The Place:
The Bradbury Building was built in 1906 by Dr. James T. Bradbury, M.D. The following series of small local news snippets published in the Cody Enterprise followed the construction of the building until its completion in early August of 1906. The first tenant (on the ground floor, at least) was The New York Store, a purveyor of dry goods, clothing, shoes and bedding. They moved in, according to the final snippet, on October 4th & 5th. See the accompanying ad.
March 22, 1906:
Dr. Bradbury is making preparation for the erection [of a] cut stove two story building on his lot on the corner of Sheridan Avenue and Second street.
34 April 12, 1906:
Dr. Bradbury has begun to excavate for an elegant new two story stone building on his lots on the corner of Sheridan avenue and second street. The Dr. has faith In Cody and has shown a disposition to boost for it in every way possible.
April 26, 1906:
The stonemasons commenced work on the Scharf and Bradbury buildings this week, and in a very short time Cody Will have two more elegant stone corner business blocks.
June 07, 1906:
Work on the Bradbury building has been delayed on account of inability to supply joists. However a shipment is expected any day now when the work will be resumed.
Cody Enterprise no. 44 June 21, 1906:
The Bradbury building is now up two stories and will be rapidly completed.
October 11, 1906:
The New York Store moved to its new quarters on Thursday and Friday. Mrs. Warner now has a very complete and up to date stock.
The Person:
Dr. James T.Bradbury, M.D was a past Master of the Masons and a Cody town councillor. His first office in Cody was in the Cody Hotel, from which he moved to an office in the Walls Bank Building at the corner of Sheridan Avenue and 2nd Street (now 12th Street) in 1902. Dr. and Alerta (Kissick) Bradbury had at least four children, Helen, Ruth, James & Harold. The good doctor was one of the principals in Cody's Lane-Bradbury Hospital, the other partner being Dr. James T.Bradbury, M.D. The Lane-Bradbury Hospital became operational in Cody shortly before the construction of the Bradbury Building. Bradbury and his wife, Alerta, sold the building sometime around 1920. In April of 1911 the Bradburys departed Cody, for Cambria, WY where daughters Helen and Ruth were born, and then settled in Willow Creek, MT in 1914, where James was the doctor, pharmacist, Postmaster, and drug store proprietor until 1947 when his wife, Postmistress Alerta died, and he retired to visit relatives until his death in 1952.
As a footnote, James and Alerta may have met when Alerta became sick and was ministered to by James around 1903-04.