Aired on Channel 4 News: October 31, 2010 5:00 and 10:00 pm

Historic Bradley School Burns

Reported by Ed Doney and Sarah Stewart

Not everyone in the Town of Bradley is having a happy Halloween. That is because Bradley's iconic elementary school burned in an overnight fire, possibly caused by arson. Now the school has been closed for several years now. It opened in 1887 as a one-room school building. It was destroyed by fire, then a tornado and was rebuilt as a two-story building back in 1907. This school qualified as a historic landmark because it was built with sandstone blocks from the Wichita Mountains and it operated grades first through eighth until it was annexed by the town of Alex in 1990. Now, officials are investigating the fire as arson. Tonight after the game, we'll have more on the school's history and we'll hear from two men who attended the historic Bradley Elementary.

Sarah Stewart took our Mobile Newsroom to Grady County. Ed: "Sarah, I know you talked to some people who actually attended Bradley Elementary several years ago." Sarah: "Ed, we spoke with one who graduated all the way back in 1941. But no matter how many years attended, many are upset and angry at the loss for their community."

It's the annual Halloween party at the Bradley Community Center, the town's youngest generation enjoying the tradition, while some of the town's oldest generations are mourning the loss of another tradition.

Charles "Sonny" Mitchusson, Class of 1941: "Well, it's hard to believe 'cause this has been here so long. I've got so many memories there."

Much of what was the Bradley School is now simply smoldering remains, smoke disappearing like so many old memories.

Ira J. Mann, Class of 1944: "It's part of history. It's the history of our community and, I think, the history of this state." J. Mann, Class of 1944 said that his entire family went to school in that building. His mother taught there. Mann says, "It's part of our family. It goes back a long way."

And while the building hasn't housed students in more than a decade, those who live in Bradley say the building was special--built in 1940 as part of the Works Project Administration.

Vera Baker, Town Historian: "It was intended to put people to work after the Depression to help stimulate the economy. These stones came from the Wichita Mountains. They're rough hewn sandstone blocks from Medicine Park."

It's a tremendous loss for people like Sonny Mitchusson who remembers singing in the Glee Club and playing basketball in what was then, a state-of-the-art gymnasium.

Sonny: "That's just like part of your home or something and now it's is gone."

According to the town's website, an Oklahoma businessman purchased the building several years back. No one was sure of his plans for it. The State Fire Marshall will be investigating the blaze.

Source: KFOR News, transcribed from online video

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