The story of Bradford is similar to the story of the towns annexed by Boston. Bradford was an independent town until 1897, when it was annexed into the City of Haverhill. Bradford is the section of present day Haverhill south of the Merrimack River. It retains its own post office and zip code (01835).
We went to Bradford via MBTA Commuter Rail (Bradford stop on the Haverhill Line), and rode south through Essex County as far as Reading, where we had parked our car to ride the train north. This was a pleasant 31 mile ride through mostly rural Essex County towns, including Groveland, Georgetown, Rowley, Ipswich, Boxford and Topsfield.
