Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-08-18
W. Bradford, Pioneer,
Called to His Reward
PASSED AWAY AUGUST II AT
THREE LAKES AT AGE OF
90 YEARS

Funeral services for w A. Brad
ford were held at the home of his son
Edward Bradford at Three Lakes Sun
day. and following the ceremonies con
ducted by the Masonic lodge Of Eagle
River, the remains were laid beside
his wife who died about ten years ago.
A number Of Rhinelander Masons also
attended, Mr.. Bradford having been
affiliated with the Rhinelander Chap
ter.
Besides his widow and young son,
and Edward Bradford, adopted in in
fancy, he is survived by a brother, F.
S. Bradford, of Appleton who was pres
ent at his funeral and sister, Mrs H.
L. Freer, of Hinsdale, H., who was
prevented by illness from attending.
AS the accompanying appreciation
shows, Mr.. Bradford was one of the
first pioneers of Villas county and up
to a few years ago was actively con,
cerned with its welfare and progress.
His personal characteristics are given
better than we could write them and
very large number of people in Viii
as, Oneida and Marathon counties
where he spent SO many years will
vouch for their truth.
More than ordinary mention is due
the memory Of ZAP Bradford, as typi-
cal of the lives of the men who have
done much to foster and make possible
the present standards Of life, and we
believe represent a type Of manhood
that has had no peer in the making
of any country No historical novel
was ever written that is more inter
esting than the tales often told by Mr..
Bradford and others of his day and
of the hardships, privations and OBJ
stacles encountered by the men who
first settled and developed the north
ern portions of Wisconsin. They
we're race of men possessed of
mental, moral and physical stamina
that we hope the product of the auto
mobile and airplane age will be as
we'll endowed with.
From our earliest recollection, the
stories of the lives of Wisconsin pio-
neers have had a peculiar attraction
perhaps from the fact that both our
paternal and maternal grandfathers
with their families, we're Wisconsin
pioneers in being among the first
white settlers in their communities,
in southern Wisconsin and the stories
of their lives and hardships will never
become effaced from memory From
them and others we heard the stories
of the commencement of the lumber
ing industry, beginning with the cut
ting of the pine Of the lNecedah, Yellow
Chippewa, Wolf and Wisconsin rivers.
The taking of the RATS through the
DelIs of the Wisconse the vicissitudes
and mishaps that befell the loggers
and mill owners, the lives Of the river
drivers going to and from st. Louis,
were as familiar as bedtime tales,
as a matter of fact, they frequently
were, long before we ever knew of AZ
Bradford and the important part he
had played in the numbering country
above Wausau.
1t is a long, long stretch from the
primitive conditions under which men
like him grew up and -labored under,
to the present day Of comforts and
conveniences that even the poorest
now enjoy, but it developed a class
of men who any one could be proud
to know as a friend, and who consider
ing the lack of advantages provided
them gave far better accounts Of
themselves in he book of->life than
many others will be able to even when
fortune has placed such advantages at
their disposal
In his death the world lost such a
man and one for whom we had much
respect as citizen and one whom will
some day occupy very prominent
place in the historical annals of Villas
county.