Weldon D. Bradley Archive story

We at the CHSMG have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Weldon D. Bradley, and this fine country gentlemen has submitted the following article:

My great grandfather Jacob Bradley took title to the property, shown on the map above, which is in Goulbourn township, Carleton City, Ontario., approximately 15 miles from Ottawa, located on Hazeldean Rd. When Jacob passed away he split the farm, leaving each half to his two sons William and Henry, the latter being my grandfather. While living in separate homes, these brothers worked as a unit.

This picture was taken in 1880-81 or 82 at the latest, by the prominent photography firm S.J. Jarvis of Ottawa Ontario, and I recall vividly my mother telling me that the "boy" in the picture was my uncle, who was born in May of 1875, and presuming his age at 6 yrs. + or -, would authentically date this picture. (I never forgot this because I had always thought that the boy was my father.) The man on the ground is an uncle of my father and his younger brother, who was William Bradley, but the chap on the lead was unknown, probably a neighbour or hired hand.

The highlight of this picture at this date are the horses, which do reflect consistent similarities to the Canadian´s of that era. An important factor in relation to the photo is that, a number of years prior to it´s date there is a record of my ancestry making a difficult and cold journey by horses and sleigh, travelling from Quebec City, and/or Montreal, or maybe both, to settle in the Ottawa area, leaving little doubt of the horses of the photo being "Canadians" or first crosses of the same.

When viewing the team in the photo, I never fail to think of an amusing story told to us by our father. In his early years, he, as others in the area, to make a few dollars harnessed their teams, loaded into box cars at local rail, proceeded to a logging camp northwest up the Ottawa River, to Deux Riviere Ontario, to haul huge sleigh loads of logs of the hills and steep ranges, down to the frozen Ottawa River, where they were dumped boomed and floated down the river in the spring to the St.Lawrence. Arriving with such a "light" team he was exposed to- and the victim of- much laughter! Iced bush roads and hills so steep that they required "hot sanding", created a hazard in that when the sleigh shoeing would cool meant a quick move to the next hill or flat terrain. His team could not only "snap" the load to start, run the hills well, and also at break-up returned home in spring in good condition.

Always being very fond of horses I seldom missed any "horse" chatter that took place, and I do believe that the mare, closest to the camera, must have belonged to my grandfather Henry, as they, he and William, did usually work together, and this mare was the start of my father´s records of colts raised, or better I should say the "origin".

Frequently my Dad (when I was quite young), would mention Nance, the first name in his record, and I know that Nance was the dam of the first Jock and Della listed.By reason of his share or otherwise, these two became his team which he took to the farm he bought and on which he built a stone house (still lived in), before my parents were married in 1903.

Della was the beginning of cross- breeding, and foaled several colts including Victoria-Dina-Dan-Jock 2nd. As an aged team, and when quite a youngster, I recall vividly driving Vic and Dina on the hayfork.Recently becoming more aware of the Canadian ancestry and viewing photo´s of the older breeds, I do constantly marvel at the resemblance of the mare "Nina", and her colt "Dick", to the Andalusia breed, having equal stature, quite dark bay with black feathered points, I would have to say an amazing throw-back.

I would be elated if I could authentically relate more of the stallion(s), that were used in William or Henry´s time. I am certain that another early settler in the nearby area, a Mr. Addison Hand, kept a stud horse that was used before and after 1900. As related to me in much later years, about the one stud that sired several of our colts then, was that he was a dark bay, of fair height and stature, black points, and not of heavy bone structure.I would feature one that might be classified between "general purpose" and "light draft". At least his colts were "movers" and "untiring trotters", my Dad nicknamed the pair he drove as "Dynamite" and "Chain Lightening". They were the talk of the district, yet-as a quite young lad I drove this pair on the hay-fork, unloading loose hay into the lofts and barns.

Another big compliment to the "Canadian" horse is that in the mid 1930´s while my brother and I operated our farm, we lost our work horses over a short period with Infectious Anemia (Swamp Fever). With no tractor and a crop to plant, we purchased what we could with limited cash, a few horses.One was a real dandy little aged Canadian,she was a gem, could outwork the larger horses and so great for any hitch needed. Unbelievable stamina!

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