Historical Sketches of Kentucky by Lewis Collins, Maysville, KY. and J. A.
& U. P. James, Cincinnati, 1847. Reprinted 1968. Fayette County.

JOHN BRADFORD was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, in the year 1749.  He
married Eliza James, daughter of Captain Benjamin James, of said county,
in the year 1761, and had five sons and four daughters.  He served for a
short time in the revolutionary army, and came to Kentucky for the first
time in the fall of the year 1779.  He was in the battle with the Indians
at Chillicothe.  In the year 1785, he removed his family to Kentucky, and
settled about four miles north of Lexington, on Cane run.  In the year
1787, he, in conjunction with his brother, Fielding Bradford (a venerable
man, who now lives about two miles nearly north from Georgetown),
established the "Kentucke Gazette," the first number of which was
published in Lexington on the 11th of August, in that year; under which
title it was continued until the 14th of March, 1789, when it was changed
to the "Kentucky Gazette," in consequence of the legislature of Virginia
requiring certain advertisements to be inserted in the Kentucky Gazette. 
Fielding Bradford remained a partner until the 31st of May, 1788, when he
withdrew from the concern; after which it ws continued by John Bradford
until the 1st of April, 1802, when he conveyed the establishment to his
son, Daniel Bradford, who continued the publication of the Gazette for
many years, and is still residing in Lexington, an acting magistrate of
Fayette county.  
     The first number of the Gazette was published on a sheet of
demi-paper - the second on a half sheet of the same size; but owing to the
difficulty of procuring paper, it was soon reduced to a half sheet
fools-cap, and thus published for several months.  It has been reported
that the type on which the paper was issued, were cut out of dog-wood by
Mr. Bradford.  This is not true, except as to particular sorts, which fell
short, and also as to a few large letters, although he was a man of
uncommon mechanical ingenuity.

Bradford James
=
Fauquier-VA IL

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/fayette/bradford.j.txt