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Title: |
Alva Bradley Family Papers |
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Repository: |
Western Reserve Historical Society
Phone: 216-721-5722 http://www.wrhs.org |
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Creator: |
Bradley, Alva Family |
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Dates: |
1871-1950 |
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Quantity: |
5.00 linear feet (1 container and 23 oversize volumes) |
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Abstract: |
The Alva Bradley Family was a prominent Cleveland, Ohio, family active in shipbuilding and the real estate business. Alva Bradley was a partner in the shipbuilding company of Bradley & Cobb, which eventually became Bradley Transportation Company, a prominent member of the Lake Carriers' Association. Alva's son, M.A. (Morris A.) and grandson Alva were part of the company. In 1910, they started the Bradley Realty Company which became the largest holder of real estate in downtown Cleveland. The collection consists of accounting journals, ledgers, letter copy books, and other volumes documenting the financial interests of the Bradley family and their business concerns, especially the Bradley Realty Company. |
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Identification: |
MS 4496 |
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Location: |
closed stacks |
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Language: |
The records are in English |
The Alva Bradley Family of Cleveland, Ohio, began with the arrival of Alva Bradley (1814-1885) in Cleveland in 1859. Bradley was born in Ellington, Connecticut, and in 1823, moved with his parents to Brownhelm, Ohio. As a young man, he was a sailor on the Great Lakes, serving on numerous ships. After his marriage to Helen Burgess in 1851, he entered into a partnership with Ahira Cobb and formed Bradley & Cobb, a shipbuilding company based in Vermilion, Ohio. When Bradley moved to Cleveland, he bought out Cobb's interest and by 1868, all of the shipyards were moved to Cleveland. Bradley's son, Morris A. Bradley (1860-1926) joined his father in the business and when Alva died, Morris took over entirely. The company became known as Bradley Transportation and became a prominent member of the Lake Carriers Association, an alliance of steamship companies. Morris's son, also named Alva Bradley (1884-1953), joined him in the early 1900s. Increasingly, the Bradleys turned their attention to real estate and in 1910, and they founded the Bradley Realty Company in Cleveland. By the time of Morris's death, the Bradley family was the largest holder of real estate in downtown Cleveland.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Bradley Transportation
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Alva Bradley
The Alva Bradley Family Papers, 1871-1950 consist of journals, ledgers, letter copy books, and other volumes documenting the financial interests of the Bradley family.
This collection pertains to the financial activities of one of the most prominent families in Cleveland, Ohio, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It sheds light on how success in one business provides sufficient funding for an easy transition into another business. Some material in the ledgers sheds light on the costs of real estate in downtown Cleveland in the early twentieth century.
None.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4496 Alva Bradley Family Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Morris A. Bradley, 1980.
Processed by Richard Hite and Robert Ray in 1990.