Bridgeford, Ricketts & Company

Bridgeford, Ricketts and Company. Historic Site. , James Bridgeford was born near Louisville in 1807. At 13, he left school and worked as an apprentice in his brother-in-law's metal working shop. By age 22, he had become a skilled metal worker and businessman with a savings of nearly $1,000., With these assets, he partnered with one Mr. Cocks to found the metal working and dealing firm of Cocks and Bridgeford. The factory was located near Sixth and Main Streets, specializing in "stills, copper, tin, and sheet iron ware." The firm also made a concerted pitch to steamboat companies, outfitting them with appropriate hardware, even advertising the availability of "bells of all sizes.", By 1834, the company grew in Bridgeford, Ricketts and Company, producing "machinery for sawmills, ginnies, distilleries, and steam engines." By the middle of the century, the foundry and workshop was among the largest of its kind in the country. It made whiskey stills, stoves, grates, steamboat parts, and even common household pots and pans. The firm's success was highlighted by the 3,000 tons of metal it used annually and a staff of 200 men., In addition to running his company, James Bridgeford also became an active civic leader. He twice served on the board of councilmen of Louisville and was the president of the Second National Bank, also located on Main Street., [Sidebar:] , 3000 tons of metal used annually , 200 workers