in prison before escaping and returning to the South. He returned to the Confederate Army and served until the end of the war. When hostilities ended in 1865, Alfred returned to war ravaged Ponchatoula. When the 1870 census was taken in Ponchatoula, Alfred listed his occupation as that of a millwright, but in the years following he followed his profession of civil engineering through a series of enterprises, including the ownership of a steamboat, operating a sawmill, and the planning and constuction of sugar mills. Alfred later moved with his family to New Orleans and did extensive work for several railroad companies as well as serving as the supervising architect of the New Orleans Customs House. After a lifetime of service to his community and state, Alfred Bradley died in New Orleans on Nov. 2, 1987. Alfred and Adeline Bradley had a number of children: Nancy, Mary J., Sarah R., Emily A., Laura, Alfred, Jane, and Lawrence Bradley. Anyone having information, photographs, or documents on the people, places and events that have shaped our community are invited to communicate with the author, Jim Perrin, at 14187 Randall Ave., Hammond, LA 70403