1791: Major S. Holland established a settlement of log cabins at the east branch of the Holland River.
1807: Settlers, mostly of Irish origin, located in West Gwillimbury, north of Bradford.
1857: Bradford was incorporated as a village.
1858: Thomas Driffill became the first reeve. The population was about 1,000.
1871: On May 23, part of Bradford was devastated by fire. It left 130 homes and businesses in ashes. A new and improved Bradford arose, with buildings made of brick. By 1872, Bradford prospered with businesses such as lumber and mattress making use of marsh hay.
1923: Prof. William Day started the drainage system to prepare the Holland Marsh for cultivation. He buried old cars to form dykes and planted willows on top to anchor them. This kept the drainage canals from overflowing into the fields. Now, thousands of acres are under cultivation yielding crops of vegetables selling for millions of dollars.
1960: Bradford was incorporated from a village to a town. The same year, the first sanitary sewer system was installed.
Jan. 1, 1991: The Town of Bradford and the Township of West Gwillimbury were amalgamated and became the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury.