Bradfordville, Florida
Encyclopedia
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is 8 miles (12.9 km) north of Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
and south of the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
/Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
state line by 8 miles (12.9 km) at the intersection of US 319
U.S. Route 319
U.S. Highway 319 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for 318 miles from US 1 /State Route 4 in Wadley, Georgia to the John Gorrie Bridge at Apalachicola, Florida. The sections of US 319 in Medart, Florida and from just east of Carrabelle, Florida to its terminus in Apalachicola are jointly...
and County Road 0342 (Bannerman Road/Bradfordville Road). Elevation is 237 feet (72 m).
Geography
Bradfordville has rolling hills and ravines spotted with lakes and ponds. Lake IamoniaLake Iamonia, Florida
Lake Iamonia is a large, subtropical prairie lake in northern Leon County, Florida, United States created during the Pleistocene epoch.-Forming Iamonia:...
, one of Florida's larger natural lakes, is northwest of Bradfordville. Bradfordville is within the noted Red Hills Region
Red Hills Region
The Red Hills Region is a unique 300,000-acre area of the southeastearn United States overlapping parts of southwestern Georgia and north Florida.-Location:...
.
History
Bradfordville began as a settlement between 1829 and 1832 when the Bradford brothers moved to the area from around EnfieldEnfield, North Carolina
Enfield is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina founded in 1740 and it is a predominantly African American town. The population was 2,347 at the 2000 census.Enfield is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Halifax County, North Carolina
Halifax County, North Carolina
-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:[[Image:HalifaxCountyCotton.wmg.jpg|left|thumb|A cotton field blooms in Halifax County....
to farm large tracts of land.
The Bradfords were direct descendants of William Bradford, governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
(Massachusetts). William's great great grandson, John Bradford, received a land grant located in Halifax County, North Carolina
Halifax County, North Carolina
-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:[[Image:HalifaxCountyCotton.wmg.jpg|left|thumb|A cotton field blooms in Halifax County....
from King George III of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The mother of the Bradford sons, Sarah Cromwell Bradford, was a direct descendant of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
.
Bradfords and plantations
- Thomas Anderson Bradford, born February 13, 1790 founded Walnut Hill PlantationWalnut Hill PlantationWalnut Hill Plantation was a small cotton plantation of located in northern Leon County, Florida, USA owned by Thomas Anderson Bradford.-Location:...
- Dr. William H. Bradford established Edgewood PlantationEdgewood PlantationEdgewood Plantation was a small cotton plantation of 1840 acres located in northern Leon County, Florida, USA owned by Dr. William Bradford.- Location :...
and became the doctor for Pine Hill Plantation's slaves - Henry B. Bradford born October 30, 1791 lived a little further south on what is now Thomasville Road in the same area as brother Thomas.
- Dr. Edward Bradford born August 2, 1798 founded Pine Hill PlantationPine Hill PlantationPine Hill Plantation was a large cotton plantation of established between 1829 and 1832 in northern Leon County, Florida, United States touching the southeast arm of Lake Iamonia established by Dr...
. The most successful brother, he later founded Horseshoe PlantationHorseshoe PlantationHorseshoe Plantation is an cotton plantation located in northern Leon County, Florida and established around 1840 by Dr. Edward Bradford, a planter from Enfield, North Carolina.It is currently owned and maintained by Frederic C. Hamilton. Mr...
east-southeast of Lake Iamonia. The plantation is still in existence today as a privately run hunting plantation. - Richard Henry Bradford born November 15, 1800 founded Water Oak PlantationWater Oak PlantationWater Oak Plantation was a was a small cotton plantation of located in northern Leon County, Florida, USA established by Richard Bradford.- Location :Water Oak was located in the general area of Bradfordville.Adjacent plantations:...
near Lake McBride
Another planter, Captain William Lester, from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, moved to Leon County and established a very successful and large plantation called Oaklawn Plantation
Oaklawn Plantation
Oaklawn Plantation was a large plantation of 5326 acres in northern Leon County in the U.S. state of Florida. It was established around 1850 by Captain William Lester of Burke County, Georgia.-Location:...
.
The Bradfordville School
Bradfordville School
The Bradfordville School is a white, one-story wood framed vernacular structure and represents a typical one-room schoolhouse and is currently located approximately 600 feet from Thomasville Road on a section of land on the northwest part of Bannerman Road in Bradfordville, northern Leon County,...
was constructed between the years 1884-1892 on a small piece of land owned by the Lester family. The school, a wood framed vernacular structure, represents a typical one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
house mentioned in rural American history. It qualifies for the National Register and has been preserved and now resides on the southwest section of Bannerman Road.
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
factory in Bradfordville. Hardenburgh planted 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of broom corn while Col. John R. Bradford planted planted 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) and another farmer planted 1 acres (4,046.9 m²). The 14 acres (56,656 m²) combined supplied the factory with enough material to keep it in operation for a year.
In the early 1900s, Bradfordville had two general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
s, a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(Judge Whitehead), and a Saturday meat market ran by Tommy Carr. Greene Johnson ran a trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
that supplied staple goods like sugar and flour. Today that building, after restoration, is an animal hospital.
Bradfordville is now an area with a few large homes and is at the east-southeast tip of the large housing development of Killearn Lakes Plantation. It is mostly a major commercial area that contains Lawton Chiles High School
Lawton Chiles High School
Lawton Chiles High School is public high school located on US 319 north of Tallahassee.- History :Lawton Chiles High School was established in 1999 and is the newest public high school in the Leon County school district. The first graduating class was the class of 2002...
, 4 branch banks, 4 major retail stores (Target, Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...
, Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
and a newly constructed Kohl's) plus a variety of other smaller retail stores.
The proposed Red Hills Coastal Parkway, a tolled eastern bypass of Tallahassee, would have its northern terminus in Bradfordville.
Natural history
Bradfordville is located in a forested area of longleaf pineLongleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
, shortleaf pine
Shortleaf Pine
Pinus echinata is a species of pine native to the eastern United States from southern New York south to northern Florida, west to the extreme southeast of Kansas, and southwest to eastern Texas. The tree is variable in form, sometimes straight, sometimes crooked, with an irregular crown...
, loblolly pine
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from central Texas east to Florida, and north to Delaware. It is particularly dominant in the eastern half of North Carolina, where there are huge expanses consisting solely of Loblolly Pine trees...
, laurel oak
Laurel oak
Quercus laurifolia is a medium sized deciduous or semi-evergreen oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae...
, Southern live oak
Southern live oak
Quercus virginiana, also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South....
, chalk maple, Southern magnolia
Southern magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the southeastern United States, from coastal Virginia south to central Florida, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma...
, and sweetgum. Wildlife in the area includes the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a woodpecker found in southeastern North America.- Description :About the size of the Northern Cardinal, it is approximately 8.5 in. long, with a wingspan of about 14 in. and a weight of about 1.5 ounces...
, Wood Stork
Wood Stork
The Wood Stork is a large American wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was formerly called the "Wood Ibis", though it is not really an ibis.-Appearance:...
, Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, Northern Bobwhite, and gopher tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
s.
Political
| Bradfordville Governmental Representation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Party |
| County Commission At-Large | Cliff Thaell | Democrat |
| County Commission At-Large | Akin Akinyemi | Democrat |
| Commissioner Dist. 4 | Bryan Desloge | Republican |
| U.S. House | Steve Southerland Steve Southerland Steve Southerland is a Tennessee politician and a member of the Tennessee Senate representing the 1st district, which encompasses Cocke County, Greene County, Hamblen County, and Unicoi County. He was elected to the 103rd, 104th, and 105th General Assemblies and currently serves as a member of the... |
Republican |
| Florida House | Michelle Vasilinda | Democrat |
Schools
- Lawton Chiles High SchoolLawton Chiles High SchoolLawton Chiles High School is public high school located on US 319 north of Tallahassee.- History :Lawton Chiles High School was established in 1999 and is the newest public high school in the Leon County school district. The first graduating class was the class of 2002...
- Deerlake Middle School http://www.deerlake.leon.k12.fl.us/default.aspx
- Killearn Lakes Elementary http://www.killearnlakes.leon.k12.fl.us/