Bradford in Miami County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Bradford Fire of 1920

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 6, 2010

1. Bradford Fire of 1920 Marker

Inscription. On the evening of August 3, 1920, at 10:30, two men hurrying home after working at the local Railway Y.M.C.A. discovered smoke and flames at the D. Arnold & Sons Lumber Company. Bradford firemen, with the help of area firefighters, could not contain the raging fire because of the intense heat and lack of available water. By the early morning light, townspeople saw that their town had been almost totally destroyed. Thirty-four businesses and twelve homes were burned to the ground with losses totaling over one million dollars. Many businesses never rebuilt and claimed huge losses due to the lack of insurance coverage. The Ohio State Fire Marshal investigated the fire and ruled arson as the origin. Authorities never apprehended or charged any suspects.

Erected 2003 by Bradford Public Library, The Community Festival Association, Bradford Community Club, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 8-55.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection

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series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 40° 7.915′ N, 84° 25.816′ W. Marker is in Bradford, Ohio, in Miami County. It is on Main Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is about 150 feet east of the Main Street intersection with Miami Avenue (Ohio Route 721). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bradford OH 45308, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro,

in the Miami Valley,

and in the Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bradford (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bradford Ohio Railroad Museum (approx. ¼ mile away); All Clear at BF Tower (approx. ¼ mile away); Signs of the Times (approx. ¼ mile

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 6, 2010

2. Bradford Fire of 1920 Marker

Looking south.

away); Reading the Signs (approx. ¼ mile away); Pennsylvania Railroad "BF" Tower (approx. 0.4 miles away); Gettysburg, Ohio (approx. 3.7 miles away); Veterans Memorial Flagpole (approx. 3.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bradford.

Also see . . . History of Bradford. (Submitted on March 8, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,887 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 8, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.