Festa Italiana begins Thursday and will continue through Saturday. The traditional Bradford celebration means food and friends, music, memories, and fun.

Check back here over the next few days for more pictures from the Fest!

The weather cooperated Thursday night and the crowd was great. Here are a few shots:

HON. GEORGE C. FAGNAN. — This prominent citizen of Bradford is a native of Buffalo, where he was born, October 10, 1852. He received a common-school education. He was in the employ of the Lake Shore Railroad Company for a number of years, and later with the Denver and Pacific Railroad with headquarters at Denver, Col. He then went with the Buffalo, New York and Pittsburg. In 1879 he was transferred by the company to the narrow-gauge railroad running between Eldred and Bradford, and in 1891 he located permanently in Bradford. After resigning his position with the railroad company he purchased the drug business of W. O. Neely. He is associated in business with Charles Green, a pharmacist of note. The subject of this sketch is greatly interested in the oil business, and has other interests which demand much of his attention. In politics he is a Democrat. He was elected County Treasurer in 1892, and Mayor of Bradford in 1895. He is an active member of Johnson Hose Company, and is popular with all classes.

This book has been digitized by the Google Book Project.

Originally published in 1899, and now in the public domain, this excerpt is from "Between the ocean and the lakes;: The story of Erie"
by Edward Harold Mott.

From the chapter titled, “Men Of Mark In Erie Towns”.

We recently received this from our friends at the Little Chicago offices.

Little Chicago The Movie is centered around the Bradford, PA and Olean, NY area. The plot is based on characters from the area during prohibition.

While the movie is still in production, the movie’s production office is located at 75 Foreman Street and is open to the public. Official movie products are available there and from the movie’s website.

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C. B. WHITEHEAD was born Tioga County, Pa., January 8, 1840. at Lawrenceville, He was educated in the schools of his native county, and in 1860 went to Titusville, Pa., where he was employed by Brewer, Watson & Co., extensive oil producers. He returned to Tioga County and was engaged in mercantile business four years. In 1870 he went to Blossburg, Pa., and from there to Bradford in 1878, where he engaged in oil producing, and where he died, January 31, 1899. Mr. Whitehead was a Democrat. When Bradford was incorporated into a city in 1876 he was one of the first select councilmen, and served until 1884, when President Cleveland appointed him postmaster of Bradford. When his term as postmaster expired he was again elected to the Common Council, in a Republican ward, by a handsome majority. Mr. Whitehead built more than forty houses in Bradford. He was a member of the Masonic Fraternity. He was married in 1875 to Miss Mary Ferris. Two children were born to them : Sarah and Waldo M.

BENJAMIN F. HAZELTON. — Born at Machias, Cattaraugus County, N. Y., March 26, 1847. The subject of this sketch worked on his father’s farm until he was fourteen, and then went to the oil region of Oil Creek, where he assisted as a well-driller. He was a spectator when the famous Rouse well was burned, and Mr. Rouse lost his life in the terrible conflagration. In the winter of 1861-62, although but fifteen years of age, he enlisted, and participated in the famous battle of Shiloh. In 1863 his parents removed to Oconomowoc, Wis., and he followed them there. He embarked in the meat business in that place and made money enough to enter a preparatory school at Horicon, Wis., and Lawrence University of Appleton, Wis. He taught school in the winter months, and continued with his studies at the University, but his health failed him. He later took a business course in the Worthington Commercial College, and there married Miss Clarissa Florence Purple, a daughter of Assistant State Treasurer C. H. Purple. Five children were born to them.

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The following is reprinted with the permission of Bradford Texas Hots. The research was done by Sally Costik of the Bradford Landmark Society.

Bradford Texas Hots
Dine In or Take Out
1020 East Main Street
814-362-0393

Bradford Landmark Society
Books by Sally Costik

Nick’s Red Hots

Prokopis Pete Semoudarias, also known as “Nick” was well known for over 40 years for his famous Nick’s Red Hots. Born in Greece, he came to Bradford in the 1950’s and ran his hot dog shop at various locations, including South Avenue, MainStreet, the corner of St. James and Mechanic Streets, and finally on Veterans Square. In addition to his business in Bradford, Nick also ran a second hot dog shop in Clean, NY in the 1970’s. Nick passed away at the age of 73 in May of 1999.

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HON. LEWIS EMERY, Jr. — Senator Emery is perhaps the best-known citizen of Bradford. He was born near the village of Cherry Creek, Chautauqua County, N. Y., August 10, 1839. His father met with financial reverses in the construction of a railroad, near Olean, for the old Erie company, and in other ventures. He went west and located with his family in Michigan, where he carried on the milling business, having mastered the trade of cloth-making when young and being a skilled mechanic.

The subject of our sketch was educated in the common schools, and after learning the trade of his father, attended the Hillsdale College, of Hillsdale, Mich., where he finished his training. He then taught school, and worked for his father in his mill. In May, 1846, he went to Illinois, where he engaged in general merchandizing and built a mill.
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AUGUSTUS W. NEWELL

AUGUSTUS WILLIAM NEWELL was born October 9, 1832, at Newton, Mass. He attended the schools of Brookline, Mass. At the age of thirteen years he began the study of civil engineering. He was in his father’s office when a young man, and later helped survey the routes of different railroads. Daniel Kingsbury, his uncle, had purchased of the United States Land Company 200,000 acres of land in McKean County, Pa., and young Newell gave his uncle the money he had saved to invest in land in that county. He then settled at Bradford. He helped survey the route for and to build the Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburg Railroad, his uncle being president and a large stockholder of the company. The company went into bankruptcy, owing young Newell considerable money.
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When it was built, the Kinzua Viaduct was the tallest railroad bridge in the world. It was destroyed July 21, 2003 by an F1 tornado. This video, posted on Youtube.com is a great tribute to this engineering marvel.

To learn more about it, and join the discussion, visit TalkAboutBradford.com.

You can also find more information at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/kinzuabridge.aspx

Kinzua Viaduct

When the Kinzua Viaduct was built in 1882, it was the highest railroad bridge in the world. Built of iron, the original viaduct was 301 feet high, 2,053 feet long, and weighed 3,105,000 pounds. An engineering marvel, the viaduct is now a registered National Civil Engineering Landmark and a National Historic Site.

In May of 1900 it was necessary to rebuild the entire structure to accommodate heavier trains. The job was completed in 105 days by about 100 to 150 men working ten hours a day. The new steel viaduct has the same measurements, but now weighs 6,715,000 pounds.

Tornado Hits Viaduct

On July 21, 2003 a F1 tornado ripped thru the Kinzua Gorge partially destroying support towers from the viaduct.

Nine towers remain standing as a testament to the strength of this amazing structure

“Eighth Wonder of the World”

The Kinzua Viaduct was originally advertised as the `Eighth Wonder of the World.” People from all over the civilized world came to see this engineering marvel of it’s time. Excursions came from as far away as Buffalo and Pittsburgh for a around a dollar per person.

On a typical summer Sunday of the time it was not rare to see six to eight excursion trains of ten to fourteen cars to cross the viaduct. To cross the viaduct was considered a great thrill at the time. Drinking, gambling, and parties were a common occurrence on these early excursions to the viaduct.

Many excursionists would even try to climb the iron work of the viaduct. However, many of them would only end up needing rescued from the high iron girders after they found they could not climb back down. These excursions to the Kinzua Viaduct were very popular and raised more than enough money to offset the $167,000 dollar cost to build the original structure.

History of the Viaduct

Brilliant Minds

Company president General Thomas Kane, of Civil War fame, and civil engineer Octave Chanute envisioned building a viaduct longer and higher than any ever built as an alternative to laying an additional eight miles of track over rough terrain along the railroad line leading to McKean County’s coal, timber and oil lands.

The New York, Lake Erie, and Western Railroad and Coal Company recognized the profits to be gained by transporting coal across the Kinzua Valley instead of taking the six mile route around the Kinzua Valley to waiting markets in Buffalo.

The massive sandstone blocks used to make the stone piers that support the extremely high iron columns were quarried from the nearby hills. There are 7,600 cubic yards of hard sandstone used in the stone work of the viaduct. The stone piers are embedded as far as thirty-five feet below the ground and as high as sixteen feet above the ground. On September 8, 1881, the cornerstone of the Kinzua Viaduct was placed on the south abutment, where it remains today.

Octave Chanute, Engineer

Mr. Chanute lived from 1831 until 1910 and was the inventor of call ties and date nails, which had the date engraved on them. He was also responsible for the preservation of timber by the creosote process.

Chanute awarded the bid for the Kinzua Viaduct to The Phoenix Bridge Works Company. General Kane met with Anthony Bonzano of the Clark Reeves Division of the Phoenixville Bridge Works Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, in early 1882.

Mr. Bonzano told General Kane, “We’ll build you a bridge a thousand feet high if you’ll provide the money.” Anthony Bonzano along with Oliver W. Barnes, who was the chief engineer for Kane’s railroad, joined up and planned the first Kinzua Viaduct.

On July 21, 2003 a tornado partially destroyed the viaduct that was in the process of undergoing restoration. In 2002, Pennsylvania at Risk had listed the Kinzua Viaduct as one of top ten Most Endangered Historic Properties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Today, the park is in the process of a master plan for the park that will include a new visitors center, stabilizing the existing towers to allow access on the bridge, and park improvements including overnight accommodations.

Recently we were asked:

“Do you have any history about the Bradford Brewing Co.??
About 30 years ago while Deer hunting with my son in Allegany State Park we found a beer bottle that stated Bradford Brewing Company, Bradford, PA. At one time just about every city int the United States had a brewery. I am familiar with Bradford, PA as I was born and raised in Olean, N.Y., but in 1963, we moved to Rochester, N.Y.”

The Bradford Brewing Companywas established in 1899 and operated until it declared bankruptcy in 1914. In 1925 the abandoned brewery was the scene of a gangland slaying. You can read more about it at the Bradford Landmark Society’s site.