JAMES BASCOM BRADFORD

Sacramento County

Biographies

JAMES BASCOM BRADFORD

JAMES BASCOM BRADFORD.--This highly honored pioneer and business man breathed his last at Sacramento, Cal., on February 22, 1907. He was born on February 10, 1826, and attained the ripe old age of eighty-one years and twelve days. Few careers can approach his in point of foresight, usefulness, activity, force of character and public spirit, and it can be truly said of him that he left the world better for his having lived in it. He first opened his eyes to the light of day in Daviess County, Ind., being a twin brother of William Barton Bradford, a forty-niner, and like himself a man of forceful and wholesome character. These twin brothers were the third and fourth, in order of birth, in a family of nine children born to George and Mary F. (Bruce) Bradford, the former a native of Connecticut, the latter of Kentucky. On the paternal side, he was of English ancestry, while in the maternal line he was of Scotch extraction, harking back to King Bruce.

George Bradford, the father of James Bascom Bradford, was born in Middlesex County, Conn., July 5, 1787, and was the youngest in a family of thirteen children. He was a direct descendant of Gov. William Bradford, the second governor of Plymouth Colony. At the age of thirteen he ran away from home, and shipped to England as a cabin boy on a sailing vessel. Returning to America, he was employed on a flat-boat plying the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and soon became a pilot and later the owner of a boat of his own, trading in the products of the rich Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys. After disposing of the cargoes at New Orleans, he would invariably take a boat to Boston, Mass. (instead of to New York City), and would thence come horseback across the country back to Washington, Ind., where he would reengage to take another cargo down the rivers. He displayed considerable ability as a trader and later established a general merchandise store at Washington, Ind., where he prospered and reared his large family; and here his sons, the two twin brothers, assisted their father and learned the storekeeping business.

Of these twin brothers, William Barton Bradford was the first to seek his fortune in the new Eldorado on the pacific Coast. Coming via the Isthmus, he landed at San Francisco in 1849. James Bascom Bradford joined him in 1850, making the journey across the plains during the fifties. He had much experience in gold-mining, becoming interested in several different gold mines in Eldorado and Placer Counties. In the fall of 1850, he went to Oregon and engaged in farming near Salem. Returning in 1851, he mined for a while in Shasta County; and then, in the fall of 1851, he first located in Sacramento County. In1852 he went to Diamond Spring, in Eldorado County, and there, in partnership with his brother, William Barton Bradford, under the firm name of J. B. & W. B. Bradford, engaged in the general-merchandising business until 1859, when the partnership was dissolved. During these years (from 1852 to 1859), they operated stores in several places in California and Nevada. At one time they were in business at Yankee Jims, in Placer County, where they remained nearly two years. At other times they ran stores at Sacramento, Michigan Bluffs, and Aurora, Nev. They had thoroughly learned the store business back at Washington, Ind., and were very successful in their mercantile pursuits; and as they accumulated means, they invested it in gold mines, only to experience the gold miner’s luck and lose their holdings. They owned and lost several mining properties, the last one being the celebrated ‘Last Chance” mine in Placer County, for which they were offered nearly a million, but refused it. Luck then turned against them; and inside of three months thereafter J. B. Bradford was “flat broke” and was forced to walk back to Sacramento, because he had not the money with which to buy a ticket on the stage line. This so thoroughly disgusted him with gold-mining that he resolved thenceforth to turn his attention to farming.

In 1856, J. B. Bradford went back to Indiana and brought out his father and mother to Sacramento County, Cal. They died here, and are buried in the City Cemetery at Sacramento. Their tombstones give the following information, duly inscribed as follows:

GEORGE BRADFORD

Born in Middlesex Co., Conn.

July 5, 1787

Died

July 16, 1862

God, not man, is the Judge.

In God I trust.

MARY F. BRADFORD

Born in Mason Co., Ky.

Aug. 16, 1793

Died

July 19, 1865

George and Mary Bradford were married at Washington, Ind., in 1821. George Bradford was a man of deep convictions, who had learned many lessons in the rugged school of actual experience. A New Englander by birth, he had been brought up in an atmosphere which was opposed to slavery. His Whig principles and anti-slavery sentiments became irrevocably fixed in his heart one day down South, while working on a flat-boat, where he witnessed the cruel burning to death at the stake of a negro slave-boy, because he had attempted to run away (for the third time) from his harsh master. What a pity that this ardent Abolitionist was not permitted to live to witness the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation! He was a self-made man and built up a prosperous business at Washington, Ind., where the greater portion of his life was spent.

In 1860 J. B. Bradford located on the ranch of 160 acres twenty miles south of Sacramento, which he took up as a government claim. When he held up his right hand in the government land office and took oath that he intended this land for his future home, he did not perjure himself. He meant every word of it. His sterling honesty and integrity becomes all the more apparent when we reflect that this property has every since been, and still is, the “Bradford Home Place.” The board cabin which he erected in 1860, and which was for many years his dwelling-place, is still standing on the place, an interesting landmark. For a number of years Mr. Bradford’s principal pursuit was general farming. He then conceived the idea of grape culture. He planted the pioneer vineyard of his locality, setting out fifteen acres of vines in 1866 and gradually worked into viticulture. He kept increasing his acreage until his grape-vines covered 125 acres of his place. In 1889 he began to manufacture wine in a small way. He enlarged and improved his plant from time to time until it had a capacity of 400,000 gallons, and in 1897 he took his two sons in as partners in the business and operated under the firm name of J. B. Bradford & Sons.

Mr. Bradford went back to the Middle West; and at Danville, Ill., on the 20^th day of September, 1871, he was married to Miss Sarah G. Kilbourne. She was born at Venice, Ohio. By their union they became the parents of two sons: Perley K. and George B., both of whose biographies appear elsewhere in this work.

Mr. Bradford became well-known in local Masonic circles, being affiliated with Elk Grove Lodge No. 173, F. & A. M. In political matters he made it a point to study national, state and local questions, and without fear or favor voted his convictions and principles, supporting men of character and ability to hold positions of public trust, and always seeking the greatest good for his community and country. He lies buried in the Masonic Cemetery at Elk Grove, beside the remains of his devoted wife and helpmate, who passed on a few years after him, at the age of seventy-two, highly esteemed and truly mourned.

The accompanying portrait of J. B. Bradford plainly bespeaks a strong, virile, pure and manly character. A rugged Americanism is stamped upon his features. As before stated, he was a direct descendant of Gov. William Bradford, the second governor of Plymouth Colony, who served as such from 1921 through 1633, and in 1635, 1637, and 1639, and again from 1645 to 1657.

The said progenitor was born at Austerfield, Yorkshire, England, in March, 1588, and was one of the early Puritans, dissenting from the teachings of the established church of England. In the autumn of 1607, although only nineteen years of age, he joined a company of dissenters who made an attempt to go on to Holland, where their religious opinions would secure toleration; but the master of the vessel betrayed them, and they were thrown into prison. Bradford remained in Holland, altogether, about ten years, and when the plan was decided upon of removing the English church at Leyden, under the care of Pastor Robinson, to America, he eagerly united with other Puritans in carrying out this idea. On July 22, 1620, he embarked for England, and on September 5 following sailed from Southampton on board the “Mayflower,” with the first company of Pilgrims which left for America. A storm coming up, they were obliged to put into what became known as Plymouth Harbor, but eventually reached the harbor of Cape Cod. Here he had the misfortune to lose his wife, who fell into the sea and was drowned. The first governor of the colony, Carver, died on April 5, 1621; and Mr. Bradford was elected in his place. His wisdom in dealing with Sachems Massasoit and Canonicus, and other Indian chiefs—those friendly as well as those who were hostile—is well known to every student of American history.

Governor Bradford married for his second wife, on August 14, 1623, the widow of Mr. Southworth. She was a lady whom he had known in England, and who came out to the colony for the purpose of marrying him. By his first wife he had one son; and by his second, two sons and one daughter. His first son died without children. Of his two other sons, William had fifteen children, and Joseph, seven; and from them have descended the Bradfords of New England, whose name is connected by marriage with half of the leading families of the Eastern or New England States.

Governor Bradford was not only a masterful executive, but a man of great literary ability. He was well-educated and well-informed in history and philosophy; and his writings form the basis of Young’s “Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers of the Colony of Plymouth,” and constitute a priceless heritage. Governor Bradford died at Plymouth, Mass., on May 9, 1657.

Thus the Bradford family goes back to the “Mayflower,” Plymouth Rock, and 1620. Of deep religious convictions and of unusual strength of body and mind, the Bradfords continue to be one of the leading families of America.

Transcribed by Barbara Gaffney.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 336-340. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.