Lewis Rice "Broadhorns" Bradley (February 18, 1805 – March 21, 1879) was an American politician. He was the second Governor of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

in the United States from 1871 to 1879. He was a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Biography

Bradley was born on February 18, 1805, in

Orange County, Virginia Orange County is a county located in the Central Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 36,254. Its county seat is Orange. Orange County includes Montpelier, the estate of James Madison, the ...

. When he was thirteen years old, his father died and he quit school and became a mule trader to support his mother and his many younger siblings. He married Virginia Hode Willis and the couple had three children. He moved to

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, the mule capital of the nation. His wife, Virginia, died May 11, 1852, in Fayette, Howard County, Missouri.

Career

In 1852, Bradley and his son, John R. Bradley, bought a herd of Texas Longhorn cattle and pushed them west, earning him the nickname "Old Broadhorns", and arriving in the San Joaquin Valley, California, with a 40% loss. He settled in Stockton, California, and drove horses, mules, and sheep in from Missouri. The winter and spring floods of 1861 and 1862 ruined their lands, and the Bradleys moved to

where he worked in the cattle business in Elko County, near Jiggs. Bradley, running for governor, bought a defunct newspaper, "The Daily Inland Empire", used it as a campaigning tool, then let it go under again. He served two terms as governor, but was narrowly defeated for the third time he ran as governor. Since he was a widower, his daughter, Virginia, acted as his official hostess during his term. In 1959, he was inducted into the

Hall of Great Westerners The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American ...

of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Death

Bradley died on March 21, 1879, in Elko, Nevada, at the age of 74. He is interred at Elko City Cemetery in Elko, Nevada.

References

External links

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Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Lewis R. 1805 births 1879 deaths Democratic Party governors of Nevada People from Elko, Nevada 19th-century American politicians American cattlemen