Homesteaders
Bradley
Bradley
The Bradley family as been in Arbon Valley, in the Crystal area, by 1900. The patriarch, George Willard Bradley, was born in Michigan. In the winter of 1901-1902 he applied for a homestead in the Rattlesnake Creek drainage area of Bannock Valley (later called Arbon Valley). The Rattlesnake area was officially part of the Crystal part of the valley. He was later able to get 160 acres under the Homestead Act. He had to live on the claim for the next five years. He built a homestead cabin and made improvements on his claim, which usually meant clearing land and building fences. This cabin is still on the original homestead, and in pretty good shape for its age. The Rattlesnake area was opened for actual homesteading later than down in the valley, so for a period of time he was still “squatting†and did not get a free and clear title to his land until 1911, five years after Rattlesnake was officially opened for actual homesteading. Today the fourth generation of Bradleys still ranch in the same area.