The Donaldsonville chief., 1921-07-23
BRADFORD BOAT LINE.
Big transportation Business Grows
from Humble Beginning.

III. r. Bradford and his five son
appeared in last Sundays issue O
the New Orleans Item, and will n,
doubt be read with interest by tn
many friends Of the Bradford fami
ly in this section:
"When Capt. M. F. Bradford start
ed in the water transportation bust
| ness thirty years ago with mule
propelled f1atboat on Bayou La
fourche, operating between the Mis-
sissippi river and Thibodaux, he rea
lized that the most essential facto
for success was large, well-trainet
staff of assistants.
To-day, as president and genera
manager Of the Bradford Transpor
tation Company, operating three large
river steamboats,, he has attained thu
success he sought and he has thu
staff of associate managers he hoped
for-five hustling young men, per
sonally schooled and developed anC
thorough rivermen.
Gail of the five bear the name Of
Bradford and refer to the president
and general manager as Dad
"Millard Bradford, Jr, the eldest
son, who is SO years of age, is the
company's business agent on the
steamboat John D. Grace, which plies
between New Orleans and Baton
Rouge. William, 20, is in charge OF
the Baton Rouge office. Percy, 26, is
a clerk on the Grace. Oliver, 21, is
first mate on the steamboat Houma,
running between New Orleans and
Houma, and Carl, IS, is also clerk on
the Grace.
"The accompanying photograph
was taken at the family home at 1928
st. Mary street last Monday, the
birthday Of William and Carl. when
| was II years of age,' said Carl,
William was twice as old as | was.
Pm catching up with him, for now
he's only little more than a third
older
9 'Millard Fillmore Bradford-that's s
the captain-was born near Donald
sonville sixty-five years ago when the
man for whom he was named was
his successful campaign for
the presidency. His father was Will
liam Bradford, one of the most prom
inent planters of that section of the
state.
'"The Bayou Lafourche barge line
was started when steamboat service
on the Mississippi was at its height.
The boats had landing at the mouth
of the bayou, where they discharged
freight for Thibodaux and the in
terror and picked up cargo. This was
carried to and from the landing by
Captain Bradford's barges, drawn by
mule teams, walking along the wa
ter's edge on a tow path. The mules
gave away in 1904 to a tQMhaat cali
ed the Naomi and much QUICKER ser
vice was given.
I'm this same year the mouth of
the bayou was closed with dam un-
der the general flood prevention plan
and Captain Bradford was forced to
construct a costly elevator system
over the barrier in order to continue
his business. The dam was built with
the understanding that the waterways
would later be re-opened by means of
a lock system. Sixteen years have
passed and no such work has even
been started.
"After continuing the business two
years in the face of the inconveni-
ences and expenses occasioned by the
dam, Captain Bradford abandoned
the field and dismantled the Naomi
and rebuilt the craft as the M. F.
Bradford. With this boad he started
a barge line between New Orleans
and Houma, serving the Bayou
Terrebonne and Bayou Black Sec
tions.
an 1909, Captain Bradford acquir-
ed his first packet, the Ozark Queen,
which was placed on the Houma run.
One year later the boat was taken to
the shipyard at Madisonville and en-
larged and rebuilt to become the
Houma, which in the eleven years up
to the present has missed but two of
her semi-weekly trips.
"The Terrebonne, now used only
as an extra boat to relieve the John
D. Grace and the Houma during rush
seasons, made its appearance in 1908,
being built for the company at Madi-
sonville.
added to the Bradford fleet in
1910 was the ill-fated F. w. Owens,
a 300-ton packet, which went into
service between New Orleans and
New Iberia, up Bayou Teche in the
Evangeline country.
"With Captain Bradford himself in
command the Owens was caught by
the September storm of 1915, tWen-
ty-fve miles up the river from New
Orleans, torn loose from her moorings
and swept out in the stream and
overturned and lost. After he had
hurried the passengers and crew
ashore, Captain Bradford saved him
self by jumping into the water just
as the craft broke away. The only
person lost was a negro who. hac
hidden away on the boat and whose
body was found the next day.
"The John D. Grace, the crack boa
of the line, which touches all points
between New Orleans and the STATE
capital, was built in 1916 at tht
Howard yards at Jeffersonville, Ind
It was named after. John D. Grace o:
New Orleans, close friend Of Captain
Bradford's and attorney for the com
pany. -.-
''The Grace succeeded the Owens
on the Bayou Teche run and remain
ed in that service until January o
this year when the merchants of Ba
ton Rouge urged that a boat line b.
operated between that city and New
Orleans. In 1918 a company of ner
chants of Houma bought the steam
boat Dixie and started her in oppo
sition to the Houma. A short TIM
later the Bradford company remove'
the competition by purchase, as Their
was not enough business for tw
+ba ni~,a ~,