Bradford, Ontario, is the primary urban area of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Overlooking the farming community known as The Holland Marsh, Bradford is located on the Holland River that flows into Lake Simcoe.
The eastern boundary of Bradford is the Holland River, named after Samuel Holland, the first Surveyor General of British North America. Holland passed through this area during an exploration from Toronto to Balsam Lake via Lake Simcoe in 1791.
For several years, the Holland River and Lake Simcoe were the only means of transportation. The first settlers to cross the Holland River in the fall of 1819 were three Irishmen: James Wallace, Lewis Algeo, and Robert Armstrong. The pioneers of West Gwillimbury were mostly Protestants from Northern Ireland.
The original road, now known as Bridge Street, did not curve onto Holland Street but continued straight to what is now Scanlon Ave. near Colborne Street. It was at this junction that the settlement was first established.
Initially known as Milloy's Tavern and later Edmanson's Corners, the town was renamed Bradford in 1840 by Joel Flesher Robinson, who named it after his hometown in West Yorkshire, England.
Bradford was incorporated as a village in 1857, with a population of about 1,000 people. The Northern Railway of Canada was built through the town just a few years prior. Bradford was incorporated as a town in 1960.
Bradford's Downtown Core has survived two fires. The first, in 1871, destroyed upwards of one hundred homes. However, a new downtown area arose where most buildings were made of brick. Many of these buildings still exist and make up the downtown core. The second fire occurred in the 1960s, causing damage only to the northwest corner of the intersection at Highway 11 and Highway 88.
The village of Bradford was established to supply the agricultural interests of its surrounding area. For a brief period in the mid-19th century, lumbering was a major industry, as trees had to be removed to commence farming.
The 2006 Statistics Canada Census lists the population of Bradford West Gwillimbury as 24,039. Bradford West Gwillimbury has people from many different backgrounds, with the majority of Bradford's residents being of European descent.
Bradford's downtown core is situated at the intersection of former Highway 11 (now, County Road 4) and 88 (now, County Road 88). The town's local transit services consist of 2 bus routes, which are operated by the town's local bus service, BWG Transit. Bradford also has a station on GO Transit's commuter train network.
