Bradley

History

In 1891, North Kankakee was established when the David Bradley Plow Works established a factory, and in recognition of this, in 1895, the town changed its name to "Bradley City" (later Bradley). Bradley was mostly a blue collar town, with the Kroehler furniture factory and the Roper stove factory, a subsidiary of Sears, Roebuck, being the major employers. In the 1980s, as elsewhere in the Midwest, these factories closed, and after their closures, parts of those factories burned to the ground. However, by the end of the decade, things changed. In 1989, a new shopping center called Bradley Square was built with Wal-Mart as the first tenant, and more shops followed. Northfield Square Mall opened in 1990.

Geography

Bradley is located in central Kankakee County. It is bordered to the south by the city of Kankakee and to the west by the village of Bourbonnais. Interstate 57 passes through the village, with access from Exit 315 (Illinois Route 50). I-57 leads north to Chicago and south to Champaign. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bradley has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Bradley-Bourbonnais C High School
  High · Bradley · 1,921 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Kankakee High School
  High · Kankakee · 1,513 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• Liberty Intermediate School
  Middle · Bourbonnais · 720 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Manteno Elem School
  Elementary · Manteno · 696 students · 13.9:1 ratio
• Manteno High School
  High · Manteno · 637 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• Kankakee Junior High School
  Middle · Kankakee · 560 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Manteno Middle School
  Middle · Manteno · 553 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• John Kennedy Middle Grade School
  Elementary · Kankakee · 543 students · 17.5:1 ratio