Bradford, Pennsylvania

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This article is about the city in Pennsylvania. See Bradford (disambiguation) for other entries about Bradford.
Bradford, Pennsylvania
—  City  —
Bradford, Pennsylvania is located in Pennsylvania
Bradford, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 41°57′33″N 78°38′41″W / 41.95917°N 78.64472°W / 41.95917; -78.64472
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County McKean
Settled 1823
Incorporated 1879
Government
 - Type City Council
 - Mayor Tom Riel
Area
 - Total 3.5 sq mi (8.9 km2)
Population (2000)
 - Total 9,175
 - Density 2,659.7/sq mi (1,026.8/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Zip code 16701
Area code(s) 814
Website City of Bradford

Bradford is a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles (126 km) south of Buffalo, New York. Settled in 1823, Bradford was chartered as a city in 1879 and emerged as a wild oil boomtown in the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the late 1800s. The area's Pennsylvania Grade crude oil has superior qualities and is free of asphaltic constituents, contains only trace amounts of sulfur and nitrogen, and has excellent characteristics for refining into lubricants. World-famous Kendall racing oils were produced in Bradford.

The population peaked at 17,691 in 1940, but as of the 2000 census had dropped to 9,175 and was still declining at mid-decade according to census bureau estimates. Two adjoining townships, home to approximately 9,000 people, make the population of Greater Bradford about 18,000. Famous Bradfordians include opera singer Marilyn Horne and Hall of Fame baseball player Rube Waddell. A famous Perpetual Motion machine hoax was created in Bradford in 1897 by J M Aldrich; it was exposed in the July 1 1899 issue of the Scientific American magazine, leading to a four month prison sentence in the county jail.

Contents

[edit] Economy

Bradford is well known as the home of Zippo, a manufacturer of collectible pocket lighters, and Case, which is owned by Zippo and makes collectible knives. As of February 2009, the two companies employed 1,117 people. But significant layoffs have taken place since then. After Zippo and Case, the second largest employer is Bradford Regional Medical Center, which employed 759 as of February 2009. BRMC underwent a significant campus expansion in 2006. Other major employers as of February 2009 include Beacon Light (682), Bradford Area School District (474) and Wal-Mart (378). The nearby Federal Prison employed 301 as of that time.

The city also boasts an American Refining Group oil refinery, the oldest continuously operating refinery in the United States, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2006. Since ARG purchased the refinery in the mid 1990s, employment has almost doubled, to just less than 300 as of February 2009.

Bradford is home to a growing four-year college, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (Pitt-Bradford), which as of the fall term 2009 had 1,455 full-time students and 202 part-time students for a total enrollment of 1,657, 217 full-time employees and 106 part-time employees. Almost 900 students live on campus. The university's campus has grown significantly in recent years. Current building projects include a new residence hall, a chapel and laboratory upgrades to the science building.

The median income for a household in the city in 1999, according to the 2000 census, was $26,463, and the median income for a family was $32,828. Males had a median income of $30,661 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,537. About 16.9% of families and 20.7% of the population was below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over. Median incomes were significantly higher, and poverty rates significantly lower, in the adjoining townships.

According to the 2000 census, in what is familiarly known as Bradford (City of Bradford, Foster Township and Bradford Township), participation in the labor force of those 16 years of age and older was 62.8%, with an unemployment rate of 6.5%. The national average was 63.9% in the labor force and 5.8% unemployed. Outside of Greater Bradford in the rest of McKean County, participation in the labor force was 56%.

Four percent of households in Greater Bradford reported receiving public assistance income. Mean reported public assistance income was $1,884. The national average was 3.4% and $3,032.

[edit] Arts and entertainment

The Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center season runs from September through March. The Bromeley is home to many events in the university's Spectrum Series that brings authors, artists, musicians, recitalists and performance groups to campus with all events open to the public. Theater productions are staged by the theater departments at Pitt-Bradford and the high school, and by the Bradford Little Theater, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. An annual community talent show, Kiwanis Kapers, occurs in the fall.

Annual festivals include Stinkfest (a festival promoting leek cuisine,[1] Summer Daze (formerly known as Summerfest), the Italian Festival, the Zippo/Case International Swap Meet (biennial, with Zippo Days held in off years) and the Crook Farm Country Fair. Bradford celebrates New Year's Eve with a First Night celebration. In early August, the annual Big 30 Charity high school all star football game takes place at Parkway Field, where a million-dollar artificial playing surface was installed in 2008. In 2009, for the first time, National Night Out was a significant event in Bradford, coinciding with Taste of Bradford.

Bradford is the birthplace of opera singer Marilyn Horne.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 9,175 people, 3,922 households, and 2,247 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,659.7 people per square mile (1,026.8/km²). There were 4,371 housing units at an average density of 1,267.1/sq mi (489.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.74% White, 0.49% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.

There are 3,922 households, of which 29.4% have children under the age of 18, 36.9% have married couples living together and 14.8% have a female householder with no husband present. 42.7% of households are non-families, 36.3% are made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size was 2.93.

25.4% of the population is under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.

[edit] Geography

Bradford is located at 41°57′33″N 78°38′41″W / 41.95917°N 78.64472°W / 41.95917; -78.64472 (41.959100, -78.644611)[3]. It is located on Route 219 just south of its junction with I-86 above the New York State border.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (8.9 km²).3.5 square miles (8.9 km²) of it is land, and none of the area is covered with water. Bradford is situated in a valley in the Allegheny Mountains and is surrounded by woods and steep hills. Two branches of the Tunungwant Creek enter the city, merge and flow north into the Allegheny River just across the New York border.

Bradford Regional Airport is located about 15 miles (24 km) south of the city, at Mount Alton. Because of its elevation, the airport often has the coldest reported air temperatures in Pennsylvania and occasionally the coldest in the nation. The airport has one of the few National Weather Service stations across the entire northern tier of the state. Temperatures in the city are typically three to seven degrees warmer than at the airport, and city temperatures are representative of other communities in northern Pennsylvania and southwestern New York.

[edit] Recreation

Bradford is located within miles of the Allegany State Park in New York, the third-largest state park in the United States, and the Allegheny National Forest, the only national forest in Pennsylvania.

The Tuna Valley Trails Association has constructed several miles of trails in the community, with a master plan of over 50 miles (80 km) currently being planned, funded and implemented.

Parks in the city include Callahan Park, with swimming pools, tennis courts and an enclosed ice skating rink, and Hanley Park, with a large playground, horseshoe pits and a skate park.

The immediate Bradford area is home to two golf courses, the Pennhills Club in Bradford Township and Pine Acres Golf Course near Marshburg.

[edit] Films shot in Bradford

Bigfoot in Bradford (2007)[4] is a skit made over The Jacobs Creature. It was written by Margaret Brown with director Craig Kloss starring actors Brandon Brisson, Chaz Kirkwood, Craig Kloss, Ashlely Sampson, Alan Kline and Tina Holquist. Photography and editing was by Jeremy Wedge and Margaret Brown. The skit also featured the “Blues Brothers of Bradford” with musicians Tubby Colella, Ken Eddy, Gary Hoy and Jerry Johnson Sr.

Little Chicago (2008)[5] is a movie based on a true story described in a chapter of the book “Invisible Ink" by Carl A. Veno, with director Ron Ballard, writer Linda Veno, and commentator Michael Rispoli. It was filmed on-location in Bradford, Pennsylvania at The Option House, the Zippo Manufacturing Company, St. Bernard's Cemetery, Veterans Square and Old City Hall which are all prominently featured in the movie. It exists presently as “the last prohibition witnesses documentary” in a full, uncensored version.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Stinkfest". East Bradford Business Association. http://www.stinkfest.org/. Retrieved 2009-06-05. 
  2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  4. ^ "Bigfoot in Bradford". Bradford Today. http://www.bradfordtoday.com/bigfoot-in-bradford-skit.html. Retrieved 2009-09-09. 
  5. ^ "Little Chicago". Little Chicago the movie. http://www.littlechicagothemovie.com/. Retrieved 2009-09-09. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
McKean County, Pennsylvania
County seat: Smethport
City

Bradford
Boroughs
Townships
Unincorporated
community
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