Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Guide to the Cyrus Bradley Papers
1882-1915
Cage 243
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
- Creator
- Bradley, Cyrus, 1852-
- Title
- Cyrus Bradley Papers
- ID
- Cage 243
- Date [inclusive]
- 1882-1915
- Extent
- 4.5 Linear feet of shelf space, 9 Boxes
- Language
- Collection materials are in English.
- Abstract
- The Cyrus Bradley papers consist of correspondence, business records, legal documents and a few personal items of the Spokane, Washington businessman. The correspondence from Bradley's later years predominates and is mainly concerned with financing and trading real estate and mining properties.
Preferred Citation
[Item description]
Cyrus Bradley Papers, 1882-1915 (Cage 243)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Biography/History
The son of a riverboat operator of moderate wealth from Dayton, Ohio, Cyrus Bradley spent his young adulthood moving about the American West in various capacities until he located in Spokane Falls in 1883. There he founded a newspaper, the Spokane Miner, with his brother-in-law, Graham B. Dennis. Shortly, however, they abandoned the paper to concentrate on a venture in urban real estate development which largely centered on "Dennis and Bradley's Addition." A highly successful venture in the late 1880's and early 1890's, the addition became involved in financial difficulties in the mid-1890's, as did Bradley's investments in Spokane's Second Railroad Addition and in the Ross Park Street Railroad and the Washington Water Power Company. Narrowly escaping failure, Bradley emerged from the depression of the 1890's as a modest trader and investor in real estate, mining properties and irrigation projects. His investments were no longer concentrated in Spokane, but scattered throughout the West, and even included some as far away as Florida. One of Spokane's leading figures in his days as town boomer, Bradley spent his later years simply trying to earn a modest income. He remained active in philanthropic and social work organizations, but he never again became one of the powerful leaders of the city. Instead his main concern seems to have been the welfare of the family of his brother-in-law and ex-partner, Graham B. Dennis, who did not manage even a modest recovery from the financial turmoil of the 1890's.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of correspondence, business records, legal documents, and other materials regarding Cyrus Bradley's investments in urban real estate, irrigation projects and mining properties in the Spokane, Washington area. The majority consists of business correspondence during the years Bradley was attempting to recover from financial reverses incurred in real estate operations in the 1890s, during Spokane's formative years. In addition, the papers reflect Bradley's personal affairs, primarily his involvement in philanthropic and social work organizations.
Arrangement
The papers are arranged in three series: correspondence, business records, and personal items. Within each series, items are organized chronologically.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2022
https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/
Terrell Library
P.O. Box 645610
Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA
509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open and available for research use.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions may apply.
Acquisition Information
This collection was acquired by Washington State University Library sometime prior to a 1955 inventory of manuscript collections.
Processing Information
This collection was reprocessed by Lawrence Stark in 1974. At that time the papers of his father, John Bradley, were seperated into their own collection.
Related Materials
Separated Material
John Bradley Papers, 1846-1869 (Cage 153)
Names and Subjects
Family Name(s)
- Bradley family
Personal Name(s)
Subject(s) :
- Bradley, Cyrus, 1852- -- Archives.
- Dennis, Graham Barclay, 1855-1926.
Subject(s)
- Mineral industries -- Washington (State) -- Finances.
- Real estate business -- Washington (State) -- Spokane.
- Charities -- Washington (State) -- Spokane.
- Irrigation -- Washington (State) -- Finances.
- Businesses and Corporations
- Washington (State)
Detailed Description of Collection
Series 1: Correspondence |
||||
Letterbooks |
||||
box | folder | |||
1886-1895 1 volume |
1 | 1 | ||
1892-1897 1 volume |
1 | 2 | ||
1897-1900 1 volume |
1 | 3 | ||
1897-1898 1 volume |
2 | 4 | ||
1898-1906 1 volume |
2 | 5 | ||
Outgoing Correspondence |
||||
box | folder | |||
1892-1903 190 items |
2 | 6 | ||
1904-1905 220 items |
2 | 7 | ||
1906-1909 120 items |
3 | 8 | ||
1910-1911 120 items |
3 | 9 | ||
1911 190 items |
3 | 10 | ||
1912-1913 150 items |
3 | 11 | ||
Undated 30 items |
4 | 12 | ||
Fragments 40 items |
4 | 13 | ||
Incoming Correspondence |
||||
box | folder | |||
1882-1892 125 items |
4 | 14 | ||
1893-1895 140 items |
4 | 15 | ||
1896-1901 95 items |
4 | 16 | ||
1902 230 items |
5 | 17 | ||
1903-1904 235 items |
5 | 18 | ||
1904 125 items |
5 | 19 | ||
1904 150 items |
5 | 20 | ||
1905 300 items |
6 | 21 | ||
1906-1909 200 items |
6 | 22 | ||
1910 165 items |
6 | 23 | ||
1911 275 items |
7 | 24 | ||
1912-1915 190 items |
7 | 25 | ||
Undated 70 items |
7 | 26 | ||
Fragments 60 items |
7 | 27 | ||
Personal, 1894-1912. 97 items |
7 | 28 | ||
Personal, undated. 70 items |
7 | 29 | ||
Correspondence of persons other than Bradley |
||||
box | folder | |||
Miscellaneous, 1883-1912. 97 items |
8 | 30 | ||
William Dennis, 1896-1906. 11 items |
8 | 31 | ||
Graham B. Dennis, 1885-1891. 12 items |
8 | 32 | ||
|
||||
Series 2: Business Records and Legal Documents |
||||
box | folder | |||
Agreements, permits and notices 1883-1912 13 items |
8 | 33 | ||
Assays and price lists. undated 14 items |
8 | 34 | ||
Bills and notes 1883-1912 89 items |
8 | 35 | ||
Bills of lading and invoices 1893-1909 14 items |
8 | 36 | ||
Checks 1882-1911 15 items |
8 | 37 | ||
Deeds and mortgages 1884-1895 6 items |
8 | 38 | ||
Maps undated 3 items |
8 | 39 | ||
Mining agreements, claims and reports 1897-1911 60 items |
8 | 40 | ||
Receipt book 1890 1 item |
9 | 41 | ||
Receipts and payment notices 1885-1912 39 items |
9 | 42 | ||
Statements and accounts 1884-1912 31 items |
9 | 43 | ||
Newspaper clippings 1896-1911 20 items |
9 | 44 | ||
Miscellaneous. undated 9 items |
9 | 45 | ||
Miscellaneous notes. undated 24 items |
9 | 46 | ||
|
||||
Series 3: Personal |
||||
box | folder | |||
Portraits undated 4 items |
9 | 47 | ||
Autobiographical sketch 1893 2 items |
9 | 48 | ||
Diary 1894-1897 1 item |
9 | 49 | ||
Preliminary register and notes. 1956 7 items |
9 | 50 | ||
|
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