Forgotten Angel: The Story of Lydia Moss Bradley

she was popularly represented as finding the keenest happiness in thus providing for the declining years of women who like herself had been left widowed and childless but without the solace of home and wealth which had been vouchsafed to her....But alas for human hopes. The day came when Mrs. Bradley’s ‘advisers’ saw much greater opportunities for her and themselves than were to be had in running a little two-by-four Home with only a couple of dozen old women to sing the praises of their benefactor.”

It was a nasty article. Journalism of the day seemed to relish printing rumors and hints of scandal. The real story emerged a month later in an article in the Peoria Transcript.

The Bradley Home for Aged Women, so named later, was started in 1882 when Mrs. Charles F. Bacon took charge of five elderly ladies who had been left dependent.

Subscriptions were raised by the Women’s Christian Home Mission and a house of 12 rooms was rented at 823 Main Street. Lydia Bradley’s niece, Mrs. Lydia Baggs, who was a frequent companion of her aunt, was interested in the Mission project, and through her Lydia was approached.

Lydia built a brick home at 2213 Main Street for 25 members. (The Mission group had found their earlier building too small for the number of residents.) With the construction of the building, an Association of the Bradley Home for Aged Women was organized on September 4, 1884. The Association was dependent on public charity.

Lydia deeded the property to the Association with the provision that it should revert to her when it ceased to be used for the purpose intended.

Then came the construction of the Proctor Home in Peoria, a larger facility for the elderly, heavily endowed

by John C. Proctor. The Bradley Home Association found itself with insufficient support through public donations 59